Yefsi Estiatorio: Journey Through The Greek Isles On The Upper East Side

When Christos Christou was a small boy in Cyprus peeking at his grandmother's cooking in the family Taverna, it began a lifetime of inspiration. From a childhood surrounded by farm-fresh vegetables, homemade cheeses, fresh yogurt, and meats from the family farm, Christou had found his passion in truly home-style Greek cuisine. Fast forward to an education at the French Culinary Institute of New York, where Christou studied and apprenticed under Master Chefs Alain Sailhac, Andre Soltner and Jacques Pepin, while simultaneously working at L'Ecole. He then returned to the Greek tradition at Molyvos, where he worked as Sous-Chef under Jim Botsacos to garner the restaurant three stars from Ruth Reichl at The New York Times. From Molyvos, Christou moved next to an Executive Chef position at Milos, garnering another two stars. For his newest venture, Christou turned to restaurateur and friend Gregori Politis - raised, too, on a family farm on the Isles of Greece. Politis, a veteran of Periyali and Persephone, and the creator of acclaimed Aged Steakhouse, aligned his extensive hospitality background with Christou's culinary insight to create a contemporary Greek neighborhood taverna, authentic through design, concept and cuisine. Their vision comes to life on the Upper East Side in Yefsi Estiatorio.

Stepping inside the clean-lined, warmly lit space, you'll find Politis and Christou's dream of the modern taverna realized. Eyes are drawn immediately to the handsome marble bar that anchors the dining room, setting the stage for the evening. The restaurant's warm earth tones reflect a land-focused menu, served under high wooden-beamed ceilings, while twinkling votive candles and bottles of Greek wine line the walls. The restaurant extends further into a well-appointed garden seating area, open seasonally to enjoy outdoor dining - as is the front patio - in warmer months.

Greek dining is as social an experience as it is culinary, so mezedes, small plates for sharing, are the centerpiece of Christos' menu, influenced by his travels throughout the Greek Isles to gain inspiration. The expansive list of sharing plates encourages a dining experience of sharing many dishes amongst a table, like Cyprian halloumi, a smooth-flavored firm cheese cooked right on the grill and served with a bright citrus salsa. Rich house made country sausage, mingling pork, coriander, orange zest and red wine, succulently tops a bed of savory black-eyed peas. Don't miss the surprisingly complex Garides me Fasolia, a truly Greek creation garnishing tenderly seared shrimp and flat gigandes (giant) beans with deglazed cherry tomato and mastika- a lively, earthy sauce derived from the Grecian botanical and sweetened naturally by the tomatoes. Kavourokeftes - Greek styled crab cakes - are frittered crispy but tender, or venture toward the richly delicate Sikotakia, a freshly seasoned calf liver in dill, white wine and scallions. And no mezedes spread would be complete without spreads: caviar, tzatziki, spicy feta and eggplant served with lightly toasted pita.

For more ample portions, traditional classics with an emphasis on fresh seasonal ingredients are the focus. Delve into the Thalasino Youvetsi, an aromatic feta-and-tomato garnished plate of orzo with braised shrimp, mussels and scallops. Try soft, meltaway lamb shank prepared over Lazanaki noodles in a cinnamon-tomato sauce, or indulge in the ultimate comfort of lushly layered Mousaka, sweet-spicy seasoned ground beef stacked with eggplant and b�chamel, cinnamony and savory both. A characteristically Greek whole white fish is prepared ever-so-lightly to flaky perfection and is served with olive oil, lemon and fresh herbs.


And it's the wine list where Gregori Poltis' vision of the restaurant shines most brightly: Greece