Visiting Greece: A look into Athens, Santorini, and Milos

Having never been to Greece before, I decided to visit for a week as my quintessential graduation (Euro) trip. Aside from the famed sunsets and whitewashed houses of the Cyclades (namely Santorini), I was most excited about trying authentic Greek cuisine. We spent a few days in the city of Athens as well as the Greek islands of Santorini and Milos, and experienced a wide variety of grilled meats, fresh salads, seafood, and Greek wine. Despite the not-so-great weather for a few days on our trip (unfortunately during the exact time we were in Santorini), we dined "al fresco" almost everywhere we went, while also enjoying a few morning breakfasts on either a rooftop or personal balcony looking out onto breathtaking views. Overall, an amazing trip that I will never forget!

Athens

I loved our time in Athens, though most of it was spent at large tourist attractions or restaurants (no complaints there). Despite being the capital and the largest city in Greece, it holds quite a leisurely pace compared to NYC or Philly and I enjoyed our afternoon coffee breaks out in the sun, surrounded by both fellow tourists and locals. 

View from our hotel's rooftop restaurant, where we dined our first night in Athens and Greece

All tomato-based dishes the first night, the rooster with orzo (bottom right) was slightly sweet with lots of flavor

Exploring the culture-rich capital of Athens!

Visited this rustic restaurant for dinner on our first full day in Athens - much cheaper than the more tourist-geared hotel restaurant from the night before. The meatballs (top right) had a strong herb flavor and the mushrooms (bottom left) were simmered in the most amazing sauce.

Santorini

Santorini was beautiful, as expected, though it was extremely windy and a bit rainy the entire duration of our stay =\ We visited both Fira, the capital, and Oia, the infamous sunset location, on our trip, but unfortunately could not see the sunset on either day, due to the weather. However, the food was great and the views, if not perfect, were still pretty awe-inspiring. 

Catching Up

So. I graduated! It's been a whirlwind of a month, but I finally found some time to sit down and write an update on my many food adventures.

Disclaimer: I wrote an entire, very comprehensive post, but lost it when it didn't save somehow, so sorry this new version will be a bit more sparse.

Philadelphia: Farm & Fisherman BYOB

On a day where almost every restaurant in the greater Philadelphia area is packed with the families and friends of recent college graduates, I opted to celebrate with my family at a smaller, more intimate venue. The Farm and Fisherman is a quaint byo opened by the former chef de cuisine of Blue Hill, the critically acclaimed farm-to-table style restaurant in New York. Everything on the menu was great, but the table favorites were definitely the bloody beet steak and the asparagus. 

Photo credit to the talented Jeremy Tang for these shots from F&F.

Clockwise from top left:
Seafood bouillabaisse
Spring asparagus
Duck confit tagliatelle
Bloody beet steak

Clockwise from top left:
Roasted Chicken
Smoked cod
Seared hanger steak
Halibut

Powdered doughnuts with chocolate and berry preserves
Chocolate hazelnut mousse

NYC: Aldea

Had a spontaneous dinner with friends at Aldea, a one Michelin-starred Portuguese restaurant in the Flatiron district. I've only had one experience with Portuguese cuisine, which was fused with Chinese influences at a restaurant in Macau, so I'm not exactly sure how authentic the flavors and dishes on the menu were. The food itself was a bit salty, but the appetizers were very unique and presented beautifully.

Clockwise from the top left:
Sunburst Farms Rainbow Trout, lightly smoked, horseradish, dashi, spring greens, fingerling potato, honeycrisp apple
Sea Urchin Toast, cauliflower puree, mustard seed, shiso, lime
Chocolate pear cake + Gianduja mousse
Creekstone Farms Hanger Steak, charred ramps, rutabaga roasted "en cocotte", spinach, porcini jus

Las Vegas: Joel Robuchon

I had the most amazing opportunity to dine at the three Michelin-rated restaurant Joel Robuchon on a recent trip to Las Vegas for a good friend's birthday. The restaurant itself is located right through "The Mansion" in MGMGrand and situated next to the entrance of Cirque Du Soleil's Ka. Each course from the menu was innovative, decadent, and worthy of all three of its stars.