Peachy Picks Periyali Our Coverage Sponsored by Fresh Origins
Owner Steve Tzolis
Fresh Origins is America’s leading producer of Microgreens and Edible Flowers. Combining the benefits of an ideal climate with a deep passion for quality and innovation, Fresh Origins products are sought after by the finest restaurants and top chefs. The farm is located in the picturesque rolling hills of San Diego County, where the near perfect weather allows for production and harvest all year. Fresh Origins produces almost 400 Microgreens, Petitegreens, Edible Flowers, Shoots, Tiny Veggies™ and related items. Many are not available anywhere else, with new introductions nearly every month. Fresh Origins products are on top of the finest cuisine in the world! Fresh Origins supplies distributors of specialty produce who serve fine dining restaurants and resorts nationwide. There are also a few online sources of their products available to private chefs and home cooks. For more information about Fresh Origins, visit their website at www.freshorigins.com
Executive Chef Charles Bowman
If going to a venue of beauty with a Greek name that equates to romantic seashore in English-Periyali, consuming high-caliber delicious cuisine that miraculously is healthy as well, and being in the midst of a team that views their occupation as a vocation all appeal to you, we suggest turning your feet toward 35 West 20th street without delay. Going strong since 1987 and the very first Manhattan culinary venture celebrating the Mediterranean diet, Periyali is clearly a labor of love for owners Nicola and Steve, who is a total peach. Their dedication to their heritage not only was decades ahead of the curve for all those that covet the trendy Mediterranean diet today, but it is also a celebration of the food their mothers made for them and Executive Chef Charles Bowman will make today for you. And it's not every restaurant that also has published its own cookbook! Periyali was first featured in Tasty Tidbits:
and we are pleased to announce it has advanced to Peachy's Picks!
When in Greece, you do as they do so we happily sipped on the Chateau Porto Carras 2005 from Greece made with cabernet grapes. Its depth and flavor carried well throughout the course selection and its strong versatility makes this an excellent choice for you as well.
The extensive list of appetizers is both exotic and diverse ranging from quail to octopus to chicken livers and meatballs. There is absolutely something for everyone here and you could walk away satisfied ordering a selection of appetizers, the list is so appealing and enticing. Right from the moment the appetizers were brought out, it was evident how committed to quality and freshness Periyali really is. Peachy Deegan opted for the Taramosalata, Melitzanosalata, Tzatziki Salad:
Beautifully arranged in an orderly fashion, this appetizer would be hard to beat. The caviar mousse in the bottom right section was divine and an ideal consistency. Of the three this one shone the brightest. A close second was the cucumber with yogurt and dill and the grilled eggplant was substantial and lovely as well. Pita Bread was intelligently served hot and the waitstaff is so attentive that when they see you running low on Pita in your enthusiasm for this dish, they bring out more hot Pita Bread.
Picky Peachy can probably count on one hand how many restaurants in Manhattan excel in grilled Octopus, and of those that can grill it correctly, not all marinate it properly. Periyali's best dish in Peachy Deegan's humble opinion is the Oktapodi Sharas: charcoal grilled, red wine marinated Octopus. It was extraordinary in terms of flavor and texture and every restaurant serving octopus should aspire to the octopus standards of Periyali. In fact this was so good we think Periyali should perhaps become a verb as well as a proper noun. If the octopus could speak, we're sure he'd agree that being periyalied was the best end he could have hoped for (and then, ultimately, a happily ever after in the stomach of Peachy.)
The octopus course was Periyali's idea and it was top one at that. Executive Chef Charles Bowman was the epitome of hospitality as he introduced each course with style and grace. Charles opened Periyali with Nicola and Steve in 1983 and stayed on for eleven years, and two years ago he returned after a venture to Chicago, home of Peachy's beloved Blackhawks (up with Coach Q!). The next suggested course was Paidakia Thedrolivano: Charcoal grilled lamb chops, roast potatoes and fresh rosemary. The rosemary was totally the cherry on top for Peachy, and for someone that is not enthused about lamb, she was enthused about the tender, juicy quality of THIS lamb.
Also note that Steve himself is a walking advertisement for the Mediterranean diet. If we look as good as he does when we're 75, clearly this is what we should be eating for the next several decades as well. Nicola-we look forward to meeting you. The first restaurant they opened was Bar Six
(not featured yet)
, and Periyali is one of five they own which also include Il Cantinori (not featured yet), Hotel Giraffe's Bread and Tulips and Amali. (Note: We also recommended Hotel Giraffe and all four HK Hotels.) Steve said he wants to make people happy-and clearly he is doing so as there was not an empty table to be found at Periyali. We also found out that Steve is committed to excellence in everything he does which was music to our ears-interesting to note he was a stellar Olympic bicycler holding records that we'll find out about when we have more time to peruse the entire Periyali cookbook, but we did see on page 185 more of his story and now we have to go back to try the Horta...
Fish in Greece is among the healthiest choices and the Filet of Stripe Bass baked with tomato, vegetables and garlic was emphatically a singular sensation. The variety of flavors and textures heartily combined to form a superlative dinner, and as for the dessert, you know all of them is never a bad choice! The yogurt with sour cherries - and the cherries are from Greece called Monastiri dark cherries (see center) - was Peachy's favorite with the almond cake a close second.
Our esteemed panelist adds:
Owner Steve Tzolis and the staff at Periyali could not be friendlier and more welcoming. With their attentiveness and attention to detail, you can tell that creating a memorable experience for their guests is not just a job for everyone working there—its a labor of love. The owner sat down with us and we had a long discussion about quality and what it means to do something really well and Mr. Tzolis has fine-tuned his philosophy to a tee.
To start, I had the most tender Quail grilled with sautéed spinach, wild mushrooms and feta cheese, complemented with red wine. What a perfect blend of flavors! Peachy and I also shared the red wine marinated Octopus, which was cooked to perfection.
Not rubbery at all, like Octopus has a tendency to become if not careful. We dipped Pita bread in Caviar mousse, which was a better substitute to any hummus I've ever had. How could it not be? It's caviar!
After an appropriately small dish of the most succulent lamb chop I have ever tasted with rosemary potatoes on the side, I had the Stewed Rabbit in tomato with red wine and pearl onions. There is a hint of cinnamon in there as well, giving it a sweetness and warmth. After scarfing all that great food, I couldn't finish a quarter of my main course, but I know what I'm having for lunch tomorrow and I can't wait!
Peachy Picks Periyali
Periyali is Highly Recommended by Whom You Know.
