Tuesday, April 01, 2008

It ain't Greek to the superstar plate smasher *Greeksta*: Skeetah

So much for Greek Pizzas.
Skeets now hops forward to her bewitching new find: It's Greek to me.

Here is how it happened: A asked Skeets if she could have some wine. Skeety's non-muggle instincts told her that this place MUST have wine. So, there they were headed. Minutes later, they entered a cosy little restaurant which was dressed (read decorated) in such a manner that it could easily pass as some tavern besides a farm at some highway in Greece.

Comes next what? The living end of CONFUSION. The 'placing of the order' time.

Skeets is known for her habit of reading the menu only for such a little while that the person accompanying her (if any) may be provoked enough to stab her with the butter knife kept in front of them. Gee.

Dodging the knife, Skeets ordered the Mezze Platter to be shared with A and a glass each of red wine.

The Mezze Platter tasted as promising as it looked. It bore: Tirokafteri fritters (a stuff of feta and spinach mix), Spanokopita (pita bread with some dressing), Falafel (fritters made of fava beans/chickpeas), Dolmathes (sort of steamed dumplings made of rice and pine nut filling, wrapped with grape leaves). These were accompanied with small helpings of Tratziki, Hummus, Eggplant dips and a few breads. The Dolmathes did not go well with Skeety or A's tastebuds. Rest, all were classics.

Then came, the most intriguing bit. The Plate Smashing. It is a Greek tradition to smash the plates after meals. They smash plates at taverns where the females perform Hassapiko (Greek dance form) and the likes. So, Skeets asked at the restaurant if she will be given a plate to smash. They said YES. And so, Skeets unleashed her wikkid side and smashed the plate in the Smashing corner and walked away to glory after having had a smashing time. Another visit is pending. SOON.

Please note: Falafel is not Greek but a street food snack popular in many countries, especially the Middle East, and Hummus dip is again popular in the Middle East countries...
Skeets hasn't had Greek food before. So, Skeets was more than glad to incorporate some suggestions in this post, with a vision to familiarise us Delhiites with Greece and its cuisine.Fellow blogger thalassa_mikra threw some light upon Greek cuisine and traditions:Tirokafteri - is a traditional Greek Dip made from Spiced Feta Cheese...Spanakopita is spinach pie - spinach and cheese filling inside layers of filo dough...
So what was served to Skeets was more of a namesake of Greek food.
Another blogger Hellenic says: The plates are not smashed after a meal. Usually the plate smashing (and it's a tradition on it's way out in most of Greece), takes place during a solo dance performance when plates are smashed in joy at the performance. Also, plates are not smashed in the restaurants in Greece. It is no more permitted and it takes place in Bouzoukia (night clubs). Today in Greece, people enjoy the same, but only throw Flowers.

(Location: B-6/4, Commercial Complex, Safdarjung Enclave, Opposite Deer Park, New Delhi, 110029)

P.S.: Deepak (Bigger, better Delhi Foodie) swears by their breads and I stand by him and NOD in acceptance.

18 comments:

~ Deeps ~ said...

i have been waiting for this post.....good write up and excellent pic.........
please do visit it again and try their main course.......

Reeta skeeter : the new plate smasher in town :)

Gonecase aka. Shutter Singh said...

Pizza ki foto lo lagati...Wine glass pic is bhery bhery good ! Aur kya pagal ke bachhe hain, plate todte hain, isse achha to pattal use kar le, traditional Indian way...sasta padega...jitna mann kare faad le :P

Btw, loved the title of the post, funky and catchy :D

Xa said...

aaah.... good composition...:)and i am already in love with this foood ya.. looks yummmy and i soooo wanna have it now....

when foodie meets fooodie...

i shud write something on this now.... :)

Anonymous said...

heyy nice post.

Anita said...

No! You did not smash a perfectly perfect plate, now did you?!

The Keeper of the Keys said...

dolmathes don't sound very appetising to me either.

lol, plate-smashing is so totally a skeeter-ish thing to do. well done, witchy friend!

Ankur Arora said...

Wooo Hooo...I'd love to smash a plate myself! That must be fun! :D
The platter looks good! What's the name of the restaurant?
BTW, I finally went to Side Wok this Saturday! :)

Gunjan Aylawadi said...

have u chkd out flavours at defence colony? they hav wine n also sme greeeeeeeeeeeeaaaaaaaaaaaaaaatttttttt pizzaz!
n their desserts are smething to kill for!

crasiezt said...

Awesome! I wanna do the plate smashing thing too!!! And the food looked so yumm,though I can't pronounce half the dishes you mentioned:D

J said...

you got a fan in me...a struggling vegan and complete foodie...

i think i'm gonna be a regular on this blog and will sure check out this place!

btw i'm very interested in finding out how the red did put up with all that food?

BIG Omi said...

Address noted ..Great stuff.. next time i visit delhi .. i gotto visit this place..
THNX
omi

AlterinG Abhishek said...

skeetey's Panache to write about food competes with this place..

I would sure love to come here!

Smashing!!

Reeta Skeeter said...

~deeps~ : :) thank you ji...I shall visit again for sure...
hehe at moi the plate smasha!
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gonecase: Pizza khaya ni and u din't read the post properly it seems :P Oye I am the Greeksta...don't call me names!
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Akshay: thank you :)
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Ananya: thanks :D welcome here!
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Anita: I did! I did! I did!
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The keeper of the keys: hee sure...it sure is skeeter-ish ;P D ty
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Ankur: ty :) I surely had a smashing time... oh u did go to SW? How did u find it?
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gunj: no.. i've been avoiding dat place for some reason.. will go..soon.
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Crazy girl: Aa ja dilli! :D Sath todenge ;)
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Japna: Oh welcome here... how nice @ struggling vegan. Well I am no wine connisseur, all I would say is it went well for me :D
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AA: ty ty *bows* Sure...must go!
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durjoy datta said...

meal for two????
without wine that is????
:(
had a nice on with this....
somebody told me that somebody had gone to this real good place...
wen i asked the name, that body said, it is greek to me...
and i for some reason took it literally!
:)
the plate smashing thing is so cool!

Reeta Skeeter said...

Durjoy: :) Meal for two=INR 1000plus w/o wine...Plate smashing was cool indeed! Nice to see you here after long...

thalassa_mikra said...

Good heavens, just what I feared. I've been studiously avoiding "It's Greek To Me" because I know it's basically a mockery of Greek food. Turns out all my fears are justified.

1. Tirokafteri is actually a spread made with feta cheese and hot peppers. Never, ever is the name applied to any kind of fritters.

2. Spanakopita is spinach pie - spinach and cheese filling inside layers of filo dough. Absolutely nothing to do with pita bread and frankly nothing on that plate looks anything like a spanakopita

3. Falafel is not Greek

4. Greek dolmathes do not have pine nuts, Lebanese dolma do.

5. Hummus is not Greek

6. Hassapiko is traditionally a dance for men (for butchers actually, because hassap means butcher in Greek)

7. The plates are not smashed after a meal. Usually the plate smashing (and it's a tradition on it's way out in most of Greece), takes place during a solo dance performance when plates are smashed in joy at the performance.

Anonymous said...

Hello.!
same opinion and kritik with "Thalassa mikra" and i m greek.
Plates are not smashed in the Restaurants in Greece. it's not more permitted and it's was only take place in " Bouzoukia" (night blubs were the people drinking with a "havy" dancing songs and dancing Hassapiko) and even because of the many accidents, greek Gonverment don't give more a Lisence for this "pleasure"!
Today in Greece, the people enjoying the same, but only throw Flowers.
Unfortunate for the indian people, that do not know that eat NON Greek into a "Greek restaurant"!.
Why actually to say it's a Greek restaurant?

all the best
Hellenic

Reeta Skeeter said...

thalassa_mikra:
Thank you so much for throwing light upon Greek food and traditions. The same have been incorporated in the post with due credits. :)
I never claimed that the food was Greek to the core. All I wrote in the post was a mere take on the restaurant and the food I have had there...
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Hellenic: Thanks for throwing light on plate smashing. The same has been added to the post with due credits. :)