Mediterranean Goes Modern
Anthos Updates Greek Cuisine
by John Mariani

The sudden closing of Dona, the East Side 52nd Street restaurant run by chef Michael Psilakis and Donatella Arpaia, after less than a year in business was a real downer for those of us who went there for first-class, modern Greek-Mediterranean cuisine. As often happens in such cases, a new owner of the building made staying in that location exorbitant, so after a brief respite, Psilakis and Arpaia have opened Anthos, on the same street but just across Fifth Avenue and facing ‘21’ Club. And while they insist this is not Dona (which may re-open elsewhere in the future), their re-emergence is great news for those of us who have come to regard Psilakis, 37, as one of the new masters of New York cuisine.

Arpaia, whose first restaurant was Bellini, partnered with chef David Burke three years ago to open davidburke & donatella on East 61st Street; she then opened Ama in Greenwich Village (she is no longer associated with the restaurant), featuring the cooking of her mother's native Puglia. Psilakis started as a restaurateur at Ecco (now closed), where one night his chef and line cook failed to show up, forcing him into the kitchen, which he found he loved. Two years ago he opened Onera (now transformed into the more rustic Kefi), a superb, modern Greek restaurant that won rave reviews. At that time he was among my picks as “Chefs to Keep Your Eye On” in Esquire.

Joining Arpaia at Dona, Psilakis featured what he called "First Generation Cuisine," combining modern ideas on Italian and Mediterranean food, with a good deal of raw seafood items and mezes appetizers. At Anthos he is toeing much the same line, refining further those elements he innovated at Dona.

The new space, formerly occupied by an Italian seafood restaurant named Aquapazza run by Arpaia's brother Dino, is far more beautiful than Dona, basically a long, sleek, glowingly lighted 95-seat room with a pleasant bar-lounge upfront and a staircase leading to private dining rooms. White tablecloths, good glassware and silver, and a conversational decibel level make this one of the west side's most congenial and civilized new dining venues, and, though not required, most of the men at dinner wear jackets and ties. The 215-label winelist, with a slew of good modern Greek wines, has a decent price range starting at $35, and a good sommelier, Mark Du Mez.

So far—at less than two months old—the staff at Anthos is not quite up to the food or wine here. They seem overwhelmed by early success, and the bar is confused by even the simplest cocktail order. I trust this aspect of Anthos will only improve once they all get in synch.

Psilakis's food is wholly in its groove, though. For while he is extremely proud of his Greek heritage and wholly knowledgeable about old country culinary traditions, he has brought them into the new century with panache, from the mezes straight through to desserts. The raw mezes began with glistening tuna dressed with mastic oil (made, I'm told from resinous "tear drops" blended with olive oil), tangy lemon confit and a little rosemary; yellowtail was dusted with fennel pollen and sided with ouzo-macerated cherries, and a Taylor Bay scallop with pomegranate gelée, pistachio vinaigrette, and the tingle of peppermint; slightly smoked sable fish came with potato and pickled peppers; and cobia with a little lamb shoulder terrine.

The amazements kept coming: Tasmanian crab was flavored with a sea urchin tzatziki of trout roe with chives; large Japanese botan ebi prawns were moistened by a tomato consommé with crumbled feta and spicy basil; sardine escabeche that just escaped being fishy came with cucumber, and something inelegantly called "Thassos olive tar," made from cured, not brined, olives that are dehydrated then blended with olive oil to make a tar-like purée; grilled octopus was fabulous, with a mixture of orange purée and tsakistes olives, with chicory and garlic; and hilopita egg noodle encompassed rabbit, snails, black truffles, and sheep's milk manouri cheese—this last the only dish that went a little over the edge, and certainly didn't need the snails.

Our main courses were somewhat simpler and heartier, as they should be. We began with whole grilled loup de mer with roasted vegetables, then succulent grilled swordfish with seftalia Cypriot minced lamb sausage, baby octopus, chickpeas and cracked coriander vinaigrette, followed by two meat dishes—baby pork chops and belly with cabbage-wrapped dolma containing pork and rice, with grilled fennel and a light, lemony avgolemono sauce, and a rack of lamb and moussaka with parsley root, nettles, and a garlic confit.

Beautifully composed desserts by Bill Corbett included a trio of baklavas—for once not overly sweet!—pistachio, honey custard, and walnut cake with cinnamon ice cream; yogurt with spoon fruit and the unexpected flavors of olives, with a mint gelée and crushed mastic kourambiedes shortbread cookies; a rose and white chocolate crema with passion fruit purée and almond crumble; and goat's cheesecake with Pink Lady apples, goat's milk caramel, and wispy, crisp kataifi pastry.

The menu at Anthos is just the right size to allow Psilakis and his team to bring everything off with finesse, despite the number of exotic ingredients used. It is to their credit that none comes across as gimmicky, nothing that might be called "experimental." Everything works here on the principle of good flavors and impeccable ingredients combined in very precise ways to make something that is wonderfully new rather than tellingly novel.

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.