by Eleni Psychouli
In the era of fast speed, of street food of every nationality and of hunger that is satisfied quickly and with something “on the go,” the offer turns out so generous that it is easy to get lost among the bad, the mediocre, the “neither cold nor hot,” the good and the special. From the neighborhoods of the city, on a walk, we spot those that are worth a stop which –possibly– will become a sinful habit.
The most Greek-style sandwich of the city at Ateno
The handmade bread required much research until it ended up as a fluffy, oily focaccia that you will fill with the homemade cold cuts of Ateno, in the most Greek-style sandwich of the city, with the “heavy” signature of Nikos Karathanos and the Liakos brothers: beef tongue, porchetta, prosciutto from Kalarrytiko sheep, mortadella of black pig, semi dry salami from sheep and cow of Greek steppe breed, beef pastrami, air-dried salami from black pig, ham from rabbit and rooster. All of them amazing and ready to be paired with wild olive oil, Greek brie, ricotta, confit cherry tomatoes or artichoke cream.
Ateno, Aiolou 52 & Miltiadou, 2103223223
Indian wrap at ABC
In Bollywood décor, with the Taj Mahal in printed murals and Christmas tablecloths all year round, ABC is the shortest passage to India, with a wrap à la indien: the naan bread is kneaded temptingly in front of you and baked in the built, blazing oven, to be filled fluffy and hot with a tender huge chicken skewer, which has been marinated in exotic spices before ending up in the authentic tandoori oven. Put inside pickles and a finely chopped salad with cucumber, tomato, cabbage and lemon.
ABC, Acharnon 314, Kato Patissia, 2102011653
Frygadeli in pita at Barbathomas
On the grill of the showcase rotate appetizingly the spits with lamb, pork and chicken kontosouvli, however, I will focus on the rare frygadeli, which Barbathomas achieves juicy, richly liverish, without unnecessary fat. Wrap it in a fluffy pita with tomato, onion and finely chopped parsley, in the most “Roumeli” wrap of the city.
Barbathomas, Trikalon 32, Ampelokipoi, 2106911667
The piglet of Giorgis
Giorgis from Kalamata invents his own recipe for the most crack-crunchy skin of a piglet and comes to comfort all of us lovers of this unique delicacy who cannot take the road to Kalamata! Massage with coarse salt, 7 hours in the oven, meat like loukoumi, real potato, tzatziki and one prayer: that you catch it hot, before it is gone, something that happens from early noon.
Giorgis’ Piglet, A. Frantzi 8, 2107659880
The Hot Dog New York Style of Everest
If you dream of a festive hot dog and less sad than a sausage inside a plastic bun, Everest makes the magnificent Hot Dog the New York style, in a recipe by Vassilis Kallidis. Lobster bread, brioche-like, buttery, thick-cut and toasted, fried onion, pickles, onion chutney and on top baconnaise, the mayonnaise with finely chopped crispy bacon of Vassilis.
Khachapuri at Marili
An alternative to a classic puff pastry of the mid-morning snack, the khachapuri that comes out hot and is spread with fresh butter, from an authentic, built, Georgian oven. Soft, velvety dough, inside a chewy little cheese almost sweet like mozzarella, emotion that makes the first bite tastier, while you see in front of you the girls flouring the counter and working their fresh homemade doughs, at the Kypseli Marili.
Kypseli Marili, Agias Zonis 26, Kypseli, 2114252269
Blessed souvlaki at Evlogison
The most blessed wrap of the Basin is made by Stelios Kardamitsis, kneading the magic dough of his different pita, among candelabras, saints, icons of St. George, chandeliers and Mexican cacti. In this super-perfect pita, put perfectly grilled morsels of beef liver, onion, tomato and little potato cut by hand that is fried with its peel and sprinkled with xinomizithra cheese. You may also prefer the secret sauce of Evlogison, with beef bones that simmer for ages with their spices and vegetables.
Evlogison, Thivon 481, Ilion, 2105703100
Souvlaki with handmade gyros at Kapsa
“Peskiοs” gyros itself this Kapsa, good quality meat, which is roasted on the vertical grill of firebrick with charcoal, like those you may have seen in the classic doner places of Istanbul. The difference lies in the meat but also in this “horny” green hot sauce with olive oil, coriander and parsley, that smells Cyprus, heat and coolness together. For dessert, take some French fries, cut by hand and fried in a pan.
Kapsa, Skouleniou 4, 2103231366
Sandwich with kokoretsi at Cocoretsi
The City loves the sandwich with kokoretsi so much that it has dedicated to it its specialized places. If you are looking for it in the Athenian center, you will find it, identical and unchanged from the one of Constantinople, at Cocoretsi. A huge fluffy loaf or inside a toasted bun, finely chopped kokoretsi, tzatziki, onion, tomato and potatoes. If you prefer, you adjust it at will, with mustard, Russian salad, Hungarian salad and other heretical options. In a size that satisfies two hungry people, Cocoretsi makes the sandwich that every meraklis Constantinopolitan would approve.
Cocoretsi, Akadimias 95, 2103807862
Real cake at Hopper Cafe
The world is full of coffee and every café full of cake, which, as is known, love very much an espresso for company. In their majority, none opens your appetite. All suffer from an unpleasant ready-made quality. Hopper Cafe makes the mom-style difference in the real cake that just came out of the oven, this real one, that has not been made with ready mixes. Every day something new, in an appetizing variety that welcomes you, sinful, in the showcase: carrot with white glaze and candied orange, vanilla-chocolate, crumbly cake-apple pie, savory with zucchini, anthotyro and bacon.
Hopper Cafe, Papadiamantopoulou 6, Ilisia, 2107220450
Handmade pies at Cocona
This beautiful Cocona Ioanna (Amoutzaki) knows about pie, just as they know how to make it meraklidiki in Xanthi of her origin. If you are looking for genuine taste from traditional phyllo, crispy to crack, thick as appropriate, golden yellow like sun, be at the rendezvous when the minced meat pie with fresh mint comes out. Along with it, the epitome of granny-style cheese pie, the greens pie with myronia and kafkalithres and the buttery chicken pie.
Cocona, Milioni 10, 2103646563
Cypriot pies at Pavlou Confectionery
Both are Greece, but in pie, they resemble in nothing. Cyprus has its own cap and different logic when it makes a halloumi pie, little turnovers with halloumi and mint, puff pastry with halloumi and graviera and twisted tahini pies with mahlepi and mastic. These you will find where you don’t expect, in the showcase of a classic confectionery, Pavlou of Ilisia, made homemade and meraklidiki.
Pavlou, Papadiamantopoulou 24, Ilisia
Peinirli at Peinirli Ionias
Hot as it comes out of the wood oven to be spread with fresh goat and cow butter together, fluffy and handmade dough filled with cheeses that melt chewy under the yolk of the egg, this peinirli, takes you to the peinirli of Ionia, from where its recipe comes. With minced meat, with cheeses, with soutzouki or with pastirma and pleasure that takes you straight to the houris of the paradise of the East.
Peinirli Ionias, Panormou 3, Ampelokipoi, 2106462854
The sandwich of Nora’s deli
Sometimes the most select of sandwiches do not shout it on their sign. Like the sandwiches of Nora’s deli, the delicatessen that has on its shelves both the bird and the milk of whatever is most special in Europe. You can improvise with the dozens of products that will tempt you in the showcase of cheeses and cold cuts but also try this Italian roast beef, dried fig, arugula, mustard and mayonnaise inside an organic, sourdough bread.
Nora’s deli, Anapiron Polemou 10, Kolonaki, 2103389349
The kourou cheese pie of Makedonikon
When nothing has changed in the recipe, the first bite of a kourou cheese pie fills you primarily with the very tasty flavor of nostalgia, that takes you back to other, forgotten pages of your life. If you didn’t love Makedonikon as a student, it is worth introducing yourself now, for the elegant, unique, small kourou cheese pie, the bougatsa and the minced meat pie with the lacy phyllo.
Makedonikon, Solonos and Ippokratous, 2130256153
*"Meraklidika" describes something done with passion, dedication, and meticulous attention to detail, often involving a personal touch or craftsmanship, rooted in the Greek word meraki, meaning passion or desire.
