Sometimes, something is right under our noses, and we don`t even notice it. That`s precisely what I felt when I discovered that for the past two years, one of the Greek—specifically, Cretan—chefs I hold in high esteem has been curating the menu of a restaurant just a few meters from my home. Chef Michalis Hasikos has infused his culinary expertise, while Nikos Fragidakis provides the hospitality, and together they have "created" the rakadiko Alarga in Ymittos Square, where Cretan dishes dominate. Additionally, some dishes with an Asian Minor influence are paired with various types of raki or Cretan tsikoudia, ouzo, tsipouro, and a selection of bottled wines. The space is impressively large and divided into several levels, featuring marble tables with gently rounded corners, chairs with wicker seats, and decorations reflecting Cretan traditions. At the back of the interior, a display case showcases ointments and jars of various handmade pickles. The window wall around the perimeter allows light to fill the room and provides a view to the outside. There are also tables outside, on the square sidewalk, nestled under the orange trees.
Alarga is "strictly unsuitable" for those looking to eat and drink something light. Its flavours are "solid", the portions are generous, the drinks are potent, and the prices are refreshingly grounted. Many raw materials come from Crete, but there are also meats sourced from small farmers, such as veal from a small farm in Lidoriki, Fokida, where the animals are raised entirely by nature. You will also find black gigantes beans from Prespes, cheeses from Rethymno, Ithaca, Sitia and Naxos, oil from Kalamata, and oregano from Giona. On the menu I found homemade pies, fried potatoes drizzled with Lasithi staka and lemon, smoked eggplant salad, tarama, and reggosalata, pickles, and products cured with salt. The salads are plentiful, the variety of meats is vast, and there are four dishes with a seafood essence, such as the short ribs and the grilled octopus.
I tried the well-prepared potato salad made with potatoes, onions and a delightful reggosalata spread that imparted a deep "village" flavour. The pita with Karamanlidiko beef soutzouki made with homemade pastry, a spice mix with red tomato, some gruyere and topped with grated feta cheese, whose aromas were so intense that they practically wafted out of my nose. The dish of sweetbreads and livers, wrapped in caul fat, was also excellent. No table is complete without the trilogy of pickles, with Prespa gigantes with fennel, sowthistle and spiny chicory—perfect for whetting the appetite for many sips of tsikoudia. The firm yet buttery Tseberi cheese from Ithaca, aged in a cave and combining feta and kasseri cheese, was another standout meze. As the portions were more than generous and the flavours intense, from the mains I managed to try the crispy and juicy lamb chops, cooked with Cretan marouvas, as well as the firm yet flavourful veal, which came steaming from the pot alongside amanitas and king manitas from Evia. For dessert, I indulged in the calzounia with galomysithra, xinomyzithra, anthotyro, and mint topped with a few cooked figs (dried this season) with spices and black laurel. These were prepared and sent by a lady from a mountain village in Crete and grilled to perfection.
Info: 1 Amissou 1, Ymittos, tel: 2107622392, open: Monday-Thursday 5.00 p.m.-12 a.m., Friday-Saturday-Sunday 2.00 p.m.-12 a.m., price: €20-30.