Filema Mezedopoleio @ Syntagma

This happened in October 2011.

It was one Saturday afternoon that we visited Filema Mezedopoleio between Syntagma and Athinas street. I don't know how this area is called; there are lots of whole sale type shops selling shoes, jewellery parts, etc.

Filema is tucked in a narrow street called Romvis where there are other two restaurants and two cafeterias. The souvlaki shop in the same street is also quite good (portions not generous, but good quality meat).

It was our second visit; the first visit is reported here.

The menu is not long, but not short either. There are several dishes changes at intervals and I guess anyone can find something they fancy.

We ordered as startar tyrokafteri & red beets.



Red beets were plenty & very good value for money, while tyrokafteri was so salty that verges on inedibility.



Our main dish was pork and potatoes in oven. It was not bad, but again was too salty.



But fried potatoes were fresh and cheap.



They gave us a dessert as well.



We managed to find a table when we arrived at 1, but when we left there were a couple of groups waiting for tables. When we stood up, a couple literally ran to our table to grab it.

The total bill was about 30 Euro, if I remember well.

The food did not particularly impress me, but it is very conveniently located and there is any other mezedopoleio in its close vicinity. The service is quick. These are probably the secrets of their success.

Mezedopoleio To Filema
Romvis 16, Athens
tel. 210-3250222

Μεζεδοπωλείο Το Φίλεμα
Ρόμβης 16, Αθήνα
τηλ. 210-3250222

*********

Our table was in front of this barbar shop.





These small shops are charms of this part of Athens.

Alberobello @ Alimos

[P.S. on 6 Jan., 2014: This restaurant does not exist any more].

Visited Italian restaurant Alberobello in Alimos on a weekday.



Of course I was not expecting the place to be busy (if anyone has not noticed yet, Athens is in a deep crisis), but I placed a reservation all the same, because with a reservation, there is a better chance of getting better service.

But I did not expected it to be so empty.

No one here.



No one there.



It was about eight o'clock & until the time we left at ten, there were only two other patrons, although there some take-away orders presumably from visitors of the cafeteria Ostria which is in the same building.

Anyway, we were greeted by a polite waiter and, after placing the order, we were served a piece of grilled bread with garlic-flavoured tomato bits.



Hubby's beer was Mythos, because this is the only non-bottled beer.



We order a salad as starter. Italians would not order salad as starter, but we are in Greece, so "in Athens as the Greeks do".



It was called Salad "Casanova" and except for leaves there were plenty of mozzarella and tuna. I was not sure if this combination worked (why the Greeks mix everything?), but would not question their generosity; we got half full when we finished it.

Hubby ordered chicken scaloppina with lemon. We could choose the garnish and he of course chose fried potatoes.



He said he liked it, but I thought that the chicken was cooked far too long time & the result being hard & dry pieces of slices of chicken breast.

Mine was Tagliata di Vitello and of course I chose vegetables as garnish. I asked "al sangue" and came pretty pink.



Veal does not have the depth in flavour as beef does, but as veal steak it was all right, although I would have preferred balsamic vinegar instead of the yellow dressing.



If we were in Italy, tagliata should be made with manzo, i.e. beef, but in Greece beef is something hard to get. Shame.

The vegetable garnish tasted like something frozen at some time in its life. I usually can finish anything veggie, but I left some pieces meaning that I did not like it.

We were quite full when we finished the above dishes and skipped the dessert. So we thought...

Hubby just ordered an espresso, with which the waiter brought us some liqueur that Hubby said is "Amaro".



Then, we were offered even dessert, this time by the Italian manager from Puglia (so we discovered afterwards). He said it was Zuccotto which was boozy ice cream with candied fruits in sponge cake skin. This one tasted the most Italian dish we ate on this occasion.



The total bill came to 48.50 Euro which I thought was acceptable by the Italian restaurant standard in Greece (and it was very reasonable if I consider all the freebies).

All in all, we found the meal enjoyable. Next time we would like to try pizza.

BILL IN DETAIL
Bread 2 Euro (not photographed here)
Insalata Casanova 9.50 Euro
Scaloppina al limone 12.50 Euro
Tagliata di vitello 15.50 Euro
Beer 6.50 Euro
Mineral water 2.50 Euro

Total 48.50 Euro

Alberobello
Paralia Alimou, Alimos
Tel. 210 9852 350
http://www.alberobello.gr/

Sugar Inn @ Kolonaki

Went for a coffee in Kolonaki today.

It wasn't cold and could take a walk in the sun. That would have been better if we could find a place in the sun, but we ended up in this shadowy cafeteria in Tsakalof street instead, because I wanted to eat something sweet.



It is mainly a creperie which sells also waffles. We ordered a freddo cappuccino, a filter coffee and a crepe with orange marmalade and Grand Marnier.

The cafeteria is a direct neighbour of a souvlaki shop called Delicatessen and, while you enjoy your crepe, you are assailed by the souvlaki smell. If you are eating savoury crepe, it might OK, but if you are eating sweet crepe, it is not very pleasant.



The crepe was presented in a very simple style, maybe too simple, almost ascetic.



The crepe itself was OK, if it was a bit hard. The marmalade was of good quality and I could sense Grand Marnier. However, 5 Euro seemed on the expensive side.

The coffees, on the other hand, were reasonable. Freddo cappuccino was 3.50 Euro and filter coffee was 3 Euro. Cheap if you consider that it was just 10 meters or so from Kolonaki Square.

I do not think I will go back for crepe, but if I need a cheap coffee, I might go back.

Sugar Inn
Tsakalof 14, Kolonaki
Athens

Now that I read the receipt, I notice that this is a branch of the shop in Zakynthos. I wonder how it is like there.

What We Ate in Arkadia

Last weekend we went to Arcadia for an overnight trip to celebrate my birthday.

We ate only twice in two days. It was not a result of perikopes & litotita. We usually have decent meal only once while we travel, because we eat lunch so late that we don't get hungry in the evening.

On 6 Nov evening, we ate at Elliniko as our pension was in this village as I wrote in the previous post.



According to our hotelier, this is the only taverna in the village: Georgada. I actually saw another building with taverna sign, but it was closed.



It was too cold to eat al fresco, so we had a table inside. Although it was very odd time (around 5 in the afternoon), some villagers and some tourists were eating.



Saganaki, Tzatziki and Horta. Saganaki was not-melty yellow cheese. Tzaziki also was very good, as yogurt was fantastic. It is not like the one you can find in Athenian tavernas, as central Peloponnese is yoghurt producing region.



The menu was not long. As mageirefta, there were only pork in wine (in the photo) and lamb in lemon sauce. Otherwise, grilled meat (tis oras). The pork dish was just average as well as fried potatoes.



White wine was nice, light & fruity, though.

Yogurt and spoon sweet (of some sort of cherry) on the house. Although we were quite full, we could not resist the temptation and ate it all.



The bill was extremely reasonable 22.50 Euro.

Georgada
Elliniko Gortynias
Tel. 27950 31009

Saganaki 4
Tzatziki 3
Horta 3.5
Potatoes 2.5
Pork in Wine 7.5
Bread 1
Wine 1
Total 22.50 Euro


On 7 November, we had a late lunch in Stemnitsa.



The taverna Stemnitsa had many tables in the village's main square, but, again, it was too cold for us and choose a table inside.



Tzatziki, Greek Salad & Florina Peppers. Frorina peppers were cold & marinated in vinegar. The meat was very thick and sweet. I don't think they were Florina variety. Excellenet.



They had spanakorizo (spinach rice) and lamb with oregano, so we ordered both.



The lamb was tasty, but dry & hard. It might be from an animal older than a lamb.



With a bottle of beer, the bill came to 26.30 Euro. Not bad, but I would try other tavernas in the village as well.

Stemnitsa
Stemnitsa Arkadias
Tel. 27950 81371

Greek Salad 6.5
Tzatziki 2.8
Red Pepper 4
Spinach Rice 4
Lamb in Lemon & Oregano 7
Beer 2
Total 26.30

Elaion @ Elliniko

Two days trip to Dimitsana area. We are staying at this ξενώνας (pension). http://www.innelaion.gr/