Krasi: Celebrating the Cyclades

Last Friday, on May 1, I dined at Krasi, one of my Top Five Favorite Restaurants, and celebrated my mom's birthday. As usual, it was a superb experience, with the food, wine and service all being top-notch. It's consistently excellent, offering innovative Greek cuisine, compelling Greek wines, and true hospitality.  

May 1 was also the start of the month, so Krasi is now showcasing a new region of Greece, and this time they are highlighting the Cyclades, a group of islands in the Aegean Sea, southeast of mainland Greece. The group includes over 200 islands, but about 30 are considered main islands, such as Santorini, Mykonos, Naxos and Paros. So, for the month of May, Krasi will present four special dishes inspired by the Cyclades and showcase their wines at their weekly Symposium Wednesdays. I tasted three of the four Cyclades dishes and wanted to share my thoughts on these delicious choices. 

The wines of the Cyclades are said to ".... taste like the sea (in the best way)" and were "... shaped by wind, sun and sea. Assyrtiko at the front, with Aidani and Mandilaria not far behind." For the next four Wednesdays, the Symposiums, led by Wine Director Jeremiah Cates, will feature these wines, and the themes of the next four weeks will include: Taste of the Region, Santorini Showdown, Low-Key Legends, and Sommelier Picks. Check out the Symposiums and let the passionate and knowledge Jeremiah educate you about these wines from the Cyclades. 

I'll also briefly note that May 1 was the opening of their Patio seating, and plenty of people took advantage of the opening to dine al fresco. 

We began our dinner with glasses of the 2024 Kir-Yianni ‘Akakies’ Rosé of Xinomavro, a celebratory bubbly, which my mom loved. The bubbly possessed bright red fruit flavors, with a touch of sweetness which is well balanced by its acidity. It's a fun wine, which should appeal to many people.

During the dinner, on the recommendation of Jeremiah, we ordered a bottle of the 2024 Sarris Lygia Orange Wine, and it was a great choice. I'll note that the Sarris Winery also produces "V for Vostilidi," one of my favorite Greek white wines

The wine was produced from Tsaoussi grapes, made on the island of Cephalonia, which is thought to be the main home of the grape. Most often this grape is used in blends. This wine was fermented with wild yeast and macerated on the skins for about two weeks. The wine was complex and interesting, with a delicious melange of flavors, from baking spices to apricot, black tea and orange peel, with restrained tannins, good acidity, and a lengthy finish. Highly recommended! It also paired well with a variety of our dishes.  

We began our meal with Tiropita Rolls, Greek cheese bread with halloumi & graviera, served with homemade Greek honey butter and a couple olives. I love these rolls, which have plenty of cheese within them, and the butter is sweet and creamy. 

We next selected one of the Charcuterie, the Akrokolion, slices of lamb, with garlic & black pepper.  The charcuterie are served with carob bread, toursi (pickled veggies), caperberries and an olive tapenade. Their charcuterie is always a good choice, and this lamb is a winner. 

We then selected one of the four Cyclades dishes, the Kopanisti, a spicy Mykonian cheese, feta, serrano peppers, and crispy lemon potatoes. The potatoes were superb, such a crispy and tasty exterior with a tender, soft potato within. I could have eaten a large plate of just those potatoes! The Kopanisti dip was creamy and flavorful, with a mild spicy element, and well complimented the potatoes. I strongly recommend this special new dish.

The second Cyclades special we ordered was the Tomatokeftedes, crispy tomato fritters, with dill, mint, marinated tomatoes, and mint yogurt. The fritters had a nice crunchy exterior, and were filled with a well seasoned blend. They make an excellent dish for the Spring.   

We also ordered the Giouvetsi, as we wanted another dish with lamb. The dish consists of braised lamb shoulder, orzo, cinnamon, grated mizithra, and tomato sauce. Another compelling dish, with very tender lamb, plenty of orzo, and a delicious tomato-based sauce, accented by the mizithra cheese. A hearty and delicious dish, this definitely elated my belly. Also highly recommended!

We finished our savory dishes with another of the Cyclades specials, the Savoro, sea bream, smashed spring potatoes, horta, golden raisins, and rosemary-vinegar. A tasty and tender white fish, with a delightful crispy skin, enhanced by the touch of the acidic vinegar with notes of rosemary, with sweetness from the golden raisins.

So, all three Cyclades special dishes we tasted were excellent, and great choices if you dine at Krasi this month. We didn't try the fourth dish, the Xtapodi, a grilled octopus dish, but I'm sure it's quite good as well. 

Check out Krasi this month, and experience the delights of the Cyclades, as well as the rest of their delicious menu offerings.