Naples, FL
WOW!!!! We agreed that this is our favorite dinner of the trip...and we've had some good ones!
The decor sets you in a little slice of Greece and is simple yet elegant.
First off..Emily and Alex greeted us like family when we got there and made us feel welcome (the Saganaki was amazing, the best we've ever had...thank you!).
We began with an appetizer called Dolmades, which we have had before at another Greek restaurant, these were in a totally different ballpark though with a Lemanto sauce that was out of this world delicious, and Dolmades are hand rolled grape leaves filled with a beef and rice mixture and covered with the Lemanto sauce (a tangy egg/lemon sauce)...as amazing as these were I knew we were in for a great night!
Emily and Alex then sent out a Saganaki for us to enjoy and get the chance to yell "Opa!"
The Saganaki is (and this is straight from the menu cause I actually had no idea) an Imported Kefalograviera Cheese (goat and sheep milk) that is flambeed table side and everyone celebrates by yelling "OPA!" when it gets lit....also, the best we've ever had!
Terri ordered the Chicken Souvlakia. For those who ask "What's that?" I'll tell you....It's Chicken marinated in Greek seasonings, skewered and char-broiled and comes with pita and a creamy Greek dressing for dipping, and a side of lemon roasted oregano potatoes. She said everything was amazing and she even tried (and liked) the creamy Greek dressing! If you know Terri, "if its not Thousand Island get it away from me" is the norm...so this shocked me.
I ordered the Lamb Shank, which is something I have never had before...I've heard that Lamb can be " gamey" so it's generally something I'll shy away from. But watching the episode of TripleD where they featured this dish I was confident that these folks know what they're doing with a Lamb Shank..and am I ever glad that I did...their preparation for this dish pretty much ensures that the gamieness that you may expect isn't going to be a problem.
They slowly braise it with vegetables, red wine, and other fresh herbs...the result is a beef so tender that it literally is fall off the bone! It reminds me of a roast my Grandma used to make but a richer and more depth of flavor beef. It was simply amazing! It's served over a bed of Mykonos style orzo (a Greek style of pasta cooked risotto style with a tomato base that at first glance looks like rice but its a pasta)...then they finish it with lamb gravy and parmesan. And it is fantastic!!!!!
Thank you to Emily, Alex and their entire team that really treated us like we'd known them for years...we didn't find out about Mykonos Kuzina until we were headed back home from vacation last year and were totally bummed that we'd missed out on getting to their place. From the day we got home last year I started planning on stopping by their place ... it was the first place on my list of stops we had to make.
Sometimes you get an idea or concept in your mind and you make expectations that cannot be met...I was a bit nervous that maybe I had done that myself here but I'm happy to say that Mykonos Kuzina, Emily and Alex and their entire team not only met but exceeded my expectations....Thank You! read more