I was meeting some friends for a coffee, and had decided to meet at our ‘local’ café called Moma. Moma is along the main strip of restaurants on Adrianou Street, around the half-way point, and offers a great menu of ‘modern Greek’ food. Cool design, chilled music and friendly service have made this one of my favourite places in the city.

But Moma has a little surprise. If you ever need a reminder about the nature of the city we live in, I suggest a visit to the bathrooms in Moma. Yes, the bathrooms. The phrase ‘what lies beneath’ comes to mind. We live in a multi-layered, multi-era city, and proof of this is at Moma.

Go for the minimal styling and the great menu – but do make a ‘pit-stop’ while you’re there ;)

Moma
Adrianou 29, Thissio

Until next week,

Jack

In this weekly space, keep up with ‘Jack’ as he navigates daily life in Athens… Anecdotes, stories, hits & misses, the good, the bad and, well, the rest…

El Taco Bueno

All of the food at this restaurant is superb but here is a small taste of what you’ll find.

After you are seated, you are quickly served with a little bowl of nachos and salsa dip and a large glass of water to get your appetite going while you glance over the menu.

For starters, you can order nachos topped with melted cheese or chili (or both!), Mexi Cali Fries, Jalapeno Poppers, onion rings, chili con carne and quesadillas, not to mention some of the best buffalo chicken wings to be had in Athens. Their salads, which include the bueno tostada and the Mexicana salad, both set in a scrumptious tortilla shell, are fantastic; they are enormous and tasty.

For the main course, you can choose their specialty, fajitas, which are both delicious and in such large quantities that you will definitely want to share with friends! You can also try their enchiladas, chimichangas and burritos as well as hard taco shells filled with the meat of your choice, including minced meat, chicken or beef. But if you get stuck on what to order, don’t hesitate to ask the staff for suggestions – they are more than happy to help!

The service is excellent and in the summer, you can enjoy your meal in the garden, surrounded by trees and colorful flowers.

Don’t forget to make a reservation – although the restaurants are fairly large, the tables quickly get booked up!

Note: Most of the above dishes can be made meat-free for vegetarians.

WHERE:
El taco bueno
Ethinikis Antistaseos & Psaron 1, Chalandri
Tel 210 6840460

El taco bueno autentico
Aristotelous 84, Chalandri
Tel 210 6813787

El taco bueno delivery
Pentelis Ave. 12-14, Chalandri
Tel 210 6800662-3

OPENING HOURS:
Tuesday-Saturday 19:00-24:00
Sunday 13:00-24:00

Average cost per person: 20-25€

Do you have a recommendation or recipe to share? Send it to us at ideas@xpatathens.com!

Many of those films have become “classic” and epitomize the Greek spirit via romance, passion, defiance, tragedy, forbidden love, guilty pleasures, and all else in between.

The international success of films such as “Zorba the Greek”, “Never on Sunday”, “Stella”, “Ilya Darling” and “Boy on a Dolphin” had the participation of all-star casts and directors and went on to receive Academy Award nominations. They continue to be favourites amongst cinephiles and are part of the annual Greek Film Festival at the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York. In addition to foreign movies, Greek cinema holds a special place with global audiences, highlighted by the golden age of cinema during the 50s and 60s, with elements of film noir that remain timeless.


To red more, please see visitgreece.gr

Obsessed for decades by Greece’s unique music, Cade has plunged into Athens like a spring set free. The result, ‘Athens – The Truth’, is a 400-page revelation of aspects of the city unknown not only to tourists but even to many Greeks.

Graham Beattie, publishing guru and widely experienced judge of the Commonwealth Writers Prize, said: ‘I was immediately arrested by the 20-page introduction wherein he explains his fascination with all things Greek.’ Amazon readers have said that the book is ‘absolutely addictive’, ‘charming, critical, and thought-provoking’, and that it ‘makes the reader yearn for Athens’.

‘Athens – The Truth’ is a travel book that often reads more like a novel. As the author unearths the truths of the city, tension develops and the account moves towards a climax. At many points the writer’s love for Greece is obvious, but at other times his criticisms are frank. Whereas other authors appear to have been wary of treading on Greek toes, Cade tells all. 

Here’s part of Cade’s description of a young Greek dancing in an Athens nightclub:

‘No longer dispirited, he rises, lifts a thigh, slaps it too, as if to show determination, and then, gazing upwards, his arms raised, he begins to glide, like an eagle dignified and free upon the winds, maintaining balance while invincibly swooping and swirling above all the challenges of life.’

‘Athens – The Truth’ has been written for anyone who has yet to encounter the true Greece. The author explained: ‘I wrote it not only to help tourists, students, or business people get the most out of Athens, but so that people at home, perhaps with no intention at all of ever actually visiting, can also encounter all those locations, people, and facts which even the most adventurous seem to miss.’

‘Athens - The Truth’ can be ordered online or from bookstores worldwide by requesting ISBN 9780955209031.

An e-book edition is available from Amazon for Kindles, iPads, iPhones, smartphones, and PCs. A second e-book edition has been made available for Nooks, Kobos, Apples, Sonys, and other devices.

Or you can get it from Public here: http://www.public.gr/product/books/english/diafora/athens-the-truth/prod5111007pp/ or from the Book Depository here:

http://www.bookdepository.co.uk/Athens-Truth-David-Cade/9780955209031

Athens - The Truth
Searching for Manos, Just Before the Bubble Burst
by David Cade
406 pages
Paperback Edition: ISBN 9780955209031
Kindle Edition: ISBN 9780955209048
Smashwords Edition: ISBN 9780955209055
Published by Tales of Orpheus

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

David Cade is a writer and actor based in the Shropshire Hills, England. He has worked in classical record production, schools, universities, and theatre. He studied Drama, Theatre Arts, and Music at the University of Birmingham and has an MA in Linguistics from the University of London. Besides the United Kingdom, he has lived in New Zealand, Fiji, Australia, and the Middle East. The music of Greece is his passion.

RELATED INFORMATION

Author’s website: http://www.davidcade.net

Twitter: https://twitter.com/AthensTheTruth

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AthensTheTruth

Athens International Airport (AIA) was named “Airport of the Year” in the 10-30 million passengers category at the Air Transport News (ATN) 2015 awards ceremony that took place in Geneva. The ATN Awards are the only international prizes that award all the main categories of the air transport industry.

“2014 has been a year of spectacular traffic development for our airport, which demonstrated an increase of 21.2 percent, within a very critical economic and political situation in Greece”, said AIA’s CEO, Yiannis Paraschis.

According to Mr. Paraschis, during the recent years marked by the Greek macroeconomic crisis, AIA managed to address significant market challenges, protect its business model and continue to deliver substantial value to all stakeholders and the Greek economy.

“Targeted efforts towards incentivizing traffic development and enhancing Athens’ attractiveness as a tourist destination have been key to that end”, he said.

“We believe that what makes an organisation capable of weathering a storm and come out even more efficient and effective, is clearly the ability of its human capital to continuously change and adapt. The Air Transport News award is yet another recognition for the people of AIA and the airport community at large.”

To read more please visit: GreekTravelPages

• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 2 teaspoons sweet paprika
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1 1/2 lb medium carrots (8)

• 1 1/4 cups green olives (6 to 7 oz) such as Cerignola or picholine, pitted
• 3 tablespoons drained bottled capers, rinsed
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 1 flat anchovy fillet, chopped
• 1 teaspoon finely grated fresh lemon zest
• 1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/4 cup olive oil

• 12 slices good-quality pumpernickel sandwich bread
• 6 oz soft mild goat cheese (3/4 cup) at room temperature
  
  

Monemvasia, on the southeastern shores of the Peloponnese, Greece is Europe’s oldest continuously inhabited castle town.

Founded in 583 by inhabitants of the mainland seeking refuge from the Slavic and the Avaric invasion of Greece and surrounded by the Myrtoan Sea, Monemvasia is located on an island about half a mile long.

A man-made road and stone bridge leads to the castle gate and main entrance of the majestic castle town onward through the colorful and lively citadel offering all who visit her both stunning views and an unforgettable ‘ambiance’ of times past.

The fortress’ stone walls protected the citadel of Monemvasia from various invaders throughout its history. Invasions by the Crusaders, Venetians, and lastly, by the Ottomans have all left an indelible cultural and architectural mark, granting the citadel a unique charm and romantic atmosphere close to none.

The town’s name is derived from two Greek words, mone and emvasia, meaning “single entrance.” The “Gibraltar of the East” or a “stone ship” about to set sail, as the famous Greek poet Yannis Ritsos described his birthplace, beckons you for a journey through time, wandering through vaulted alleyways and past churches and aristocratic mansions.

Monemvasia: A trade center that withstood invasions

From the 10th century AD, the town developed into an important trade and maritime center. The fortress withstood the Arab and Norman invasions in 1147; farm fields that fed up to thirty men were tilled inside the fortress.

By 1193, Monemvasia was a major city in the Peloponnese. Ships sailing between Constantinople (now Istanbul) and what is now Italy stopped there, giving rest to aristocrats and high-ranking church members and loading Greek exports like olive oil and wine headed for the West.

The resurgence of the Greek castle town

In more recent history, the castle town has seen a resurgence in importance with increasing numbers of tourists visiting the site and the region. The charming town of Monemvasia is made up of a labyrinth of winding cobblestoned streets that can only be traveled by foot. The medieval buildings have been restored, and many of them converted to hotels, artisans shops, boutiques, cafés, and restaurants.

To read this article in full, please visit: greekreporter.com