My stay in New York wouldn’t be complete without the hospitality of so many New Yorkers who made me feel like one of them for a week, the fine service I received from the bars & restaurants I patronized and the generous friends who made my tour most memorable.
On my final night, my tour guide extraordinaire, Konstantine suggested we pay a visit and enjoy dinner at Pylos, located in Alphabet City.
This neighborhood is located in the East Village and gets it’s name from being having the only Avenues in Manhattan to have single-letter names.
Pylos is a long, narrow restaurant that will WOW you as soon as you enter the premise. One immediately takes notice of the terracotta earthenware ewers that hang row after row from the ceiling.
Coincidentally, Pylos is also a small town and bay located in the southern Greek prefecture of Messinia. Pylos was also the site of an important naval battle during the Greece’s War of Independence (1827) and the Venetians called the area Navarino.
On the night we dined at Pylos, the place was brimming with a young, hip crowd, Greek music faintly heard in the background with the din of diners and dinner service front and center.
The proprietor Christos was particular about photos taken inside his establishment but he offered to send me photos of Pylos but I’m quite happy to invite to have peek at Pylos on their website….you’ll surely make a reservation on your next trip to New York.
With regards to the food, the menu was created with the assistance and consultation of Diane Kochilas, a New York native who splits her time between New York and Greece and has written many cookbooks touching upon Greek and Mediterranean food.
My New York friends Claire and Stephane also joined us for a bite and although they arrived a little late, I’d like to show you all a sampling of the wonderful dishes served up at Pylos.
First to arrive was the the baked cuttlefish stuffed with cheese and served with a light tomato sauce.
We then sampled a Moussaka made of artichokes and caramelized onions and a three-cheese Bechamel sauce.
Next came the seared scallops served with a fennel slaw and an orange/saffron mayo.
To satisfy our meat cravings, we shared a big pork shank that was slowly roasted, aromatic from a blend of herbs and fork-tender….no knife required here.
Pylos has a fine selection of all Greek wines and I urge you once again to ask your server for his or her recommendation the next time you decide to dine Greek.
For dessert, we shared a trio of strained yogurt with sour cherry spoon sweets, a custard made of yogurt and cream and aromitized with Mastiha from the island of Chios. Our third dessert was the “Mouzo”…Pylos’ chocolate Mousse spiked with Ouzo.
I couldn’t have ended my stay in New York at a better place. The owner Christos gave us prompt and cordial attention…spiking conversation and wine recommendations between courses.
When you decide to dine at Pylos (I know you will), try and get seated at the long marble table that lines the back part of the restaurant. You’ll be near the action of the bar, you be able to survey the rest of the establishment and make some new friends at your side.
What??? Were you waiting for a recipe? Stay tuned…got a scallop dish coming up later today.
♫”Start spreadin’ the news, I’m leaving today
I want to be a part of it: New York, New York.â€â™«
Hey, I also want to be part of it!!!! The Restaurant, the foodie friends, the good food… Where should we go on our summer trip? To Athens or N.Y.?
Nice food! Thanks for the virtual visit!
cheers,
Rosa
Nice food! Thanks for the virtual visit!
cheers,
Rosa
Nice food! Thanks for the virtual visit!
cheers,
Rosa
Nice food! Thanks for the virtual visit!
cheers,
Rosa
Nice food! Thanks for the virtual visit!
cheers,
Rosa
Nice food! Thanks for the virtual visit!
cheers,
Rosa
Nice food! Thanks for the virtual visit!
cheers,
Rosa
Never heard of this restaurant. Thanks for the recommendation. The pork shank looks particularly good.
Peter,
We are meeting friends for brunch at Pylos on Sunday.
I am so glad you tried it.
I hear the decor is beautiful too.
It’s 9 a.m. and already I am hungry!
Stace
What a time & what food you had in New York
These photos are wowing me. I am so hungry right now!
Your food looks so artful and perfect. I am very hungry now. The least you could do is feed me… ;)
I’ve decided that the next time you’re going to NYC, I need to as well so I can follow along.
I’ve decided that the next time you’re going to NYC, I need to as well so I can follow along.
I’ve decided that the next time you’re going to NYC, I need to as well so I can follow along.
I’ve decided that the next time you’re going to NYC, I need to as well so I can follow along.
I’ve decided that the next time you’re going to NYC, I need to as well so I can follow along.
I’ve decided that the next time you’re going to NYC, I need to as well so I can follow along.
I’ve decided that the next time you’re going to NYC, I need to as well so I can follow along.
Those pictures are making my mouth water! Everything looks so great! I’m so glad that you had such a fabulous time in NYC.
Sorry I haven’t visited in a while. I’ve been the phantom food blogger lately. With all that is going on, food seems a frivolous indulgence right now. Hope I get my mojo back soon. :(
an excellent way to finish your trip – the photos look great
usually i’m not a big fan of eating out in alphabet city (sometimes it’s SO painfully trying to be hip it misses the mark w/ flavor) but i’ve read good things about that place. gonna def. check it out.
You certainly had a great time! I’ve loved reading all your posts and about all the lovely people you met and the great food you had.
I really hope that I can come to Pylos prior to my mother’s move from NYC. It truly sounds heavenly.
Woohoo! I get to see what you had before we arrived! I could tell it was delicious by nibbling on your left overs (what, a French vulture, me??), now I have confirmation!
So that’s how the pork shank looked like before i arrived! Wow.
At least claire got to nibble on your leftovers. There was NOTHING left for me. Except for dessert that is.
Great restaurant, i will return!
Love those desserts! I must try that Mouzo for sure.
i’m with farmer jen–the mouzo sounds amazing! see if you can round up a recipe for that!
Artichoke moussaka?? Now there’s something I have to try. Great shot of the Empire State :)