not thinking about him thinking about him, though he does appeal...
i was remembering yesterday’s lunch at anthos, with allison. (is the lamb burger different now that he’s no longer a partner? i have no point of reference--I have to go back to kefi…maybe I should read “how to roast a lamb...” what is it about greek food, it really is so...fresh and bright and good, like sunshine...) and then i thought about all the really good greek places that i've been to: avra, ithaka, snack taverna, uncle nick's...
you see how this can go on and on.
i eventually came to a notion that greek food might be the comforting, rustic, exact opposite of the food I grew up on:
both use root vegetables, but greek roots--beets, for example-- have more water, crunch; filipinos use starchy cassava, maybe some taro, and a lot of purple yam (which I have never even seen in it’s raw form, only as a dehydrated powder or a robust, un-real purple “jam” –which is actually a paste made with grated yam, butter and condensed milk).
they dress with olive oil, citrus; filipinos season with highly fermented, intensely salted pastes and sauces (salted shrimp fry, fish sauce, soy…)
they roast a lamb; we roast a big pig.
they use yogurts and fresh cheese; our pasteurized cheese comes from a can or as sliced singles, wrapped in cellophane, or “queso de bolla” (a big ball of gouda, encased in red wax)...
maybe i was on to something? but then it was time to get up.
anyway. ANTHOS.
***
elegance is in the air at anthos. light and the city filter in through full- frontal windows. the light, when you first enter and stare out from the bar is cool; it warms up as you proceed back to the dining area. it was a full house yesterday.
and there was full menu (including a tempting "raw" meze first course) , a 3-course prix fixe for $28, and a 3-course menu hold-over from restaurant week, for $24. there was no question for me--i was going with the lamb burger, the $28 deal.
these sheep milk ricotta dumplings must have been lovingly coddled in micro-batches--it's impossible to imagine how they could otherwise turn out perfect bites that have such body and substance under the fork but fall to pudding in the mouth? delicately salty, they are well-matched with leeks and contrasted with crispy fried onions and snappy fresh peas.
and this is it, what i came for: the lamb burger. i ordered it medium rare, and it arrived medium. but it was still juicy and well-seasoned. in an interview on eater last year, psilakis mentioned that his lamb burger had feta and spicy pepper hktipi and was wrapped in caul fat. i had to look up "caul fat." i noticed red specks in the burger--safe to assume the recipe is the same? also that the red pepper puree is also the base of the sauce that dressed the bun? in any case, it was top-rate. (and: no ketchup required)
dessert options for me were an ice cream sandwich cookie (which i jumped at, at first) and goat cheese panna cotta. but how often do i have the opportunity to try a goat cheese panna cotta? that was obviously the real way to go.
when our server brought this out, i believe my exact words were "everything here is so cute. can i take home that jar?" which i retracted right away (but still hoped he'd say, ok). it's a charming presentation, yes?
but the eating is a little challenging, jamming the little jam spoon in there, and fishing out a little bit of fruit and a little bit of panna cotta. it requires a lot of patience for a few little bites. i don't see many guy friends of mine enjoying this exercise...
but the goat cheese panna cotta was very nice: strong notes of vanilla, and the light tang you enjoy from a fresh greek yogurt.
last, not least: a little cookie with a powerful lemon curd
all photos © anita aguilar
