Known for her tasty Greek cuisine, chef Maria Loi is at it again in New York City with her newly opened restaurant Loi Estiatorio. The Mediterranean joint, located in Midtown West, is an upscale, contemporary take on Greek fare that will have you hankering for more. Inside the clean, sleek restaurant, customers will immediately find themselves smiling at the amazing staff and customer service. The intimate space makes for a great date spot or celebratory pick for a special occasion.
Your meal will begin to have you raving before your appetizers even hit the table. Starting off with a basket of pita bread, cornbread and a traditional Greek spread, you’ll be remiss if you don’t polish off the entire thing. Appetizers are difficult to choose from, with options like i (house-made beef sausage, vegetable medley, tomato) and Moussaka (eggplant, ground beef, tomato, onion, béchamel). We chose the Htenia (diver scallops, house-made lamb bacon, parsnip puree), which was like biting into a cloud puff (if you can imagine ever doing that). All of the ingredients melded together to create a wonderful taste. Entree options include Moscharaki Kokkinisto (beef short ribs, red wine, tomato, carrots, parsley, loi couscoussaki), Solomos (salmon, Idaho potato, olive oil, kalamata olives), Ravioles (meatball, garlic, mint, parsley, fresh pasta, egg, lemon) and more. We opted for the Ravioles, which was presented in a unique, deconstructed manner. The innovative dish incorporated a lot of Mediterranean flavors and was a great and creative dish.
Along with dinner, we recommend indulging in a glass or bottle of wine from their very impressive wine list. Top it off with one of their amazing desserts and you won’t be disappointed. From their homemade Greek yogurt topped with honey and pecans to their Ekmek Kaidaifi (shredded phyllo, custard, whipped cream, cinnamon, almonds), their light, yet luscious options will leave you with a great feeling. Best of all, the entire menu is 100% butter free, if you can believe it!
If you really are looking to impress someone, this is definitely one of the top spots in the city to do it. Head on over.
Twisted Talk: Have you dined at Loi Estiatorio? What did you think of it? Discuss below!
