My 75-year-old neighbor took me to Oinomageirion Tsopanakos for the first time and I was impressed, if by nothing else than by the décor. It’s packed with memorabilia. The name means “the shepherd,” or “little shepherd,” and so it stands to reason that this is a place to come for Greek-style meats, specifically their chops. Oinomageirion translates to “wine-cooked food” restaurant, a very specific type of eatery that was once found all over Athens but has all but disappeared. There are only a handful of places left like this: simple, inexpensive, specializing in home cooking, casseroles, Greek classics, and some finger-licking grilled treats.”
Dishes to look for—in the book, and elsewhere in Athens
Kasseropita kourou (Kasseri cheese pie)
Where to get it: Dodoni, on Lykourgou Street, near Omonoia
“This is Athenian street food at its most indulgent. Kourou refers to a pastry that’s more like a short crust than a typical olive oil-flour dough. It’s crumbly and mostly made with feta, but the kasseri filling, found in a few downtown spots, makes it crumbly and melty. It’s an indulgence that I only partake of when I know I’ll walk it off.”
Galaktoboureko
Where to get it: Kosmikon, which has been producing this creamy Greek-Anatolian dessert since 1961, and Galifianakis, which began producing its version of galaktoboureko with a kataifi (shredded wheat) crust in 1973
“Galaktoboureko, a semolina custard–filled phyllo pastry moistened with simple syrup, is a dessert that people associate with Athens, even though there’s no real regional association beyond just being beloved and having some very good renditions in a few sweet shops. We used to seek out the galaktoboureko from a place in Patissia when I lived here in my 20s, and getting it warm was a treat.”
Poor Man’s Plate of Greek fries with ground meat sauce and grated myzithra
Where to get it: Leloudas Taverna in the Botanikos neighborhood
“The Poor Man’s Plate is from a cult taverna, one of the oldest ones in the city, in an old working class neighborhood. It’s just so simple and over the top at the same time. Greek fries are piled high with a spiced ground meat sauce (the same one that goes into pastitsio and moussaka) then topped with shavings of myzithra cheese, the traditional, sharp grating cheese of Greece— long before parmigiana entered the language!”
