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by Barbara Penny Angelakis and Manos Angelakis
Kellari’s Parea Greek Bistro
36 East 20th Street
New York, NY 10003
212.777.8448
Parea translates to “group of good friends” and Kellari means cellar, and when you enter this charming Greek restaurant on East 20th Street between Park Avenue South and Broadway, that is exactly the reaction you get… a warm, inviting and earthy ambience of friendly welcoming. The décor is a tasteful combination of rustic, with such touches as the wine barrels over the bar nestled against the left wall in the forward area of the restaurant, and the exposed brick pillars extending the length of the room – the pillar being an architectural necessity in all high-ceiling turn-of-the-century buildings - and sophisticated, such as the warm hue of the burnt orange painted recessed ceiling in the back dining area and the billowing tarp-like sheets draped from the ceiling in the front of the room, reminiscent of sails taut with the fullness of wind. This last decorating touch is not only effective esthetically but serves the dual purpose of  keeping the sound level to a dull roar in the cavernous space. Tables are placed a discrete distance apart from one another and the leather padded chairs are thankfully very comfortable as well as good looking. The floors are wood; the lighting is low; and the butcher paper over the cloth table linen enhances the bistro-like informality that the owners Stavros Aktipis and Stathis Antonakopoulos were looking to achieve.
Greek food has simple peasant roots, most notably braised meats and overcooked vegetables. Highlights of the Greek kitchen are perfectly cooked fish and seafood fresh from the Mediterranean - that is until the over pollution of the 50’s and 60’s decimated the teaming fish populations - and the wonderful salads and dips that we now refer to as appetizers or small plates. Grilling is a holdover from ancient times where shepherding and fishing were major occupations and the open pit fireplace (hearth) was the center of family life and most efficient for food preparation.
In order to elevate Greek cookery to the status of world-class cuisine, cooking restraint is needed, together with the use of innovative seasonings and ingredients, enhancement with sauces and gravies, and artistry in presentation. This modern American version of Greek food has been accomplished by Executive Chef Gregory Zapantis at Kellari’s Parea. For instance, if you are a goat cheese lover as I am, do not pass on the Katsikisio Saganaki which is a variation on a theme of the well-known and traditional broiled Graviera cheese, flamed with anisette. Here, the Goat cheese is baked with apricots and slivered roasted almonds, and flamed with Metaxa Brandy, and is a real taste treat in a portion generous enough for three persons.
The wine list is extensive, with a considerable selection of top Greek wine producers as well as nice French, Italian and California bottles; Vatistas and Hatzimichalis are two of the most prominent winemakers available both by the glass and by the bottle, as well as selections from Tsandalis and Boutari, both mass producers with some top-of-the-line wines.
Given the large and, as mentioned above, unusual offerings of small plates, we opted to order a series for this dinning experience. Many of the dishes we tasted were some of the best I have had in almost 40 years of enjoying Greek food,  although some selections were less successful... but not obviously so to any but the cognoscenti of Greek food. For the table was an opener of wonderfully aromatic extra virgin herbed olive oil and crisp baked bread for dipping; a selection of excellent quality olives; and cubed Kaseri cheese. For me, no Greek meal is complete without Tzatziki, the yogurt/cucumber/garlic/dill spread for bread dipping or meat flavoring, and I have rarely tasted better than at Parea. The Fava (bean) spread from the volcanic island of Santorini was appropriately smoky and richly flavored, however the grilled marinated Octopus salad was unfortunately disappointing. The Octopus was over tenderized and had none of the firm chewy resistance that makes this dish, when properly prepared, such a standout. On the other hand the Dolmades, in this case stuffed with veal and covered by an egg lemon sauce (Avgolemono) were wonderful. Tender leaves, well seasoned stuffing and tart, creamy sauce… heaven. The grilled sausage (Loukaniko) was sliced into tidbits for a beautiful plate presentation but was slightly overdone.
Any visitor to Greece would be familiar with Kokoretsi, the ubiquitous  rope like construct of lamb intestines wound around organ meats on rotating spits between roasted baby lambs and piglets. This dish is rarely found in the U.S. and often when it is, I find that it is overcooked and dried out, so being on the menu it warranted a taste. This is one dish that practically cries out for Tzatziki, not only to balance the flavors but to obscure what my too-sensitive eyes prefer not to gaze upon and then eat. Not to worry, the Kokeretsi was properly cooked and artfully served and if organ meats are your thing, by all means order it here. Our one concession to ordering a main course was the weekly special Gourounaki, i.e. fire roasted piglet, with oven lemon potatoes. The pork was succulent and tasty and the lemon potatoes (a Greek specialty) were wonderful. Some of the other offerings sounded very good, such as Yesterday’s Lamb, which is a signature dish, or Lamb Shank braised in the stone oven with orzo pasta in a tomato sauce, or the Bakaliaros Skordalia (see Skordalia recipe in Cook’s Corner), salt-cured cod with a garlic dip, but they must wait for another day. Right now my mind drifts towards desert.
While we placed our order for Loukoumades, a traditional donut-like deep fried doughy ball covered, while hot from the fryer, with honey syrup and white confectioner’s sugar, and a hot fudge liquid center chocolate cake with home-made fig ice cream, we drank our Greek coffee and discussed King Otto. For LuxuryWeb readers familiar with our restaurant reviews, by now you know that Manos’ litmus test for any restaurant is the coffee. Since he grew up drinking Greek coffee, he claims that in order for a proper cup you must have the right number of bubbles depending on the type of coffee you order. He requests sweet and double boiled and claims the proper number is 58 bubbles (but whose counting?). Most people think of Greek sweets as Baklava, Kataiff, Galaktoboureko, etc. which in reality are leftovers from 400 years of Turkish occupation and influence from their Oriental kitchen. In reality, Greeks are huge pastry eaters with at least one large Patisserie on practically every other Athenian corner.
This tradition goes back to the end of the 19th century, right after the liberation of Greece from the Ottoman Empire, when Otto, son of Crazy King Ludwig of Bavaria, was invited to assume the Greek crown. He brought his beer maker and pastry chef as well as other assorted kingly attendants from Bavaria with him, and while his reign lasted only a short time before he was sent back to Bavaria, thankfully much of his retinue choose to remain after his departure. King Otto’s passage left a dramatic impression on Greece, for even though his reign was fairly uneventful except for the continuous partisan bickering amongst the Monarchy supporters and those that wanted a classic-style Democracy (so what is new?), he enriched the country with two of its favorite pastimes; drinking beer and eating pastry. Our deserts arrived and while we had no beer, we saluted King Otto for the magnificent foresight that helped to create the deserts we were enjoying.
© February 2008 LuxuryWeb Magazine. All rights reserved.
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