Peloponnese & Naplio
Peloponnese
After Athens we rented a car and drove to Monemvasia for the night. We stopped at Corinth for lunch to see the canal and had a simple soulvaka lunch at Oasis. Pork, lemon, amazing. The meat was tender, flavorful and perfect. We continued to Monemvasia and had dinner in the old fort at Matoula. A picturesque tavern with a overlook of the water. The food was good, and it was the only time I had dolmates served hot with a sauce similar to an onion soubise. After our night stay in Monemvasia we drove around to Ermioni where we had gyros at Paradosiako Grill while we waited for our ferry to Hydra. They were arguably the best gyros we had on the entire trip. The pita was crispy, the pork was succulent, and the flavors of everything were perfect. After the 3 days in Hydra we returned to Ermioni and grabbed gelato and lattes at Mellos, a little cafe at the port. We then drove towards Naplion, the old capital of Greece, stopping by a roadside grill for lunch. Ταβέρνα ΟΙ ΛΕΥΚΕΣ - ΣΕΡΦΑΣ, located in Adami. We were greeted by one of the owners and were told there was no menu. They just had items from the grill and some salad, olives, tzatiki. We ordered a little bit of everything and it was incredible. From the start of the semolina bread to the end with the grilled pork chop the flavors were on point and the portions were large. The charred lamb chops as well as the chicken stood out as the two best items, but everything was amazing. After our lunch we drove towards Naplion.
Naplio
Our first meal in Nafplio was at Karamalis Tavern in the Old Port. The restaurant was amazing and the prices were incredible. We went into the kitchen area and the owner, Vimostalis, went through the various catches of the day that they had available. After we selected the mullet, anchovies, and squid we sat down to a great meal, large portion sizes, and awesome flavors. Vimostalis was extremely friendly, he introduced us to his wife, Panayota, who did a lot of the cooking. We barely finished the food we ordered, portion sizes again were impressive, and they gave us Raki and watermelon to finish the meal. When the bill came, it was half the size of what we had been getting from other restaurants. On our second day we had a light breakfast at Napoli di Romania where we had lattes, smoothies, and an awesome breakfast plated with crispy hash browns and crunchy bacon. We explored the town then got lunch at Mitato in the narrow cobblestone streets of the old port. Food was good, even if a little touristy. For dinner that evening my family wanted a change of pace from the Greek Taverna fare we've been getting so we went to CuCuRuCu, also in the old port. It was a nice Italian restaurant with awesome octopus carpaccio, a greek salad, good pizzas and a solid risotto. The beverages were also on point. The next day we headed towards Hydra.