Greenwich & Astoria - A Tale of Two (Striped) Bass

Business often takes me to the I-95 corridor of CT with usually a final night spent near LaGuardia if I can't get a late flight out. This week, I nabbed a $97 Hotwire room at the Hyatt Regency in Old Greenwich which was beautiful and a bargain. For dinner, I ventured into Greenwich and decided to try Bleu located downtown. It's a small place, with maybe 10 tables and a hopping, for a Tuesday night, bar. The bar was the only detraction due to the noise level. Menu was sort-of French with some new American touches. Wines by the glass were limited and a bit on the high side - nothing less than $9.

I started with a cucumber salad with cilantro cream dressing of which I was a bit hesitant because I had visions of cukes swimming in a sea of white sauce. Wrong! The cucumbers were nicely sliced and halves and the cilantro cream applied with a very light touch. It was perfect. My main course was carpacchio of striped sea bass. This was outstanding! Thin slices of lightly sauteed fish with a delicate beurre blanc, highlighted by grilled vegies. The fish was perfectly done and melted in my mouth. This place could have been pretentious but it wasn't. The owner schmoozed with customers, both known and new and the staff was attentive. Great food, great service, highly recommended. No sign of Martha, she's still wearing her ankle bracelet.

Wednesday night I stayed at the Courtyard near LaGuardia. $150 a night MORE than the Hyatt with about as much charm as a cardboard box. But, that's biz travel. I really like Queens/Astoria and drove down Ditmars to around 31st Street where the El station is located. This is an eclectic neighborhood with a heavy Greek presence. Picked a seafood place called Taverna Kyclades. Simple, clean decor. It was early - around 6:30 and there weren't many customers, I had to fight my way through the chatting pack of 5'2'', 20 something, female Greek servers before someone offered me a table.

The menu is heavy on fish, pick a fish, any fish. When I asked my waitress which was the freshest, she seemed a bit insulted and promptly told me everything was ALWAYS fresh. OK then, I'll have the striped bass . Pick your side dish from a list of 'taters and I opted for the lemon potatos. Began with an order of Tzatziki. And, of course a beer - Mythos, please.

First thing to arrive was the Tzatziki with a spoon. I was about to ask for something to dip into it when a fresh, hot loaf of bread arrived with golden baked crust topped with oregano. This was not a white, French baguette, but rather had a slightly similar color and consistency to challah, although lighter. It was heavenly and I quickly (after it cooled a bit) started dipping pieces into the tzatziki which was excellent. Pieces of cucumber mixed with the yogurt, just the right amount of garlic and lemon.

The fish took awhile but when it showed up it was worth the wait. A whole fish, grilled to perfection. The only negative was the side of lemon potatos. These had a sort of lemony taste but also kind of wierd. I should have gone for the fried taters.

All in all, this place is definitely a keeper and I'll be back on my next trip.

Bleu
339 Greenwich Ave.
Greenwich, CT

Taverna Kyclades
33-07 Ditmars Blvd.
Astoria, NY

Thanks for the report. I've always been intrigued by Astoria Greek places. We seem to really exault our Greektown places, but New Yawkers seem, well embarrassed is not quite the term, but you rarely hear someone say, go to Astoria for din-din. So, I am curious how would you compare Astoria to Chicago's Greektown.

Rob

A Greektown comparison is going to be difficult because the last time that I lived in Chicago was 1972. Having left to go to school (loose definition) in Boulder, I returned to Chicago for half a summer and half a winter then promptly high-tailed it back to Colorado. RevrendAndy was left to hold down the fort and keep an eye on the Hildred Matriarch. I do return to Chicago fairly often but haven't been to Greektown for many years.

I think the biggest difference is that Astoria is not a "Greektown" per se. And, the restaurants tend not to carry the stereotypical Greek dishes although you will find them on the menu. Being the East Coast, seafood tends to be the common denominator and most of the restaurants are neighborhood types. There still seems to be a pretty solid Greek demographic in the neighborhood and that was the predominant language in the restaurant both among staff and customers. Also in Astoria along Ditmars, Astoria Blvd and Steinway are a wide variety of other ethnic choices, most not upscale, but many are excellent. There's a fabulous Thai place on Steinway whose name escapes me and also several great Italian restaurants. Piccola Venezia is a favorite, they hand you a menu and then promptly let you know that they will prepare anything, any way that you like it. It might be my imagination, but it also seems to be a favorite haunt of local wise guys.

My guess is that the typical Manhattenite doesn't venture out to Astoria. Why cross the river when there's everything that you need in the city. Maybe Brooklyn once in awhile, but Astoria, ptooey! That's just my impression and if true, they don't know what they're missing. Astoria, in many ways, seems like some Manhatten neighborhoods from about 25 years ago.

Andy's Better Brother wrote: No sign of Martha, she's still wearing her ankle bracelet.

Actually, she was at the dimly lit table in the corner. That's why she just got another 3 weeks tacked onto her sentence.

Vital Information wrote:So, I am curious how would you compare Astoria to Chicago's Greektown.

I grew up in Queens, so it is with embarrassment that I say my recent visit to a Greek restaurant in Astoria was the first in my life. Based on that meal, I'd answer your question by saying there is no comparison at all. The lunch I had at Taverna Kyclades was in a completely different echelon than anything I've ever had in Chicago's Greektown. Everything was so incredibly fresh and packed with robust, sharp, sometimes biting flavors that I'd never experienced in a Greek restaurant before.

Tsatsiki was so loaded with raw garlic that we stank for the entire weekend, and couldn't get enough of ourselves. It was also loaded with fresh dill, chunky, cooling cucumber and very tangy homemade yogurt. Everything in that tsatsiki just jumped with flavor in a way that no Greek restaurant I've been to has ever even approximated. Used as a dip for the fantastically light, crusty, semolina-based bread coated with great oil and oregano, the combination made me a happy man. We also had a couple of seafood dishes and some lemon potatoes, and all of it was just bursting with freshness and flavor.

The inside of Taverna Kyclades is humble and clean, but a little cramped. The outside seating area, where we sat, is by comparison a veritable oasis from city life with it's wooden hut and real-looking fake grapevines.

I don't think I knew what Greek food was all about until this stop in what used to be my own backyard.