Quick - Kellari Parea or Periyali tonight?
have plans to meet a friend for dinner in Chelsea/Flatiron area, and i'm having a *wicked* craving for grilled calamari or octopus tonight. i've done some research on the board, but both places have gotten props. so...which place is better, specifically for those dishes, or for the food in general?
thanks!
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KELLARI PAREA is ok, but too bad its several notches down from when it was cleveland iron chef mike symon's PAREA.
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re: mrnyc
We had dinner once at the original Parea. Michael Symons stopped by our table to chat. A really nice, down-to-earth guy. We very much enjoyed his food, which I would describe as Modern or Creative Greek. Kellari's menu is much more traditional, so I don't think it's fair to say its food is several notches down from Symons'. It's like comparing apples and pears. Imo, as traditional Greek fare goes, Kellari's is excellent.
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re: RGR
that reminds me, besides the restaurant being a letdown since the symon days, KELLARI is also not a good value, it's overpriced for traditional greek food. not to mention the food is definately not in the excellent category either, due to circumstances we've been many times and without fail some dish or other the mix always tastes off.
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I have only been to Periyali and went earlier this year. Based on my experiences it is very good. There are less expensive places. It has a more upscale feel so if you're looking for a more casual atmosphere (like a Pylos), it's not the best choice. Their grilled octopus is their signature dish. You can also get excellent grilled octopus in Astoria (Outer Boroughs Board) and I like the grilled octopus at Cafe Greco (a neighborhood restaurant, not a destination place). But those options won't help you tonight.
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We had dinner once at Periyali many years ago, and I was quite disappointed. Considering the cost, the food was not any better than other more casual and less expensive Greek spots that we've been to.
Kellari Parea is currently our favorite Greek restaurant. We've not had calamari or octopus, but we've sampled many of the mezzes, and all are delicious. Their strong suit is whole grilled fish, and the moussaka is one of the best we've had anywhere. I would caution against the 24-hour lamb because it is inconsistent: fine the first time we tried it but dry and tasteless the next. Service is friendly and efficient. The large space has very attractive decor.
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re: RGR
goodhealthgourmet
May 24, 2009 02:36 PM
thanks so much! i had made a reservation at Periyali, but i just saw your post so i canceled it & got one at Kellari's Parea instead...will let you know how it is.
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re: RGR
goodhealthgourmet
May 25, 2009 12:23 PM
ok, so i'll give you a quick report. i wish i had more positive things to say, but here goes...the atmosphere there is really lovely. it's very warm and inviting, and i like the clean, Mediterranean, non-kitschy decor.
service was okay, but i had difficulty getting our waitress to provide any guidance in terms of portion sizes or recommendations, and though i specifically requested that they bring all the dishes at once, the salad came out a good 10-12 minutes after the hot items - and i had to ask her about it twice. i also had a bit of an issue with one of the busboys who was practically hovering over the table most of the night. he tried several times to remove dishes that still had a good bit of food on them when we had given no indication that we were ready for them to be cleared. i'm not sure what that was about.
to be perfectly honest, the food was a major disappointment. i *know* you said the whole grilled fish is what they do best, but as i said in my OP, i was really set on grilled octopus. plus, it was just me and a friend, and since we're two relatively small women, we decided just to share a few mezes.
we ended up with two orders of the octopus (when i told my friend that was what i was craving, she wanted it as well), one horiatiki salata, and one melitzanosalata.
the horiatiki wasn't bad, the wedges of red & yellow tomato were relatively meaty and as flavorful as you can expect this early in the season. the cukes were fine, and i don't know about the green pepper because i can't eat it raw and i forgot to ask her if it was good. the feta had a nice texture - a good balance of moist & crumbly - but it was a bit mild for my taste; i prefer it slightly tangier. the dressing was an *extremely* salty vinaigrette, and it was so thick that i had a hard time believing it was fresh. that kind of viscosity screams "stabilizers" to me.
the melitzanosalata had a whisper of smoke to it, but beyond that the flavor was somewhat flat - the dish was begging for some acid - i couldn't detect even the slightest hint of lemon juice or vinegar. the texture was a little loose/watery, not as meaty as i would have liked.
and now for the octopus...oh, that poor octopus. when he set the dish down in front of me, it took me a few seconds to figure out if this really was what i had ordered. all i could see in the shallow white bowl was a mound of sliced red onion swimming in a good half-inch of olive oil & vinegar. i spooned off some of the onion and transferred it to another plate, and there, in the bottom of the bowl, drowning in that pool of grease & acid, were a few strips of roasted red pepper and, at most, an ounce of tiny, 1/4-inch chunks of octopus. the worst part? the octopus had been cooked *perfectly* before they hacked it to bits - it was beautifully charred outside, tender & moist inside. unfortunately, i might as well have been eating styrofoam. it had soaked up quite a bit of the oil, and the strong flavor of all that onion and vinegar was so overwhelming that i couldn't even taste the octopus. ironically, the red pepper strips had ZERO flavor. seriously. they tasted like "nothing."
i wish the entire experience had been better - i really wanted to love it! all in all, sadly, it was pretty much a bust.
the good news, however, is that my friend was lamenting her splurge earlier in the week on a meal at Corton that she felt was ultimately a disappointment, and a waste of *a lot* of her hard-earned money...so in comparison, at least the price tag on this one was a veritable steal ;)
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re: goodhealthgourmet
I'm truly sorry that you were so disappointed with Kellari's Parea.
I love eggplant and have always enjoyed the melitzanosalata there. So, unless the kitchen goofed when putting it together, it appears we differ as to how we like this dish prepared. As for the salad, I think it's one of the best of its kind that we've had in a Greek restaurant. In fact, we've marveled at how they were able to get such delicious tomatoes in the dead of winter. And no problems such as you describe with the dressing.
As I originally said, I've never had the octopus. Based on your experience, it appears the kitchen knows exactly how to cook it but then totally spoiled what could have been something excellent by assembling the dish as they did. Very sad!
Interesting that you mention your friend's opinion about Corton. We had dinner there a couple of weeks ago and, with the exception of the desserts by Pastry Chef Robert Truitt -- one was so-so, the other truly awful -- I thought Paul LIebrandt's cuisine was creative without being as way out as I feared based on his history and delicious.
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re: RGR
goodhealthgourmet
May 25, 2009 02:34 PM
re: the melitzanosalata, i figured if they used up all the vinegar in the over-dressed octopus dishes & just didn't have any left for the eggplant ;)
but seriously, i had the feeling perhaps they had the B-team working - in the kitchen and FOH - since it was a holiday. you've had such positive experiences with it and i trust your opinion, so i chalked it up to an off night.
oh, and re: Corton, it's interesting - one of my friend's biggest gripes was that it *was* a bit too "way out," as you put it - too much molecular gastronomy and not enough focus on the purity of the food. apparently their first three courses came with gelees/gelatins that she said really detracted from her ability to enjoy the tastes & textures of the other ingredients on the plate. i think she said there were foams as well :) but she also said dessert was a letdown (not necessarily, awful but not memorable or worth the calories), so you're in agreement there!
anyay, thanks again for all your input about Kellari's. i don't know that i'd go out of my way to eat there again (it'd be easier if i still lived in the city), but i'd be willing to give it another shot if i happen to be in the 'hood.
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re: goodhealthgourmet
Thanks for still having faith in me, ghg. :-) It really pains me when one of my recs turns out badly.
To be honest, the first time Mr. R. and I went, we had a couple of glitches, i.e., two dishes that came to the table at incorrect temperature. I can't recall now what the first one was, but we didn't send it back. The taste was fine, but it was not hot enough. And when we later mentioned the problem to our waitress, she deducted it from our bill. The second dish was the 24-hour lamb. Really annoyed at another dish not being hot enough, we did send that one back. The chef, himself, returned it piping hot. Nice touch, and it was delicious. However, as I mentioned, the next time we had it, no problem with the temperature, but the meat was dried out and tasteless.
In any case, despite that somewhat rocky first time, we decided to give Kellari another, and all subsequent visits have been excellent. We've also been there twice with large contingents from both sides of my family (maternal and paternal), many from out of town, and everyone praised the food.
You may very well have been the "victim" of the holiday weekend's so-called B Team. If so, that stinks. And besides, they don't charge less than when the A Team is on duty.
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re: RGR
goodhealthgourmet
May 25, 2009 04:43 PM
"And when we later mentioned the problem to our waitress, she deducted it from our bill. "
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you know, i considered saying something, but i felt guilty. the place was empty - during the 90-ish minutes we were there, they only had three other tables, all two-tops. i kept thinking about how badly restaurants are struggling these days, and how much money they must have been losing being open on a night with so little business. sure, one could argue that in times like this they should be grateful for whatever business they do get, and try even harder to please paying customers by providing excellent food & service, but i was feeling generous and non-confrontational so i decided to give them the benefit of the doubt & let it slide this time.you know, now that i think about it, i would have *had* to be my usual proactive self, taking the initiative to confront them about it...because not ONCE, during the entire meal (or after) did anyone ask us how anything was!
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re: goodhealthgourmet
Thanks for the report, goodhealthgourmet. Next time try Periyali, sit at the bar get a glass of retsina and their signature grilled octopus. I've gone many times for lunch after shopping in the neighborhood. Please report back on your experience.
We went to Corton recently and had a fairly good experience. Sorry your friend's experience was not a good one.
PS I do not care for the grilled octopus at Pylos because they put balsamic vinegar on it. I'm a purist when it comes to grilled octopus. Cafe Greco (UES), Kyclades (see Outer Bouroughs) and Periyali are my favorites.
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re: financialdistrictresident
goodhealthgourmet
May 25, 2009 04:58 PM
FDR, thanks so much for the suggestions/advice. if i could have chosen anywhere in the city, i probably would have tried Kefi or Babbo. but based on geographic limitation, Periyali & Kellari were the only two real options for what i wanted (Tre Dici was booked, unfortunately - that had been my first choice in the area). anyway, it was really a toss-up, as i've read positive & negative reviews of both places here on CH. i figured i'd err on the more economical side the first time around ;)
re: the retsina, dining out in the city is frustrating for me these days - i *love* wine, but i live in Jersey now so i'm usually driving. unfortunately i'm pretty petite and my alcohol tolerance is practically non-existent, so i get a serious buzz from one glass! i had my eye on an assyrtiko on the menu last night, but i couldn't indulge.
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