“An unexpected, honest, hygge inspiring feast of conversation, cuisine and cathartic contentment.”
EatWith: Dimitris and Savvas, Athens
Well, what a treat this was. An unexpected, honest, hygge inspiring feast of conversation, cuisine and cathartic contentment. It is very rare, when reading a food or experience review, that I believe the words ‘the hosts made us feel like family’ and I have always found the phrase rather a cliché. However, I find myself eating my words somewhat because never before has this phrase been more relevant. Perhaps it is the difference between the more westernised anglo-saxon cultures and Mediterranean culture that left me unprepared for the feelings invoked by such an evening, or perhaps Dimitris and Savvas are the epitome of a combination of warmth, honesty and an ease-invoking manner a human is capable of possessing. Whichever, I felt honoured to experience their company… and their food!
Their rather unassuming apartment block entered via graffiti clad walls and a metal gate provided the perfect blank canvas for our hosts’ juxtaposition inside to create an antique lover’s paradise and true reflection of its habitants: golds, reds and creams dominated the colour-scheme, paintings in ornate frames, clocks, delicately painted plates, mirrors with elaborate frames, all manner of memorabilia adorned the walls, lit by soft lamps sitting on coffee tables, antique servers and bureaus. Every nook had a treasure, every corner a light, and every square meter of wall displayed decades of tasteful collecting. The extent of decoration might sound an overkill, but I assure you, these two know what style is and their apartment presents the perfect testimony to a classy, perfectly balanced antique-filled home.
*Warning*, if you have even a small snack during the day before your meal with Dimitris and Savvas, you will feel your stomach expand even before you reach the main dish. Arrive hungry, very hungry!
Introductory conversation was accompanied by a small glass of ouzo, served on their balcony (despite the February evening, the temperature was warm), in front of a backdrop of the Acropolis on the hill behind. In the summer, this must be magical!
We began our feast with sharing entrées of fava bean dip adorned with sliced sausages from Dimitris home island, fresh crusty olive bread, aubergine dip encircled by diced pepper, which zinged off the plate with its florescence against the backdrop of a dim comforting light (a personal favourite dish of mine, aided by the distinct variations in its preparation at almost every destination you find it), each spooned seductively into the centre of large, circular cut glass plates, with gorgeous cut design. Following these, a green bomb, about twice the size of a tennis ball, veiled with a pungent creamy lemon custard sat unapologetically in the centre of a radially decorated circular plate, sprinkled with pepper. This small marrow was exquisite: sliced at two thirds of its height and filled with rice, hat once again puzzled back into its natural seat; the slight gap created by the large content smiled a creamy lemony smile outwards to its consumer. This was a very fine dish: fleshy marrow walls aptly retaining the steam of its inside cargo, refreshing warm lemon custard-like sauce oozing over the bulbous shape, glutenous risotto hiding inside cuddling the tongue on contact.
A delectable leaf salad with walnuts, orange segments and a moreish dressing, and tomato and feta salad with omnipresent oregano were all support acts to the main plate of the evening: lamb youvetsi stew, served in a large terracotta dish, plated by use of an exquisite silver serving spoon sporting a grapevine design, the handle of which could easily have doubled as a wand. The meat was rich and tender; the orzo a sponge of flavour soaked from the meat. If only I had more room to fully enjoy this flavoursome treat!
Dessert was ice-cream, cherries, grounded pistachios, and with coffee they uncovered sticky slices of halva simigdali – essentially an ultra-moist, syrupy semolina pudding combining 4 base ingredients of semolina, oil, sugar and water; cinnamon and cloves punctuated each bite, flavours which seem to exhale from your nose in a satisfying warmth. Ignore your initial reaction to the word ‘semolina’ and the nightmares you have of semolina pudding at school. The two could not be more polar. Nut-mosaiced, dense, moist yet crumbly, this is a traditional dessert descended from its Arabic roots, and you really feel part of a culinary history when eating indulging in it.
Exchanges on philosophy, economics, psychology and art weaved between courses, Dimitris and Savvas having a great appetite for good conversation, much to our delight. An antiques dealer (and clearly: chef!) and financial lawyer consultant, this duo are certainly intellectuals, and our fondness for debate and meaningful discussion was amply satisfied. Dimitris was front of house, a role he undertook with a great level of skill, balancing conversation with time for us diners to munch, chew, sip, and converse between ourselves without the feeling we were being overheard. The food experience complete, we sat together with our hosts, cuddled by their snug and cosy sofas (and their beautiful dog!), our bodies considerably weightier than upon arrival, mulling over a topic or two which we started during dinner, and it was only when we realised the time that the thought of leaving finally dawned on us. We came away from the evening each sporting a large grin and a feeling of contentment with the world: we felt like we had discovered treasure, uncovering conviviality, a level of which I witness or experience rarely in the UK. And conviviality is a treasure and as with any treasure, it takes a while to find, but you certainly don’t want to lose it once you have found it; so, we continually seek it out wherever life takes us.
All in all, a delight in Athens as important to experience as visiting the ancient sites!