From New York:
En Plo Sets Sail
Authentic Greek Seafood
by John Mariani

Chef Spyropoulos in front of his bar

The effusive explosion of Greek seafood restaurants in NYC following the success, five years ago, of the trend-setting Estiatorios Milos on West 55th Street has been nothing short of amazing, given the complete lack of such restaurants prior to that. Milos was the first to showcase fish you choose yourself and have grilled simply with Greek olive oil, lemon, and capers.

Yes, there were Greek restaurants in NYC, the majority in the large Greek neighborhood of Astoria, Queens (an excellent source for Greek food and wines), but they were more Greek-American in style, with all the usual clichés of Greek salads and Greek meatballs and ultra-sweet Greek pastries. Milos, together with the far more comprehensive restaurant Molyvos nearby, brought exciting Greek food to everyone's attention, and, so we're told, to the attention of restaurateurs in Greece itself who had lapsed into mediocrity over the years.

One of the best newcomers in the genre is En Plo, which means "Set Sail," and its specialty is seafood, unstintingly fresh and treated with respect by owners Katerina Kampouroglou and Peter Spyropoulos, who had been involved with another Greek restaurant, Pelagos, on these same premises until a recent management disagreement that brought the restaurant into their sole possession.

No Greek clichés

The brownstone premises still retain a rustic cheeriness, with wood floors, terra cotta walls and a lavish display of fruits, vegetables and seafood that immediately strikes a chord of freshness here. Downstairs there is a bar/lounge called an ouzerie, where you can eat mezes and sip ouzos by the dozen. The list of Greek wines is a good, solid indication of modern Hellenic viniculture; prices are quite reasonable across the board. Trust Katerina to choose an unfamiliar bottle for you, and you'll be very happy indeed. Menu prices are equally fair, with lunch entrees from $11.95-$18.95, and dinner entrees $17.95-$29.50 (though fish is sold by the pound), which is somewhat below comparable estiatorios of this stripe.

It's always a tough decision to choose among myriad Greek appetizers, and they are meant to be shared. The octapodi, charcoal-grilled octopus with onions and wine vinegar at En Plo, are wonderfully pliant, soaking up flavor from the grill and onions and tangy from the vinegar. Saganaki filo pastries with spinach, feta, leeks and dill went fast at our table, as did plump, grilled calamari stuffed with feta, tomato and herbs. We also polished off a large platter of crisp, beautifully fried zucchini and eggplant chips with a tzatziki dip, and the irresistible fried cheese called kefalograviera.

Pick a tsipoúra or fagri

As noted, whole fish are sold by the pound, and you either want one all your own, or, if it's very large, to share. We chose the tsipoúra (gilt head bream, called dorade elsewhere), lithrini (pandora), barbounia (red mullet), and fagri (sea bream), all char-grilled to perfect succulence by chef Peter. There are also fish cooked in a clay pot and some marinated seafood too. The side dishes are almost as wonderful as those starters—roasted lemon-scented potatoes, steamed wild greens, orzo and string beans, which go marvelously well in the simplest way.

Desserts—baklava, karidopita, galaktabouriko—are predictable but not too overly sweet, thought I love the rich artisanal yogurt, and the Greek coffee is as strong and muddied as ever—an eccentricity I happen to enjoy now and then.

En Plo is a fine addition to the upper west side, which is quickly gaining its footing in just about every ethnic food culture. En Plo leads the way in Greek.

En Plo, 103 West 77th St., 212-579-7777.

John Mariani is well known for his frank and poignant writing in Esquire, Wine Spectator, Diversion and the Harper Collection. He is author of The Encyclopedia of American Food & Drink, The Dictionary of Italian Food and Drink and co-author, with his wife, of the Italian-American Cookbook.

(Updated: 07/08/08 HC)