Alexandros Karakatsanis took on the task of shaping a new identity for Proveleggios, which, as I found on my recent visit, is not linked to the period of Sotiris Kontizas. Reflecting on my culinary memories of Alexandros Karakatsanis` previous positions - from the first San Michali, in the mountain village of the same name, in Pano Meria, Syros, to the unfortunately short-lived Monk`s Beard, as well as the more recent ones, Ami and Athenian Terrace - I tried to predict what would define the "next chapter" of Proveleggios. How would he, with his unique style, manage to open a new chapter in the restaurant`s story, keeping from the past, according to his words, only the well-known and beloved bread and brioche brûlée.
Of course, reality is usually different from the scenarios
one makes up by walking instead of counting steps. In the ten years since I
first tried Alexandros Karakatsanis` first cuisine in Agios Michalis,
Syros, much has changed in his professional journey, and his cooking has beautifully evolved.
What’s most interesting, though, is that his approach to Proveleggios didn’t follow the expected paths, at least not the ones we, who knew him, might have imagined. Arriving at the restaurant to meet his new colleagues, he realised this is a
colourful, multicultural team that moves and acts like a family. This became
the inspiration for the menu he would design. He asked each one of them—from Kostas
Pisiotis, the owner, to those working in communications or washing dishes— to tell
him about α food, a taste or a smell that connects them to their childhood
memories of their grandmother`s food. He decided to put out a first menu based
not only on his memories but also on the memories of the people in his team.
Somewhere in there, the Greek element got mixed with the ethnic, the island tastes blended with the mountain influences and all together they brought a continuation to the
cosmopolitan spirit that has always prevailed in the kitchen of this restaurant
- one which is not lacking open flames, not just as a chef`s fetish, but
also as a dominant trend of our time.
After the standard bread and kefir butter, we moved on to artichokes (Jerusalem artichokes), à la polita and steamed mussels served in a delicious escabèche with yahni greens and an equally delicious green curry broth. I tried to keep track of whose memories I was tasting each time. Still, when we got to the beautifully roasted dry-aged turbot cooked on robata, which came in a rich, green pil-pil sauce with chard, caviar and crunchy hazelnuts, I felt as though my own memories had intertwined with those of others, and I connected. I felt the same emotion with the beef tartare with handmade tomato paste and herb sauce, which reminded me of gemista, a traditional greek dish of stuffed vegetables, before it even was in the oven.
Here, the calf tartare is served inside a crispy cannoli made from brick foil, an idea that admittedly surprised me pleasantly.
The most striking and ingenious suggestion of the evening was unquestionably the brainstorming. This three-stage lamb dish starts with a "butter" made from paté de foie-gras and lamb brain, moulded in the shape of a brain (with its hemispheres separated by a bright red line of paprika oil). This "butter" is served with a lightly toasted slice of rye bread with figs. Its next stage is a delicious, intensely flavourful boiled goat soup with impeccably cooked, al dente, trahanas (a type of greek pasta) flavored with katsuobushi lamb. In the third stage, the lamb comes succulent, cooked as biryani, with deep aromas of spices, a little spicy perhaps for some, but with a distinct Greek essence , which is likely due to the chef`s personal interpretation of the dish, blending his roots into the composition composition.
Having given you a general idea of what to expect, I will stop at My Lovely Beirut, the chef`s signature dessert. This dish is a playful nod to his culinary influences, a reference to his favourite Lebanese sweet rolls made with semolina dough Ḥalāwat al-jinn (cream filled). However, I suggest that you also try the caramelised brioche with lactic cheese sorbet It`s worth it.
Although this is just the beginning, this new season of Proveleggios with Alexandros Karakatsanis has many more surprises in store. I will return to confirm that I was not too quick to be so positively impressed by what I tasted.
Info .Paramithias 11, Metaxourgio, tel. 2105234749