Posts Tagged ‘taverna’

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Basement Taverna

January 3, 2012

Posted by Kanga.

bearded man sitting next to a large wine barrel

You may remember the basement taverna from our food tour post. Nothing would do, but DaddyBird had to go back and have another meal there before we left Athens. We got a cozy little table right next to the wine barrels. The owner makes his own wine in these barrels. DaddyBird says it is the best retsina wine.

plate of yellow mash with lemon, peppers, olives and onions

A reprise of the fava mash (actually made with yellow lentils, we suspect).

a bowl of vegetable stew and a bowl of chick peas

We didn’t really order anything. They recognized us from two days before and automatically brought the fava mash, chick peas and vegetable stew. He asked if we wanted fish, but we had more than enough, so declined it.

open basement door and the kitchen area

Here’s a glimpse of the doorway and the kitchen area. The menu is limited – just three hot items, fried fish, and bread. We saw a variety of clients, from old Greeks to blondes in leopard print coats.

This is a gem, well worth a second visit.

Posted in Athens, food, Greece | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments »

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Athens, Greece: Day Seven

December 23, 2011

Posted by Kanga.

man wearing a hat

Due to the continued rain, DaddyBird needed a hat. This was the one and only style of hat in the shop. I like it. (Notice I had to turn the camera sideways to get the beard in.)

man walking down a marble paved street

We went to the downtown area which has been largely pedestrianized (no cars allowed). (It’s difficult to tell, but in the distance is the plateau of the Acropolis.)

yellow plaster sided church

This is the Church of the Metamorphosis.

back of the church showing old stonework

When you see it from the back, you can see it has gone through a metamorphosis of its own.

restaurant with murals on the wall

We stopped for a late lunch at the Saita Taverna.

a one half kilo carafe of retsina wine and two shot glasses

This is retsina wine. This a 1/2 kilo carafe. One can also get a full kilo carafe. It comes out of oak wine barrels stored in the restaurant.

grilled octopus and fried cheese appetizers

We ordered appetizers. They did not have sausages, which we had ordered, so brought the fried cheese instead. The other plate contains grilled octopus, which was delicious.

fried zucchini

The fried zucchini was very delicious and I ate most of it before DaddyBird had a chance. You snooze, you lose.

lamb chops on a bed of fries

Our main dishes – lamb chops and bakalairo (salted cod).

fried fish and mashed potatoes

The mashed potatoes were served cold with olive oil and a generous amount of garlic. I don’t need to keep repeating that this was delicious, do I?

shops on a pedestrian street

We continued our walk through the shops. Many of these shops carry touristy items.

sign of the Byzantine Church Supply

Before long we had entered a very different shopping area where you could get clerical vestments made or pick up a nice censer or candlestick for your Byzantine church.

small, ancient church

We diverted a bit to look at this wonderful little church. Behind it is its 19th century replacement which is currently under renovation. A man working at a nearby restaurant came out to talk to us and tell us about the churches. He was pleased to hear that we come from Oregon, which he is convinced is a state known for cowboys.

Posted in Athens, food, Greece | Tagged , , , , , , | 6 Comments »