E S T I A R E S TAU R A N T, Philadelphia
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f a trip to the Mediterranean is not in the cards, you can still soak up the flavors of a sunny Greek Isle at Estia Restaurant in Philadelphia “Our specialty is whole fish. We fly in a variety of fresh fish from all over Europe, and we prepare it traditionally, very simply,” explained Gus Pashalis, Managing Director for Estia. Estia’s dinner menu includes European sea bass (Lavraki), Royal Dorade fish (Tsipoura), European white snapper (Fagri), and Dover Sole, to name a few. Whole fish entrees can be prepared for one person, or shared. “A group can special order up to a 14-pound fish,” Gus explained. Fish entrees are charcoal-grilled and seasoned with ladolemono, a mixture of lemon juice and extra-virgin olive oil, with a sprinkle of Greek oregano, and capers. On the appetizer menu, Octopus is a signature dish: charcoal-grilled and served over fava puree with pickled red onion, capers and peppers. “Our octopus is from Portugal and has a clean, sweet taste compared with Spanish octopus, which is more pungent,” Gus said. Another signature appetizer, Estia Chips is crispy-thin slices of zucchini and eggplant stacked and served with tzatziki, a refreshing sauce made with Greek yogurt, cucumber and garlic. To ensure a year ‘round supply of red, juicy tomatoes for the Greek Salad, Estia contracts with farmers from across the country. There are no leafy greens in this salad, just vine-ripened tomatoes tossed with cucumbers, green peppers, red
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