Sometimes I lie awake at night dreaming of the Greek isles. The pure blue sea, the salty air, the white washed houses…who am I kidding? That’s not what I crave. I miss the food! The honey-soaked pastries, the octopus caught just yards from my table at an outdoor café, the rich lamb kebabs…
Lucky for me, a taste of Greece is only an N-train ride away. On a recent sunny day I skipped lunch and made a mini tour-de-Astoria.
First stop: Artopolis, 23-18 31st St.
The second I walked in this bakery pastisserie, I felt like I’d entered a shrine to the god of all things baked. Tiers of platters brimming with perfectly crafted desserts dazzled my eyes while the sweet smell of honey drew me in. Grand displays offered up an enormous selection of sweets– pistachio shortbread cookies, diples (twisty curls of pastry made from vodka and flour, dipped in honey and sprinkled with walnuts), melomakarona (dark cookies made with flour, cinnamon, cloves, walnuts, nutmeg, sugar, orange juice and sunflower oil and dipped in honey), kourambiethes (butter cookies made with almonds and Greek brandy and then rolled in powdered sugar), baklava (ground walnuts and almonds, wrapped in layers of butter phyllo, baked and drenched in honey)–and breads.
A kind employee filled a box of sweets for me to take home and steered me in the direction of the best items.
“Ooh, how’s this one?” I asked.
“That one? Megh,” she replied. “I wouldn’t waste my time with that one.”
Her honesty won me over, so when she told me the pistachio, chocolate and traditional varieties of baklava were all delicious, I simply had to try all three. And that loaf of olive/onion bread? Couldn’t resist that one either.
My sweet tooth told me to eat the entire box of pastries right away, but I knew better. I tucked the box of desserts and loaf of bread away in my bag and headed off to find some savory treats to round out my perfect Greek picnic.
Second stop: Titan Foods, 25-56 31st St.
I expected this market to be bigger than it is, but once I adjusted my expectations I realized the small space was packed with amazing items. I bypassed the aisle of blue and white I-love-Greece paraphernalia and went straight to my favorite part of any market: the cheese counter. I’m sure there were meats for sell, but I was so blinded by the EIGHT kinds of feta cheese I saw I didn’t even notice.
At first I felt overwhelmed. How would I ever find the “best” feta to buy? I shouldn’t have worried. All I had to say was, “what’s the difference?” and the man behind the counter started handing over generous chunks of each cheese. He guided me through my tasting with pithy descriptions. “Sharp,” “more sharp,” “creamy,” “mild,” until I’d settled on two to purchase: kefalonia and Bulgarian feta.
Feeling accomplished, I grabbed some taramosalata (a creamy spread speckled with carp roe) and then oogled all the products I’d have to come back for: gallon jugs of kalamata olives, dried mushroom pasta, incredibly cheap sesame seeds, plump dried apricots, and tzatziki (that ubiquitous cucumber, yogurt and mint sauce that makes everything you drizzle it on taste better). Even the frozen foods looked appetizing. The sheets of ready-to-bake spanakopita and already-skewered and marinated kebabs would be perfect for a summer party.
My picnic was shaping up quite nicely, but a warm day calls for a cool beverage to wash down those yummy foods.
Last stop: Grand Wine and Liquor, 30-05 31st St.
I’d asked the guy at Titan what to drink with my feta cheese and he recommended I pick up a bottle of tsipouro (”not tequila, but kind of,” he said). Turns out that tsipouro is the Greek version of grappa, the burns-like-hell digestif so popular in Italy. I’m not a fan, so I settled on crisp white wine from Santorini (only nine bucks).
A couple hours later, chilled wine and picnic basket in hand, I headed for my favorite park with my favorite picnic buddy to watch the sun set and enjoy my tasty purchases.
