Thalassa - anew

It's been two years since I first reviewed Thalassa. In New York, two years is a lifetime for a restaurant.  Thalassa just celebrated its 10 year anniversary last November so it's holding stronger than a lot of other restaurants. The decor is still modern, simple and elegant.  I was excited to attend another press dinner. Although the last time was great, I was looking forward to a curated meal selected by the chef. We started with an amuse bouche.

The Zucchini Fritters were quite a pleasant surprise. I didn't expect that the crispy outside would be filled with well seasoned deliciousness. Our meal was served family style but I didn't realize that would be the case until the appetizers landed on our table.

The Zucchini & Eggplant Chips didn't just look good, they tasted great. Crispy and lightly battered, I just couldn't stop going back for more.  I must admit that I really did not realize I liked zucchini until that night.  The Horiatiki Salad was not very popular at the table.

It wasn't because it lacked flavor, the tomatoes were fresh and the feta was delightful, but with all those other options, it fell to the side. Speaking of options, I was thrilled when the selection of dips arrived.

The selection included Roasted pepper with feta, Taramosalata and Tzatziki. Yummers! Thalassa is definitely the kind of place where you can fill up on lots of little items. Thankfully, we were able to also enjoy quite a few treats from various sections of the menu. The Tartare Trio was not as exciting as I hoped.

The blend of royal dorado with taramosalata, tuna with tzatziki, and lavraki with garlic almond mousse, drizzled with truffle oil did not do it for me. The fresh tartare flavor was masked by the various ingredients that were mixed in. The use of truffle oil was a nice aromatic addition but did not highlight any flavors. The dish was accompanied by two Langoustines. They were worth every bite! The Diver Scallops are still a signature dish.

They are wrapped in filo which lends each bite a crunch taste you would not ordinarily get from scallops. Thankfully, they are presented in a clean and simple way so no one ingredient overpowers the others. By far my favorite dish was the Octopodi.

Everything you know about octopus goes out the window when you take your first bite. This is the opposite of rubbery. Each bite highlights the light flavors of the octopus. It is meaty but not exhaustingly chewy. I am a huge fan!! The chef was also impressive and showed some versatility with the Swordfish Crudo with fennel.

This item is not yet on the menu but I sure hope it lands there soon. I'm partial to Asian food so when I taste a delicious sushi like piece of fish, my mouth yearns for more. The slight tartness was surprising but definitely welcomed. The highlight of the entrees arrived twice. The Lavraki first appeared in whole form.

Then it showed up again filleted seasoned with salt and pepper with fresh lemon juice and a side of wilted greens.

I had stuffed myself silly on the previous courses so I could only take a couple of bites. I was so disappointed that I could not finish it that for the first time ever, I requested a to-go bag at a press dinner! I was thoroughly embarrassed. But thankfully the restaurant did not add to my shame by bringing a big bag to the table. Instead they gave me this discreet little note.

Cute right? Well later that night, I devoured the Lavraki and I'm happy to report it was equally delicious, if not more so! So you would think because I was unable to finish my Lavraki that would put me out of the running for dessert. Well then that means you have never seen Thalassa's dessert spread! As the various items started arriving, a second portal opened in my stomach and I was able to go all in.

The bite size Baklava was perfectly sweetened with honey and the filo was light and crunchy. The Yogurt cake was a different kind of taste and not really my speed and the Ekmek was not worth the hassle.

On the other hand, the Molten Cake was incredible.

The chocolate was rich and flavorful. Of course it also helped that it oozed out chocolate goodness when I cut my first piece!

The Ice Cream Medley got high points for presentation and also did quite well on flavor.

The cones were delicious and not too sweet. The chocolate deliciousness inside was also quite good. The overflow of desserts was the perfect way to end the night.

A decade (and in my case two years) later Thalassa is still going strong. The revamped menu has a lot of options for those who favor small bites, authentic Greek flavors and delicious seafood. The semi-private space downstairs is still an enviable location for a dinner or reception. They've even added live music, which is a classy touch to a top notch restaurant. If you haven't been, now is your chance!

Hungry yet?

Uncle Nick's Greek Restaurant

A few moons ago, I went to Uncle Nick’s Greek Restaurant in Hell’s Kitchen with Mr. A. I’ve been there before but it has been a while. We started with the Mussels.  We had a choice of red sauce or white wine sauce. We went with the white wine sauce.

Mmmm Mmmm Good! I keep saying I’m going to make mussels. This was definitely one of those occasions that made me want to make mussels for dinner. Our entrées arrived shortly after. Mr. A ordered the Bifteki.

I thought it was just a beef kebab but apparently it’s chopped sirloin spiced Greek style and grilled. He enjoyed it, but probably not as much as I enjoyed my Kotopoulo Kebob.

Holy Moley! The chicken was amazing! It was so tender and juicy and the spices were fantastic.  The rice was incredibly delicious and I thoroughly enjoyed the salad. I literally ate every morsel on my plate.  What a satisfying meal! I have to learn how to make rice like that!

I highly recommend Uncle Nick’s, especially if you’re in the area and need a bite for lunch. The service is good and the food is amazing. 

Hungry yet?

Thalassa

A couple of weeks ago, I enjoyed a complimentary dinner at Thalassa.*  I’ve noticed a lot of promos for Thalassa lately so I was def excited to check it out myself.  I invited Ms. S to come along.  I arrived before she did but was not phased sitting and waiting in Thalassa’s beautiful entrance area.  They had a beautiful blue Christmas tree that matched their wonderful warm and relaxing atmosphere.  I was literally transfixed by the beauty of the restaurant.  It has very high ceilings and feels very grand. 

Eventually Ms. S arrived and we were waltzed off to our table in the main dining room.  From our table, we were overlooking the ground floor area, which looks like it is mainly used for private events.  I would totally host a private event there – I mean seriously the restaurant looks beautiful.  Thankfully the food is also good.

They provided our table with a trio of items for our individually selected pieces of bread.

What you see there is Eggplant Salad, Extra Virgin Olive Oil and Mediterranean olives.   The Eggplant Salad was delightful! It’s rare to have such a substantive accompaniment to the bread.  They also served an amuse bouche.

That Tuna Tartare on cucumber was delicious.  Definitely sushi grade tuna!  We decided to try a few appetizers.  So many things looked good, but the manager told us we must try the Maine Diver Sea Scallops.  It was not originally on our list but we went ahead and ordered it.

I had a hard time finding the scallops in there.  When I finally did I realized they were wrapped in kataifi and not that well seasoned.   The Kalamata balsamic reduction didn’t really do it for me either.  The plate was crowded and there were far too many distractions.  It reminded me of the first episode of Top Chef All Stars where the scallops were disguised. Scallops are rich and delicate creatures – they are not meant to be cooked like this. I was disappointed that we were encouraged to sample a dish that did not hold as much joy as was promised.  Luckily the rest of the dishes were far more satisfying.  By far, my favorite appetizer was the Saganaki.

A beautiful blend of whole shrimp, baby clams and mussels slowly baked in a fresh tomato, feta and robola wine sauce.  The sauce was excellent, shrimp extremely fresh and as Ms. S said, the mussels were like whoa.  This was a great turn around from the scallops, which were easily forgotten.  We moved on to the highly regarded Octapodi.

I’ve never had octopus like this before! Grilled octopus with micro organic greens, olive oil and red wine vinaigrette.  It was delightful and extremely satisfying.  It can be quite filling though so be careful how much you eat!  We needed a bit of a break from our appetizers but eventually we ordered and were served our entrees.  This being a Greek restaurant, especially one whose name means the sea, I couldn’t resist ordering fish. 

I wish it photographed a little better, but the Lavraki – a lean white fish from Greece – was top notch.  The fish was extremely fresh with a light flavor.  I was quite happy with it, although I did encounter a couple of fish bones.  Demerits to the chef in charge of deboning the fish.  Ms. S ordered the Striped Bass and one piece of Langustine.

The bass had great flavor but also a few tiny bones. At times it seemed as though the seasoning was inconsistent because it was much more flavorful and delicious towards the edge.  

The Langustine was slightly overcooked.  I was stuffed to the brim after our entrées, but as most of you know, different receptors control the savory and sweet part of our appetite.  The extravagant dessert menu was a little overwhelming, but we finally settled on two delicious selections.  The Toasted Greek Almond and Walnut Baklava was to die for.

No, seriously. I have NEVER tasted Baklava that was this incredible.  It was sweet but not sugary. WOW – so good.  If for nothing else, you should go to Thalassa and try the Baklava.  While you’re there, you should also try the Galaktobouriko.

This citrus custard layered in filo and drizzled with honey is like crème brulee on steroids.  It reminded me just how powerful dessert can be.  What a great way to end our dining experience.

Thalassa is a beautiful restaurant with an incredible menu.  The seafood tasted amazingly fresh and left a big smile on my face.  The dessert was out of this world.  I definitely recommend dining at Thalassa.  If for some reason you end up dining at another Tribeca restaurant, you should definitely save room for dessert at Thalassa. Oh and if you’re feeling so inclined – you should definitely try the Opera.  Ms. S was singing its praises all night and I definitely agree.

Hungry yet?

* Although this meal was complimentary, that did not at all affect my comments or views towards this dining experience.