Syros, Greece

[lwharter]

Greetings! I will be traveling to Greece for two weeks end of June, beginning of July and have no experience with that country...any dining suggestions? I'm suspicious that what we call Greek food here (gyros, etc.) may not be at all what is featured and desirable eating there. Thanks much!

[Waitman]

Greetings! I will be traveling to Greece for two weeks end of June, beginning of July and have no experience with that country...any dining suggestions? I'm suspicious that what we call Greek food here (gyros, etc.) may not be at all what is featured and desirable eating there. Thanks much!

I have not been to Syros in particular, but I spent (cumulatively) a couple of months in Greece a few years ago.

You should feel confident that gyros and moussaka will be widely available -- and that Greeks do indeed eat a great deal of Greek Salad -- but there is a lot more to Greek food than that.

My experience was that Greece was kind of a comfort food country, not an haute cuisine place. Roast meats (they'll put anything on a grill or a skewer), lots of rice and fried potatoes and mashed fava beans. Seafood -- spend some time looking for a real fishtaverna, and get ready for five or six courses of everything fraw raw shellfish to grilled whole fish.

If their food isn't the best, it's almost always good, and the whole Greek approach to dining is wonderful. Start late (nine or ten), go with friends, sit under the stars, eat slow, relax over coffee and after-dinner drinks, don't expect the check to be delivered any time soon.

Four times out of five the the wine by the caraffe is a better price/value than anything in a bottle. The fifth time it's utter swill, but at least cheap.