5
3
1
0
Many of our guests ask how long we’ve been innkeepers here on Cape Cod, and a few are curious about how and why we became innkeepers in the first place. Very few know the peaks and valleys along the road to owning a bed and breakfast, unless they have read the exhaustive “Welcome Book” I’ve created for each guest room. In that tome I’ve share many stories of our escapades both as innkeepers and in the myriad other positions we’ve held along the way. Perhaps the one that most intrigues guests is my time spent on the high seas as a Julie McCoy from the “Love Boat” wannabe.
Ah, yes, I was lured by the romance of the sea and wild imaginings of adventures in exotic places around the world, so I peppered the cruise industry with my resume and finally landed a position on the cruise staff of the Stella Solaris, a 5-star cruise ship whose home port was Piraeus, Greece. Our itineraries included Egypt, Israel, Turkey and the Greek Islands in the summer months, and South America, the Amazon, and Caribbean Islands in the winter, plus two trans-Atlantic crossings, one in spring and one in fall for repositioning.
It was a heady time for me. Riding camels to the pyramids at Giza, inserting my wish at the Wailing Wall in Jerusalem, dodging piranhas in the Amazon. But perhaps the country that most captivated me was Greece, for the officers, staff and sailors that populated my ocean home were for the most part Greek. We would spend 6-7 months per year calling on the Cyclades, Dodecanese, Aegean, and Ionian islands along with our home base of Piraeus and Athens. I learned the intricacies of their history and culture, enough of their language to get along, and developed a vast appreciation of Greek food.
Hence my enthusiasm when a friend of mine informed me that an authentic Greek restaurant had recently opened at Mashpee Commons, here on Cape Cod. Named Estia, perhaps for the eponymous daily national newspaper published in Athens, or more likely for Hestia, the Greek goddess of hearth and fireplace. Their tag line after all is “coal-fired pizza and modern Greek cuisine”.
So with great anticipation, Rich and I set out to sample the offerings one night earlier this week. The setting is warm and intimate, perhaps a dozen or so tables and high tops, plus ample seating at the bar. The pizza oven is the star attraction, a beehive structure of brick adorned with a bronze relief. Lighting is low and furnishings modern and sleek, befitting a metro feel in a decidedly suburban environment.
The menu is extensive with a wide assortment of “mezes” or appetizers, plus the inevitable souvlakis, kabobs, and Greek specialties such as moussaka, spanakopita, saganaki, and dolmades. I opted for a traditional gyro, while Rich, carnivore that he is, went straight for the beef with steak kabobs. Portions were ample and served with your choice of sides. My gyro was good, with thinly sliced flavorful rotisserie pork, but a tad dry. It could have done with a bit more tzadziki. Rich’s steak was tender and well-seasoned, though the accompanying vegetables were cumbersome and consequently too crisp. Entrees include a typical Greek salad, though we both agreed that the dressing was a bit tart for our liking.
My eggplant salad appetizer, a combination of roasted eggplant and garlic puree, was served with warm pita bread and could easily satisfy two, but it required a lot of salt and did not live up to my memories of what I’d enjoyed in Athens. Rich raved about his sushi-grade grilled octopus appetizer and declared that the next time he would order two portions and be completely happy with that as his entrée. We declined dessert, but can report that it is standard Greek fare. Our waiter was superb, a nice balance of friendly and attentive, without being intrusive and we thoroughly enjoyed our evening out. Though quiet on a snowy Monday evening in March, our waiter informed us that lines form on weekends especially when live music is offered. Estia is open 7 days a week from 11:30 AM to 10:00 PM serving lunch and dinner from the same menu.