Peachy Picks Cafe Greco

Cafe Greco was first featured in Terrific Takeout:
http://www.whomyouknow.com/2011/01/terrific-takeout-cafe-greco.html


It WAS Terrific, so then it was promoted to Tasty Tidbits:
http://www.whomyouknow.com/2011/01/tasty-tidbits-cafe-greco.html


Cafe Greco has fabulous Mediterranean flair and the food is simply outstanding.  Walking by its location on Second Avenue just off 72nd Street on the Upper East side, the best part of town of course, the passerby is not clued in to what a gem this is until they enter, order, and dine.    Peachy Deegan just loves finding diamonds in the rough, and this is one.  Though they have been open for decades and have a reputation for catering to an older clientele, let us say there should be a commercial saying this is the new generation of Cafe Greco.  Straight off you will fall in love with the garlic bread, which has an authentic quality that is not often found in such a common starter.

Immediately, Peachy Deegan was at one with the crabcake as a starter.  Perfectly fresh, perfectly seared and perfectly seasoned, you better not get near a crabcake as fine as this when it is near Peachy-do not talk to her when she is eating a crabcake.  It is as close to God as she gets!  

Clearly, the food is the best part of Cafe Greco, but the service is a close second.  Gus is consistently delightful and upbeat from the moment you walk in the door.  And our server, Satyajit Singh was friendly and knowledgeable throughout the meal.  The wine Peachy consumed was the Dino Montepulciano 2008 from Italy and of course she wore Italian shoes to match her drink.  A bonus starter for the panel was the Spanakopita-spinach and feta wrapped in filo-served over yogurt sauce.  For someone that doesn't like Feta, Peachy Deegan certainly liked this and she's going to be ordering the Spanakopita again!

As you know from Terrific Takeout, she was just taken by the Seafood Pasta so she absolutely had to have it again and it was just as fabulous as the takeout version.  If you at all like seafood you must order this it is one of the best seafood dishes in the city.  Perhaps do not wear white while eating it though, as it can get messy.  Shrimp, calamari, mussels and clams all come to Gus's party and it is a party that does not stop until the plate is empty.

The berry tarte was a winner and just think how good it is for you with all those cancer-fighting antioxidants.  The only thing we did not love about Cafe Greco is that the bathrooms seem to be in darkest Peru.  They are in the front down the stairs...and you would not believe how big Cafe Greco is from seeing it from the street.  It is very spacious but the multi-level uniqueness in the back could open up a lot of possibilities for design we think.  Peachy brought her intelligent dining panel along, and they say:

Cafe Greco the place to go for great food and friendly service.  Come with family or with friends, and you will all be sure to enjoy a delicious meal!  And after you have tasted what Cafe Greco has to offer, I am sure you will make plans to return again soon!  I know I am already making plans for another visit!  Dinner started off with the Avocado Salad, shown above.  The salad was served with fresh mixed greens, tomatoes, carrots, and red cabbage, and it was drizzled with a mouth-watering citrus vinaigrette.  It was a very healthy and satisfying start to an excellent meal!  My main course was the Rigatoni with eggplant, fresh mozzarella, and tomato basil.  After taking just one bite, it instantly became one of my favorite pasta dishes.  The rigatoni was cooked al dente, and the eggplant was soft, tender, and full of flavor.  It was like putting a small bite of heaven in my mouth!  The tomato basil sauce was excellent, and the chunks of slightly melted fresh mozzarella put this meal over the top!  Finally, for dessert, just when I thought this meal could not get any better, came the Ice Cream Profiteroles.  Ice cream is my favorite dessert, so I was really excited to try these, and I was not disappointed!  A scoop of vanilla and a scoop of chocolate ice cream was sandwiched between two halves of a pastry puff and then drenched in homemade chocolate fudge topping.  

The ice cream was very good, the pastry puffs were amazing, and the chocolate topping was absolutely to die for!  This was an outstanding dessert!  Even though I was extremely full, I made sure that none of the profiteroles went to waste! I highly recommend Cafe Greco - the meal was fantastic, and I cannot wait to return again soon!  Make your reservation right away!

As yet more snow fell upon Manhattan, my panel-mates and I settled in to a nice, warm, cozy table at Café Greco, which is tucked away up on the Upper East Side.  The atmosphere at Café Greco is cheery and inviting – it is actually quite spacious and airy inside, which immediately allows diners to feel at ease. Looking over the extensive menu, it was difficult to decide what to eat, but I finally settled upon the braised feta served with kalamata olives, tomato, onion and pita for an appetizer and Chicken Marsala for my entrée.  
Well, as soon as the braised feta arrived, I knew I was in for a treat.  The generous portion of feta was browned on top and beautifully presented with the olives, tomato, onion and pita. The accompaniments were fresh and delicious, but the true star was clearly the braised feta, which was absolutely heavenly!  I have always enjoyed feta, but have never had it served this way.  It is a definite winner!  In fact, it was so delicious that I’m still talking about it!  It took all of the self control I could muster not to complete the entire serving, but I knew I had my main course to look forward to so I reigned myself in and saved some room for the Chicken Marsala!  And it’s a good thing I did, too, because that was also delicious.  

The chicken was cooked perfectly, and the marsala sauce was one of the best I’ve tasted.   For my side dishes, I chose asparagus and couscous, which were both excellent.  The asparagus was firm but tender, and the couscous was served with chopped tri-color peppers, which added great texture and flavor.  For dessert, I opted for a traditional Greek dessert called Galaktoboureko, which consisted of custard cream and orange custard cream wrapped and baked in phyllo and drizzled with sweet, clear syrup.  This was my first experience with this dessert, and I certainly hope it will not be my last!  It was the perfect ending to a wonderful meal – sweet, but not too sweet, and not too heavy, either!  The custard and the phyllo were both light as air, and capped off the meal beautifully.

We certainly had the best seat in the house: all the way back in the back with the skylight and 20 foot high windows. Walking by the restaurant on the street; however, the meditarian spot is very unassuming. Fast-forward 45 minutes later, we are raving about everything from the braised feta, Cajun broiled swordfish and the tasty taramsalota. Celeb Sighting: Gus, the owner of the restaurant informed us by way of gesture that the “first” supermodel, Carmen Dell’ Orefice was in fact sitting by the window. This beyond elegant women, at 80, is absolutely stunning.
Carmen Dell’ Orefice

http://www.flickr.com/photos/nyclovesnyc/2842114693/

To start for the table spinach and black-eyed peas, assorted breadbasket, and Spanakopita (spinach and feta wrapped in filo) served over yogurt sauce. And last but not least: garlic sliced bread with the MOST garlic I have ever seen on bread.  Having lived in Spain for a year, my motto on garlic is “too much” garlic is a non-existent term.. what a delight! The Spanakopita was also a favorite it tasted more baked than fried and the spinach was fresh and also heavy on the garlic.  For my appetizer I tried the “Tzatziki, taramoslata, melinzanosalta, mixed greens and pita” platter.  It was nice to not have to commit to any of the three and try everything.  

For my entrée I tried the blackened swordfish (with cayenne and herb mix) that was divine: so tender, fresh  and the seasoning was perfect.  Paired with brown rice, garlic sautéed spinach it also felt like a healthy meal.   All the portions are large and could easily be shared. For dessert again total satisfaction.  

Aesthetically a beautiful presentation of vanilla and caramel sauces with powdered sugar but everyone was left speechless upon first bite.   All desserts are handmade! I enjoyed the chocolate mouse cake and for the cheesecake lover in me; the slice that was brought to the table, is still remembering the smooth, rich and flavorful cake. I will go back soon and I look forward to seeing updated seasonal specials as well. Thank  you Café Greco for such a pleasant evening!

Peachy Picks Cafe Greco! 

Cafe Greco

Second Avenue between 71st and 72nd

212 737 4300

No website yet, we understand