MARIANI’S

Menu from the Surf room, Royal Hawaiian Hotel, Honolulu, circa 1960.

THIS WEEK

AEGEAN IDYLL, PART TWO
BY EDWARD BRIVIO

NEW YORK CORNER
JUNI
BY JOHN MARIANI

NOTES FROM THE WINE CELLAR
CAN TEXAS WINES TAKE THE HEAT?
BY JOHN MARIANI

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AEGEAN IDYLL, Part Two

BY EDWARD BRIVIO
Photos by Robert Pirillo

The Parthenon, Athens

    Our first landfall on a seven-day cruise of the Greek Islands and the Turkish "Riviera" aboard the Azamara Journey was Mykonos island, where we went on a four-hour bus trip guided by a savvy native who was also beautiful enough to be a model. First stop was in the center of the island, at the village of Ano Mera, where we visited the sleepy, bright white and bougainvillea-draped monastery of Panagia Tourliani (below), dedicated to the Virgin Mary and erected in the 16th century. Opulent chandeliers and pierced hanging lamps filled the exquisite, jewel-box interior of its church, with a fresco of Christ Pantocrator painted on the small central dome. The glorious polychrome altar screen, almost churrigueresque in its flamboyance, was emblazoned with large icons. The central one, of the Virgin and Child, the paint of their faces barely recognizable on its smoke-blackened, driftwood panel, washed up from the sea and is considered miraculous.
    A quick stop at a beach for a refreshing swim in the clear blue sea was next. Finally, a walk in the town of Mykonos itself, through its quiet, winding residential back lanes, so narrow that the second floor balconies almost touch. Old women in black sat relaxing in front of their cubical white houses, their doors, staircases and shutters all painted the same vivid color, whether blue, red or green.
    As luck would have it, we even got to meet the waterfront's official mascot, Petros (or Peter) the Pelican, enjoying his siesta on top of a low wall. A quite large, almost pure white bird, with his long beak turned back under his wings, he brought to mind an enormous egg. There he sat, not ruffling a feather, so still you could mistake him for a large sculpture, completely at ease, very poised and dignified in his own avian way. If only the same could be said about the noisy, gawking, camera-toting tourists, milling around him like ill-bred school children who just can't resist seeing how close they can get to him for a snapshot.
    Next was a visit to picturesque "Little Venice," the oldest part of town (below), where there are colorful fisherman's -- or pirates' -- houses, whose walls rise up straight out of the sea and have plain wooden balconies overhanging the water on their upper floors.
    The next morning, we anchored in the harbor at Kusadaşi, Turkey. The town itself is a large open-air souk where t-shirts, table linens, and other factory-produced souvenirs were offered side by side with magnificent carpets and artisan-made 22 carat gold jewelry. There were numerous, narrow alleyways, actually long flights of steps, that we were told led up to an atmospheric, picturesquely crumbling Old Town, but it was so hot and the stairs far too numerous and steep for us to bother.
    Later we took in our complimentary Azamara Evening event at Ephesus (left). A fleet of buses took most of our ship’s passengers for a two-hour ride to hear an outdoor classical concert in the ancient theater right at the entrance to the extensive Roman ruins at Ephesus. After getting over the initially profound disappointment at not being able to visit any other parts of the ruins (guards were there to stop us), we enjoyed an evening of popular classical selections: Bach's “Air on the G string,” Mozart's “Eine Kleine Nachtmusik,” Borodin's “Polovtsian Dances,” Handel's “Harp Concerto” and more, played by a chamber orchestra of gifted young musicians. Cushions were provided to mitigate the hardness of the ancient stone seats. As the evening cooled down and darkness obscured all but the candlelit semicircle of listeners, a crescent moon like the one on the Turkish flag rose over the hillside to the east.
    Our next stop was the island of Kos. Unfortunately, we didn't get to see any of Kos town, surrounded by walls erected in the Middle Ages. Rather, we were whisked away by bus to the massive ruins of Asclepion, built on several marble terraces, where Hippocrates, the “father of Western medicine," had his treatment center. Highlights were the remains of the 3rd Century Temple of Apollo and its baths.
    Then, off to a village, Zia, way up the forested slope of Mount Dikeos, with traditional stone houses and a main street lined with shops selling souvenirs, as well as local honey and sponges. Its many rooftop restaurants had beautiful views of the mountains and the sea. Where our guide took us the standard Greek menu was offered, including superb mezes and main courses from the grill, along with great pilsner-style national beers, Alpha and Mythos, all very reasonably priced.
    At noon the next day, we docked at Rhodes. No tour was planned, so we just strolled around the beautiful walled Old Town  (right) and its sun-baked main drag, Socratous Street, filled with shops, restaurants, and sightseers. The back streets, however, where daily life continued away from the tourist crush, were lovely, cool and shady under the enormous green canopies of wide-trunk trees, a single canopy often large enough to cover an entire square.
    We had a wonderful lunch at the popular, aptly named Socratous Garden, a few steps and the swing of a gate off of sultry Socratous Street, but a world away. Delicious mezes: tzatziki, taramosalata and a small Greek salad, followed by small portions of half a dozen mainstays of Greek cuisine, moussaka, pastitsio (lasagna), keftidie (meatballs, sausages, broiled stuffed-tomato), dolmades (stuffed grape leaves) and some beef and onion fricassee that we couldn't stop eating, all in one order big enough for the two of us. (Lunch for two, with shared entree, 32 Euros, or $44.) The roomy patio could tempt you to idle away the whole afternoon in the cool, leafy shade of its trees.
    But don't miss the Palace of the Grand Masters (left), a citadel of the medieval Knights Hospitaller, with its outstanding collection of about two dozen superb, completely intact Late Roman and Early Christian mosaic stone pavements, some brilliantly geometric, some touchingly figurative. All were removed from Kos by the Italians during their 1912 occupation of the Dodecanese Islands.  Another must-see is the Street of the Knights, lined with the Inns of the Tongues, where the knights from different countries were segregated in their own national establishments. Its narrow, cobbled streets and arched bridges between substantial stone houses date from the 14th century, one of the most extensive and best preserved examples of Gothic city building in the world. Oh, but what a torment to walk on those tiny stone cobbles, even with rubber soles. How do the women of Rhodes manage it in today's high heels?
    At night, we had dinner at La Barka (below) with tables right out on Sophokleous Street in the Old Town. The usual great mezes was followed by simply grilled sea bass that we drizzled with lemon juice. The chef came out and presented us with a platter of whole fish, so glistening and fresh I expected them to jump off the plate. "This is sea bream,” he pointed out, “this is sea bass; the bass is better." It certainly was good. Our waiter and waitress were delightful, as was the red table wine. The taverna had changed ownership the day before, so everyone was new and enthusiastic but still wholly competent. Dinner for two with wine was about 72 Euros, or $94.
    Marmaris, Turkey, is a harbor town with a large, open-air bazaar offering the usual trash and treasures for sale. Energetic, but not aggressive, street vendors were hawking their wares out front of every shop. When looking at jewelry, or carpets, we were always offered something to drink, according to rules of Turkish hospitality, but prices, as usual, were much too high.
    Here, a six-hour bus tour took us to the small town of Dalyan, on the edge of one of the world's most important wetland areas. A boat then took us down the Dalyan River and through the reed-lined channels of its delta, past the spectacular weathered facades of Lycian rock tombs (below) ca. 400 BC, sculpted halfway up the sheer hillsides and mimicking the porticoes of small Ionic temples. Then on to the still impressive Roman ruins of the trading city of Caunos, where the remains of temples, baths and even a theater from the 2nd Century BC can be visited. Here our guide explained its mythical founding, and the silting up of its harbor responsible for the city's decline in antiquity.
    Then back to the boat for a short ride to the long, sandy beach of Iztuzu, filled, but not crowded, with Russian tourists, and famous for its protected turtle breeding grounds. Wire pyramids on the beach indicate the turtle nesting sights, and the beach is closed at night during the period that the loggerhead sea turtles lay their eggs. The tour concluded with lunch -- great mezes, passable main courses, nice cold Alpha beer -- in one of the outdoor tavernas in Dalyan.
      We caught the Azamara Journey at Piraeus after spending two enjoyable days in Athens in comfortable and reasonable (95 Euros, $126 a night) accommodations at the Melia Athens (below) a very new, well-maintained hotel.  Our large room had a queen-size bed, plenty of closet space and a marble bathroom, big enough for a bathtub with hydromassage shower.
     The surrounding neighborhood was quite run-down, with empty high-rises above graffiti-covered storefronts. Run-down but not dangerous or in the least unsettling. From the Melia, it was an easy walk to Syntagma Square and Plaka, or Old Town, which is not run-down at all and as lively and as much fun as ever. We ate very well, both at Spilia on Thrassilou Street  halfway up the hill to the Acropolis, with a view of its Eastern terrace (dinner for two with wine, 42 Euros, $56), and at Daphne's (below) on Lyssikratous Street, back down on      street level, with more refined versions of taverna cuisine in an equally more refined space, with cloth tablecloths and napkins, served outside in the courtyard  (dinner with cocktails and wine, 64 Euros,  $83).
     What a pleasure to wander aimlessly around the Plaka (below), where streets filled with outdoor tavernas soon give way to narrow, sloping lanes dressed up with potted plants. The streets climb steeply up the hill below the Acropolis. Here in cozy white houses draped with masses of color-saturated bougainvillea, daily life goes on undisturbed. We almost found ourselves guests at a christening.
     We made the hot, sun-baked climb up the hill to the magnificent Parthenon and the Erechtheion, with its equally splendid Caryatids (below, left), even if these last are replicas. (For the real Caryatids, visit the Archaeological Museum near the foot of the Acropolis.) Delicious, ice-cold orange slushies helped take the edge off the sweltering walk down.
      Among other reasons to stay at the Melia is its rooftop pool and cafe on the 18th floor. So nice for lunch, or a dip and cool drink after a hot, gritty day of walking, mostly uphill, and just about perfect late at night, after the pool has closed, for a well-made cocktail (the bartender made perfect mojitos ) while lounging on one of its comfortable sofas with a picture postcard view of the illuminated Parthenon in all its incomparable glory.
    Finally, a note on shopping in the region: in the Old Town of Rhodes, hidden among the chachka shops on Socratous Street, at the corner of Aristotelous Street, was a tiny, shoebox of a shop, Kalimera Art Gallery, very narrow and deep, with a very well-dressed, attractive proprietor standing at the back. Filled with such a treasure trove of remarkable, luxurious, hand-embroidered silk fabrics, the already tight space could scarcely be entered single-file. No cheap junk anywhere. When we noticed the icons hanging on the wall, the proprietor said, "Lovely, aren't they? Not old, but all hand-painted." Telling us right off the bat that they weren't antiques, or really not old at all, was just what I'd been waiting to hear. Guide books all stress that the icons for sale to tourists are all usually mass-produced in factories.
    The genuine antiques are all in churches or museums, or very high-end antique shops. These, however, were new, original works of art. And so, after looking in the afternoon, then some gentle bargaining in the evening -- and after being introduced to the proprietor's husband and son -- we left with an icon, not only beautiful in itself, but the perfect souvenir of our wanderings. 

  To read Part One of this article, click here.

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This article first appeared in  Bloomberg News.






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THEN AGAIN, MAYBE THE FOOD
JUST TAKES LIKE CRAP

Chef Grant Achatz of Alinea in Chicago said in an interview with podcast "Food Is the New Rock," "I feel — and I think a lot of my team feels — that the thing that to me defines art is emotion. . . .  We've actually done courses that we knew that people were going to be intimidated by. And people will shove that food away. They will refuse it. They won't eat it. But if I serve them that same bite of food, the exact same bite, on a fork or a spoon, they would proclaim it delicious. For me, that means that we're charging emotional triggers within people. And for me that means that it could be art."

. . . THEN SENT BACK TO
COOK AT ALINEA

At Dim Sum King in Seattle, a 52-year-old woman burst into the restaurant and began yelling ethnic slurs, including "Go Back to China!" . knocked over plates,  and  poured chocolate milk and soy sauce over a father and his infant son. The woman was arrested. . .

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I consider this the best and savviest blog of its kind on the  web. Potter is a columnist for USA Weekend, Diversion, Laptop and Luxury  Spa Finder, a contributing editor for Ski and  a frequent contributor to National  Geographic Traveler, ForbesTraveler.com  and Elle Decor. "I’ve designed this site is for people who take their  travel seriously," says Potter. "For travelers who want to learn about special  places but don’t necessarily want to pay through the nose for the privilege of  staying there. Because at the end of the day, it’s not so much about five-star  places as five-star experiences."  THIS WEEK:

Eating Las Vegas is the new on-line site for Virtual Gourmet contributor John A. Curtas., who since 1995 has been commenting on the Las Vegas food scene and reviewing restaurants for Nevada Public Radio.  He is also the restaurant critic for KLAS TV, Channel 8 in Las Vegas, and his past reviews can be accessed at KNPR.org. Click on the logo below to go directly to his site.

www.EatingLV.com