2024: My Top Four Favorite Restaurants & Three New Favorites

As 2025 approaches, it's time once again to reflect upon the past year, to remember and savor pleasant memories. It's the time for my Annual Year-End Favorite lists, from restaurants to wine. And I'm starting this year with my Top Four Favorite Restaurants of 2024 & Three New Favorites. These end-of-the-year lists should provide a comprehensive summary of my favorites, allowing my readers to more readily locate such gems, the best of my recommendations. 

I'll note that last year this list included only my Top Three Favorite Restaurants. However, this year, another restaurant has risen to the top of my attention, thoroughly impressing me with its consistent excellence. It's more than worthy of being on this list, but the other three restaurants already on the list remain worthy as well. So, this year, I chose to make this a Top Four list, to accommodate this new Top Favorite.  

This list is also in no particular order, and is purely a subjective list, based on my own preferences, and makes no claims about being the "best" of anything. However, all of the restaurants here earn my heartiest recommendation and I hope you'll enjoy them as well, as so many others have done. For more Restaurant reviews, you can just search my blog posts for the past year.

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My Top Four Favorite Restaurants are those exceptional spots which are consistently excellent, offering great food and drink as well as top notch service. These are the four places which first come to my mind when I want a celebratory dinner, or just want a sublime dining experience. They receive my unqualified highest recommendation. These are also the restaurants I most frequently recommend to others when I'm asked for my top restaurants. And those people who then go to these restaurants usually become big fans of these restaurants too.  

Krasi Meze & Wine (Boston)

Part of the Xenia Greek Hospitality group, this Greek restaurant is amazing, where nearly every innovative dish is exceptional. Their menu consists of a wide selection of small plates, perfect for sharing, and offers creative Greek cuisine, with roots in tradition but it's not afraid to experiment. Their Greek wine list, the largest in the country, is superb with so many delicious and interesting options. Service is excellent, and the servers are very knowledgeable of the food and wine. Krasi never disappoints.

Nightshade Noodle Bar (Lynn)

Offering inventive and delicious French/Vietnamese inspired-cuisine, with their own unique spin, this restaurant offers Tasting Menus, ranging from 7-30 courses. Their dishes are exceptional, bursting with flavor, and creatively composed. Plus, they have an excellent wine list and cocktail program. I like their homey vibe, service is always excellent, and they have an open kitchen, which I've always loved. They recently instituted a 30 course tasting menu and one of my desires for 2025 is to partake of that epic dinner. Be adventurous with your palate and you'll be amply rewarded. 

A Tavola (Winchester)

This excellent Italian restaurant in Winchester first made my Top Three list last year, and it continues to impress. Chef Joe Carli is very talented and personable, and his Italian cuisine is as good as anything you'll find in the North End. The restaurant is still relatively small and intimate, although this year they enlarged their space a bit, adding a small bar and some additional tables. Much of the sourcing is from local farms. I especially love their superb home-made pasta dishes, as well as when they have Duck Wings as a special. Their wine list concentrates on Italian wines, and there are many good choices. You also should check out their event list, which includes fun and tasty wine dinners and cocktail classes, like the A Tour of Italian Noble Grapes and BBQ & Bourbon events I attended this year. 

Il Ponte (Woburn)
Chef Beni Kurti of Il Ponte has brought his deep passion, lengthy culinary experience, and charm to Woburn. It's a homey restaurant, with a casual elegance, and the Italian cuisine is top notch, from home-made pasta dishes to exquisite Neapolitan pizza. During this past year, I've thoroughly enjoyed so many different dishes here, such as the Lamb Lollipop Milanese (pictured above_. Their Swordfish Puttanesca, which is a Special all the time, is amazing, an ample piece of tender and moist Swordfish with a compelling puttanesca sauce. Service is excellent, the servers being genuinely personable and attentive, without being obtrusive. It's consistently superb and every person I've recommended has raved about their own dining experience. Besides dining there numerous times this year, I also celebrated my birthday there and it was a memorable event. Il Ponte also recently added a special Gelato machine, and the gelato is silky and delicious. There's no need to drive into Boston for Italian cuisine with restaurants such as Il Ponte north of Boston.  

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I want to now address those restaurants, which were new to me this year, and impressed me. These are definitely restaurants I want to dine at again, and which are worthy of a hearty recommendation. 

XOXO Sushi Bar (Chestnut Hill)

This high-end Sushi spot opened in March and it's a superb spot, offering some of the best Sushi in the area. They serve Edomae-style sushi, which includes the used of aged and preserved fish, and they even have an intriguing glass case behind the sushi bar showing the aged fish. They serve other Japanese specialties as well, and they are as delicious as their sushi offerings. Their beverage program, from Sake to cocktails, is excellent as well. This is a restaurant well worth a splurge. 

Greco (Burlington)

I was very excited this past year when a branch of the Greco chain opened at the Burlington Mall. I've been a fan since the first Greco opened in 2017 on Newbury Street. It's a fast casual restaurant, specializing in Gyros and Loukoumades (Greek donuts!). Everything is made fresh, so you can enjoy whatever your food preference. You can opt for a Pita, Plate or Salad, with both meat and veggie options. The Greco Fries, with French fries topped by feta cheese, are delicious. And you have to end your meal with sweet Loukoumades, available own three flavors. 

Pinoy Kabayan (Boston)

There's only 3 Filipino restaurants in the Boston+ area, and Pinot Kabayan is the only one in Boston proper. This new restaurant is a fast-casual spot which does plenty of take-out. The food is authentic, delicious and reasonably priced. Many of the dishes are very approachable, such as Tocino (sweet cured pork) and Tapa (Filipino jerky) while other dishes are for the more adventurous. For example, Dinuguan, which roughly translates "bloody soup or stew," is commonly made with pork, offal and pork blood. However, I found it delicious, especially atop some garlic rice. I eagerly look forward to dining there again soon.

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There are a few other new restaurants I've dined at this past year, but for which I haven't yet written reviews, but which are still worthy of recognition. They include Sogne (Woburn, Italian cuisine), Fiorella's Cucina (Burlington, Italian cuisine), Adega Restaurant (Woburn, Portuguese), Bar Mezzana (Boston, Italian cuisine) and Feather & Wedge (Rockport, Seafood). Reviews of these restaurants are likely to come in 2025.

What were some of your Favorite Restaurants this year?

Greco Opens In Burlington! Enjoy Gyros, Loukoumades & More

"Gyro, pronounced “GAEE-ro” in English and “GHEE-ro” in Greek comes from the Greek word “gheereezo,” which means to turn. As mentioned above, it’s a stacked rotating pile of thinly sliced meat, either lamb, pork, beef, or some combination thereof, with latter-day renditions that include chicken and even fish. As the tightly packed stack roasts upright, the layers meld together and the grill person manning the gyro rotisserie cuts of paper-thin slices, which he or she fixes in a pita wrap with tomatoes, raw red onions, parsley or lettuce, Greek yogurt or tzatziki, and sometimes fried potatoes and a sprinkling of paprika or cayenne pepper."
--Chef Diane Kochilas in History of Gyro, an Ancient Greek Street Food 

Gyros and Loukoumades! I'm excited that Greco truly Greek has opened a new location at the Burlington Mall this week. Greco is a fast casual Greek restaurant, specializing in gyros and loukoumades, and its first location opened in early 2017 on Newbury Street in the Back Bay. I've been an ardent fan of Greco since that time, and additional locations have since opened in Downtown Boston, the Seaport, Hub Hall, and two in Washington, D.C.  

In 2022, Demetri Tsolakis and Stefanos Ougrinis launched Xenia Greek Hospitality, a new restaurant group with Brendan Pelley as their Culinary Director. Under the umbrella of this group are Greco truly Greek. Krasi Meze + Wine, Hecate, and Bar Vlaha. As their website states: "At Xenia Greek Hospitality, we are inspired by the ancient Greek concept which is built on guest-friendship. Today, we often forget how important not only the food being served is, but most importantly how it is being served. With a single visit to any of our concepts, you can experience the highest level of hospitality, with care and attention to all our guests, so you feel welcomed in our home." I've found this to be true, that hospitality is essential to their restaurant concepts, from the casual Greco to the more high end Bar Vlaha.   

The new Greco, which opened on Monday, has ample seating inside as well as an outside patio. It's a bright and spacious spot, with a modern feel. You order at the counter and then bring your food, when it's ready, to any table of your choice. On my visit on Wednesday, it was a fine day so there were people eating outside on the patio. 

As for Beverages, there are a number of bottled choices, from water to soda, and most are of Greek origin. For example, the Vikos/Bikos Cola, produced in Greece, is made with "natural mineral water" and sugar (not HFCS). It reminded me a bit of Mexican Cola, with a nice clean taste and doesn't seem as sweet as Coke or Pepsi. Greco also has 3 other beverages, including Frappe (Greek Iced Coffee), homemade Orange Blossom Lemonade and homemade Greek Mountain Iced Tea. The Lemonade is floral, with a light orange flavor enhancing the lemon taste. I very much enjoyed the Iced Tea. Although I generally prefer unsweetened iced tea, the Greek Mountain Iced Tea is sweetened with honey but the sweetness is very subtle and it possesses a delicious taste. I'd definitely order it again on my next visit.
 
The food menu has three main options: Pita ($12.50), Plate ($15.50), and Salad ($16.00). As everything is made to order, you customize your entree, choosing your own sauce and protein combination. The Plate also comes with one side, onions, tomato and pita bread while the Salad includes your salad choice (Horiatiki, Cretan or Greco Caesar) and is accompanied by pita bread. Sauces include Tzatziki, Spicy Feta, Honey Mustard, Lemon Chive Yogurt, Charred Eggplant, and Garlic Skordalia. My favorite sauce is their Spicy Feta. Proteins includes Pork Gyro, Chicken Gyro, Lamb Gyro, Beef Bifteki, Loukaniko Sausage, Halloumi Cheese, Veggie Fritter and Vegan Meatballs. 

They marinate all of their gyro meats for about 24 hours, using their own house-made marinades. After the meats have been properly marinated, they are then thinly sliced and carefully placed onto the rotisserie. The stacked meats look so enticing in the open kitchen.

I opted for the Lamb Gyro, with Spicy Feta, which is served on a warm pita with tomatoes, onions and fries. The warm pita is thick enough so it doesn't tear apart, but not too thick to be overly chewy. It's a fine vehicle for the tender and flavorful lamb, crisp fries, spicy and creamy feta, and more. The ample-sized Gyro was as delicious as any I've had at the other Greco locations. And it's definitely one of the best Gyros that I've had at any casual Greek restaurant. 

The Menu also offers Souvlaki Skewers ($6.50 each), including marinated and grilled chicken or pork. You can order a skewer on its own, or as part of a Single Skewer ($16.50) or Double Skewer ($20.50) Plate. The Plate comes with horiatiki salad, Greco fries, tzatziki, and pita bread. There's plenty of nice charred meat on each skewer, and the meat is tender and flavorful. The chicken skewer was my personal preference of the two, but the pork was tasty as well. 

There are also three options under Feasts, large platters meant to be shared with family and friends. The Lamb Chops ($24.50) include four lamb chops, horiatiki salad, Greco fries, tzatziki, and pita bread. The Souvlaki Platter ($42) has three chicken and three pork skewers, with horiatiki salad, Greco fries, tzatziki, and pita bread. And the Mixed Grill ($45) has pork and chicken gyro, two lamb chops, bifteki, loukaniko, Greco fries, spicy whipped feta, tzatziki, and pita bread. 

As for Sides, you have eight options, including Greco Fries ($5.50, with feta & oregano), Avgolemono (egg-lemon soup, $4.50), Zucchini Chips ($5.50), Bean Salad ($3.50), Greek Slaw ($3.50), Lemon Rice Pilaf ($4.00), Halloumi ($6.00), and Pita & Dip ($4.50). The Greco Fries are excellent, with nice, crispy fries, enhanced by the creamy and salty feta. Even though I generally am not a fan of zucchini, their Zucchini Chips,  thinly sliced and fried, are excellent.  

The Halloumi cheese, served with a side of hot honey, has been fried, and has a crisp exterior and a firm interior, like the texture of cheese curds. The salty cheese pairs well with the sweetness of the honey, and the slight heat of the honey. I can see how the Halloumi would make a tasty Gyro too.

"The French have their beignets, Americans have doughnuts, but Greeks have loukoumades, round dough fritters drizzled with Greek honey and sprinkled with cinnamon."
--Chef Diane Kochilas

For a sweet treat after lunch or dinner, or whenever you have a craving for dessert, you can order their Loukoumades ($8), basically Greek donut holes. You have three options, including the Classic (Greek honey, walnuts and cinnamon), Yaya’s (hazelnut praline, oreo cookies, powdered sugar), and Tasos (tahini caramel, sea salt, toasted sesame). 

The Classic Loukoumades begin with a light donut hole, with a crisp exterior and a light, fluffy interior, and then are topped with a sweet and compelling mix of Greek honey, walnuts, and cinnamon. It's easy to devour one after another until you find the box is empty. The walnuts add a nice crunch to the donuts and the cinnamon is a nice addition to the sweet honey. 

The Tasos have that same donut hole, crispy outside and light & fluffy inside, with sweetness from the tahini caramel complemented by sea salt. The toasted sesame adds a nuttiness to the taste, as well as some crunchy texture. 

Greco offers reasonably priced, delicious and quality fast-casual food. There are plenty of tasty options for those who enjoy meat, to those who only want something vegetarian. It's a great addition to Burlington. Service was excellent, and even though the restaurant has only been open for a few days, everything seems to be working well. This location is as good as any of their other locations, and I'm so pleased that it's so close to my home. I'm in Burlington on a regular basis, and Greco will become one of my regular lunch spots. I strongly encourage all of my readers to check out the new Greco location. 

Now I can only hope that Xenia Greek Hospitality, in the near future, will open another Greek restaurant in Burlington, something more on the lines of Krasi Meze + Wine or Bar Vlaha.

Ithaki: A Delicious Greek Dinner

Ithaki, a mainstay of Ipswich for about 25 years, moved to Peabody in 2022. This Greek restaurant, owned by Petros Markopoulos, had an excellent reputation, and it's now located on Route 1, next to the Holiday Inn. It serves breakfast, lunch and dinner, and I've previously enjoyed breakfast and a wine dinner there. Recently, I stopped by for dinner and was once again impressed with its cuisine.

The menu is extensive, with Raw & Cured dishes (like Octopus Carpaccio and House Marinated Sardines), Spreads (like Hummus and Tzatziki), Meze-Small Plates (like Saganaki and Dolmades), Soups & Salads (like Horiatiki and Fattoush), and Main Courses, divided into Fish and Meat dishes (such as Whole Boneless Branzino, Blackened Salmon, Moussakas, Youvetsi, and Lamb Skewer). Main Courses are priced from $26-$46.

The wine list is international in scope, but with a significant number of Greek wines. I chose the 2022 Thymiopoulos Xinomavro Young Vines ($40/bottle). The Thymiopoulos family has been involved in grape growing in Trilofos for generations, selling their grapes, but Apostolos Thymiopoulos was the first to vinify wine, releasing his first wine in 2005. Apostolos currently produces about ten different expressions of the indigenous Xynomavro grape, and his vineyards are organic and Biodynamic. He also believes in minimal intervention in the cellar. 

The term Xynomavro (also spelled Xinomavro) roughly translates as "acid-black." Xinomavro likely originated in the Náoussa region, in northern Greece, and is the second most planted red grape in Greece. The Náoussa appellation, established in 1972, only permits the use of the Xynomavro grape. The grape is most often compared to Nebbiolo (and sometimes Burgundy), and tends to possess strong tannins and high acidity, meaning it also can age very well. As the wine ages, it starts to lose its red fruit flavors and begins to acquire savory notes, especially tomato and olive.

The 2022 Thymiopoulos Xinomavro Young Vines presents juicy red fruit flavors, accented by good acidity, a subtle earthiness, and some herbal notes. Fresh and bright, it's a fine summery red wine, and pairs well with a variety of foods. 

We began our dinner with the Hummus, accompanied by crunchy pita chips. The Hummus was tasty and creamy, with pleasant garlic and lemon accents. 

The Calamari, made with pickled peppers, spicy aioli, lemon, capers, and chimichurri, was excellent, with a crisp coating and incredibly tender calamari. It just melted in your mouth. The peppers and chimichurri added interesting and tasty flavors to the dish. One of the top Calamari dishes I've enjoyed in some time.

The Baked Feta is made with Cretan honey, pistachios, and sesame seeds. The creamy and salty feta was balanced by the sweetness of the honey, and the crunchy element of the pistachios and nutty sesame seeds. A well balanced and delicious dish.

The Bifteki consists of two, 4-ounce burgers topped by roasted tomato and a slice of feta. The burgers had a nice char, and were juicy inside, enhanced by the acidic tomato and salty feta. The soft rolls were a good choice for these burgers too. 

We split a Main Course, the Seafood Youvetsi ("Greek Paella"), composed of shrimp, scallops, cod, clams and mussels atop orzo with a lobster tomato sauce. There was plenty of tasty and tender seafood atop the orzo and flavorful sauce. It's a hearty dish, and there's definitely plenty for two people. My only suggestion is that maybe it would have been enhanced with some locanico, Greek sausage, as paella often has chorizo. 

Excellent service, delicious food, good portion sizes, and a tasty Greek wine, all contributed to an impressive dinner. 

Farm Grill & Rotisserie: New Bowl Menu, Same Excellent Food

For over 25 years, the Farm Grill & Rotisserie, a casual Greek restaurant in Newton, has been serving the public and their menu has changed very little during all that time. It has remained true to its more healthy, Mediterranean cuisine. Savvas Iliades, the founder of the Farm Grill, immigrated from Greece in the mid-1970s, beginning his career as a roofer and steel worker. However, he eventually transitioned into the restaurant industry, which led him to opening the Farm Grill in 1996. 

Back in 2020, I wrote about my initial impressions of Farm Grill, noting "Reasonable prices, freshly made dishes, and excellent taste make this a fine spot for a casual lunch or dinner. And if you want to have a small holiday gathering, you could purchase plenty of dishes here rather than cook at home. I understand why the Farm Grill has been so popular for nearly 25 years. If you've never been there, I highly recommend you check it out." 

Since then, I've dined there a few additional times, and recently was invited back, as a media guest, to check out a new addition to their menu, their new Bowls. A new addition to their menu is unique, but the Bowl addition fits in well with their culinary philosophy. 

Alex Iliades (pictured above), is the son of Savvas, and now runs the restaurant. I met him back in 2020, and got to chat again with him on my most recent visit. Alex, who attended Johnson & Wales, previously owned a donut shop and then a pizza shop for almost twenty years. He's personable and humble, and clearly passionate about Greek cuisine. Plus, he's the essence of hospitality, genuine in his manner, a true professional. He makes you feel like a valued customer, and you'll leave Farm Grill with a smile on your face.

Their regular menu has much to offer, for both lunch and dinner. I was there for lunch, on a Tuesday afternoon, and it was quite busy, both for dine-in and take-out. Alex told me that since COVID, their dinner crowd has changed drastically, with most people getting take-out rather than dining in. He is thinking of ways to attract more people to dine-in at night. 

As for their new Bowl Menu, Alex previously stated, “We’re excited to change up our menu while still offering the best in traditional Greek cuisine, from chicken lemon soup to baklava.” The Menu includes three standard, pre-made bowls, including the Athenian, Greek, and Vegetarian, but you can also create your own bowl, selecting from a list of choices. Each bowl costs $16.95, with the option of an extra $1.00 for feta cheese. 

The standard bowls include:

• Athenian: Rice, chicken, pork, grilled mixed vegetables, spicy feta, and tzatziki
• Greek: Rice, gyro meat, tomatoes, roasted potatoes, tzatziki, and mustard
• Vegetarian: Tabouli, grilled mixed vegetables, chickpeas, beets, artichokes, and hummus

If you want to create your own Bowl, you select one item from each of the following categories: 

• Grain: Rice, orzo, or tabouli
• Protein: Chicken, gyro meat (beef or chicken), or shrimp
• Vegetable: Grilled mixed vegetables, roast potatoes, or chickpeas
• Sauce/dip: Hummus, tzatziki, spicy feta, or Greek dressing
• Optional extra: Top with feta cheese

I opted to build my own bowl, selecting rice, chicken gyro meat, potatoes, hummus, and topped by feta. It was an ample-sized bowl, with lots of fresh and delicious food. I love their flavorful chicken gyro meat, and the potatoes were seasoned well. The creamy hummus was tasty and the feta was a pleasing addition. These bowls are definitely more healthy choices, and great choices for lunch or dinner, dine-in or takeout. 

The bowl was accompanied by a side of grilled pita, perfect for the hummus. 

My dining companion ordered the Vegetarian Bowl, and very much enjoyed the dish. It too was ample, and would please any vegetarian. 

I also got to try one of their Specials, the Grilled Lamb Kabob ($23.95), with rice and Greek salad. Lamb had been taken off their menu for at least eight months because the price had been too high. Recently, they have changed their recipe a bit, using a different cut of lamb (similar to a leg of lamb), and sourced from Australia or New Zealand. I love lamb and was impressed with the taste of this kabob. The meat was tender, juicy and flavorful, without any gamey taste. Even if you think you dislike lamb, you might change your mind after tasting these. Highly recommended.

Alex also mentioned that they are now working with a new, local farm, where they can get fresh meat, with the ability to source many different animals for their restaurant. 

The Farm Grill also serves Greek wine and beer, and I had a glass of Assyrtiko with my lunch. The wine was bright, crisp, and lemony, a good pairing for my Bowl. 

For dessert, I had some warm Rice Pudding, reminiscent of smooth tapioca pudding, and it wasn't overly sweet. Alex is working on creating a few new desserts, such as something like a Baklava "chip,"  thinner and crisp. I'll be keeping an eye on when those new desserts are released so I can check them out.   

The Farm Grill also has an extensive Catering menu for your summer parties, or the upcoming holidays. You can order items such as Mousaka, Pastistio, Greek Salad, Kabobs (lamb, beef, chicken, swordfish, shrimp, vegetable), Gyros, Side Dishes and desserts. Skip the cooking and let the Farm Grill cater your next party.

Farm Grill & Rotisserie made my list of 2022: My Favorite Restaurants, and will certainly make my 2023 Favorite Restaurant list as well. Their new Bowl Menu is an excellent addition to the restaurant, ample, delicious and more healthy. The quality of their food hasn't diminished in the least since my first visit back in 2020. Alex Iliades is continuing the fine culinary legacy of his father. If you visit the Needham/Newton area, you definitely should check out the Farm Grill.  

A Greek Wine Dinner with Domaine Costa Lazaridi at Ithaki Restaurant

A fun Greek wine dinner introduced me to the culinary delights at Ithaki, which had been a mainstay of Ipswich for about 25 years but had moved to Peabody last year. Owned by Petros Markopoulos, this Greek restaurant has a very good reputation, and it's now located on Route 1, next to the Holiday Inn. Last week, I wrote about Breakfast at Ithaki, and now I'm going to detail a wine dinner, of which I was invited as a media guest to a trade event. 

Ithaki is a large restaurant, with a lengthy bar to the left, elegantly decorated, with a wine room to the rear of the restaurant. 

I liked the detailed octopus mural on one of the back walls.

There were about 12 of us at the Domaine Costa Lazaridi wine dinner, nearly all of who spoke Greek. It was a friendly and welcoming group.

Pictured here is Yianni Mirisis (on the left), the founder of Yiannis Distributing (who is importing the wines), and Petros Markopoulos (on the right), the owner/chef of Ithaki. 

The special guest at the dinner was Gerasimos Lazaridis, the Managing Director at Domaine Costa Lazaridi, a family winery located in Drama, in northeastern Greece. It was his father, Costa Lazaridis, who founded the winery, first planting vineyards in 1979, the first modern linear vineyard in the area. Costa had been previously involved in the marble business, but became interested in wine during his frequent visits to Germany. In 1986, Costa built the first modern winery in Drama. 

Drama has a lengthy history of wine making, extending back about 6,000 years, and it was also an important center of Dionysian worship, the god of wine-making and fertility, religious ecstasy and theater. Its modern history of wine-making though is such shorter and smaller. At this time, there are about ten wineries in the region of Drama, and international grapes dominate, although there are plantings of indigenous Greek grapes as well. Drama is sometimes called the "Bordeaux of Greece."

When Costa planted his first vineyards, about 21 acres, the grapes included Cabernet Sauvignon, Sauvignon Blanc and Assyrtiko. This was risky as those grapes hadn't been planted before in this region, but they thrived and the experiment worked well. International grapes were chosen in large part for commercial reasons, to offer consumers grapes of which they were familiar, and which many people, worldwide, enjoying drinking. 

Today, they own about 300 hectares of vineyards, in four different regions (Adriani, Kali Vrisi, Katafito, and Platania), growing about 2/3 international grapes and 1/3 indigenous Greek grapes. Grapes includes Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Syrah, Pinot Noir, Merlot, Sauvignon Blanc, Cabernet Franc, Viognier, Grenache Rouge, Malagouzia, Vidiano, Agiorgitiko, and Assyrtiko. They also own a distillery in Adriani and a vinegar factory in Kali Vrisi. 

Gerasimos stated that "wine is made in the vineyard," and with about 200 employees, 150 of them are employed in the vineyard. Climate change has affected their vineyards, so they have started planting at higher altitudes to try to avoid the problems of climate change. They currently have three different labels: Amethystos, Chateau Julia, and Domaine Costa Lazaridi.

In 1995, after years of petitions from Costa, Drama finally was awarded a Protected Geographical Indication (PGI). 19 international and indigenous Greek grapes are now approved for this PGI.  

We began the evening with the 2021 Chateau Julia Assyrtiko ($22), and I'll note that Julia is the name of Gerasimos' mother. The four wines in the Chateau Julia line are single-varietal wines, both international and indigenous. These are intended to be wines reflective of terroir. Assyrtiko is best known as a white grape on Santorini, and in Drama, the grape takes on a slightly different flavor profile, generally being more fruity and aromatic. 

About 80% of this wine was aged for six months in stainless steel while 20% was aged in barrique. On the palate, the wine had a richer mouthfeel and crisp acidity, with a pleasing blend of flavors, including citrus and lemon, a touch of minerality and a hint of smoke. A satisfying and moderately lengthy finish. This would be an excellent wine paired with seafood, although it would also be a fine summer wine on its own.

We began our dinner with a trio of seafood appetizers, including Marinated Sardines. A delightful taste of the sea, with a delicious briny aspect, enhanced by the clean taste of the olive oil.

Lauraki Tartare, made with Branzino, was also fresh and tasty, with bright, clean flavors. 

The Tuna Crudo was another delicious dish, with silky tender tuna, enhanced with some citrus. All three dishes paired very well with the Assyrtiko. 

Our next wine was the 2022 Amethystos Blanc, which had been first released in 1992 and was now their most exported wine. The word "amethystos" roughly translates as "a person who cannot get drunk" and there's an ancient Greek myth, with a couple different versions, about it. There was once a beautiful maiden named Amethystos and she came to the attention of Dionysus. She rebuffed his advances, and prayed to the other gods for help. The gods transformed her into a white stone and then Dionysus, saddened at the loss, either poured wine upon the stone, or his tears (also made of wine) fell upon the stone. That turned the stone purple in color.

To both the ancient Greeks and Romans, they believed that the amethyst stone could protect you from becoming intoxicated. So, they wore or carried amethysts with them, and even crafted drinking vessels from it, believing such cups would prevent them from getting drunk. If only that were true!

The 2022 Amethystos Blanc is blend of 85% Sauvignon Blanc and 15% Assyrtiko, which was aged for three months in stainless steel. In the region of Drama, the style of Sauvignon Blanc is between Old and New World. It's not as intense as New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc, and shares more in common with Loire Valley. It was pleasant and crisp, with bright grapefruit flavors, some minerality, and touches of lemon and citrus. It was easy drinking and a nice choice for the summer. If you enjoy Sauvignon Blanc, this would be an interesting wine which I suspect you would very much enjoy.

With this wine, we had a dish of Scallops, with a parsnip puree, mushrooms, and asparagus. The Scallops were excellent, tender and sweet, and cooked perfectly. The mushrooms added a nice earthy touch and the parsnip puree countered the sweetness of the scallops with a mild bitter note. And the wine was again a good pairing with this dish.

We next moved onto the 2022 Domaine Costa Lazaridi Rosé ($25), which was first introduced in 2014 and has become an extremely popular Rosé in Greece. This Rosé is made from 100% Merlot, and is more similar to a Provence style Rosé. With a delightful nose, the wine is dry and crisp, with pleasing red fruit flavors and a few hints of spice. Another excellent choice for the summer, or paired with food.

The Rosé was paired with a dish of Kiofte (Beef Kebob), with a confit tomato, onion, yogurt, and paprika. The kebobs had a nice crisp exterior and the interior was moist and tender, meaty and nicely spiced. The Rosé worked nicely with the meat, and it would also do well with a grilled burger. 

The 2022 Chateau Julia Chardonnay, which spent three months in stainless steel, was crisp and fruity, with delicious and bright flavors of apple, lemon and tropical fruit (especially pineapple). It possessed a little richness in the mouthfeel and had a lengthy, satisfying finish. Another wine that would be excellent on its own but paired well with food as well.

A dish of Halibut was accompanied by asparagus, pea risotto, and Harissa sauce. The halibut was moist, tender and flaky, cooked just right, and the spicy Harissa was a nice accompaniment. The pea risotto was also very good.

A palate cleanser, a Lemon Granita, was next brought out. 

Our final savory dish was Short Rib, with eggplant and roasted potatoes. The short rib was extremely tender, easily falling apart with your fork, and was delicious, with a slightly sweet glaze atop it. The potatoes were quite good as well. 

With this meat, we enjoyed the Amethystos Red ($28), a blend of 70% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Merlot, and 10% Agiorgitiko. It was suggested that decanting this wine would be a good option but not essential. It spent about 12 months in oak, 25-30% new oak. It has a very dark red color, with a nose of black fruit, spice and a hint to tobacco. On the palate, it has moderate tannins, ripe black fruit flavors, a spicy backbone, and a hint of tobacco. A lingering and pleasing finish. And a great pairing with the short rib. 

For dessert, we received a plate of Greek cheeses (such as Kefalograviera and Kasseri) with accompaniments. Cheese plates always please me, and this wasn't an exception. I especially enjoyed spreading some fig jam on the various cheese.

Our final drink of the evening was the Methexis Cigar 10 Year Old, a brandy made from 100% Sauvignon Blanc and aged for 10 years in the barrel. The term "Methexis" refers to a "state of euphoria/happiness after drinking." It is also called "cigar" as it's said to be good to drink wile you're smoking cigars. With a 43% ABV, this brandy had a fine, golden color and an alluring, fruity aroma. On the palate, it was strong, but not overpowering, with a complex and intriguing melange of flavors, including citrus and dried fruits, vanilla and spice. Definitely something to slowly savor over the course of time, reveling in the different flavors you experience with each sip. What a fine way to end this excellent wine dinner.

First, I was impressed with the cuisine at Ithaki, each dish well composed, cooked perfectly, and full of flavor. I certainly want to return here to check out more of their menu. Second, the wines of Domaine Costa Lazaridi were also impressive, obviously well made and excellent examples of the grapes of which they're made. As I've often said, I prefer Greek wines made from indigenous grapes, such as their Chateau Julia Assyrtiko, but there's no question that their wines, made from international grapes, are impressive in their own right. Gerasimos Lazaridis was also a fine ambassador for his family's winery, and was personable and knowledgeable. 

Once again, I have to ask, why aren't you drinking more Greek wines?