eXo's Live Jazz Night

One of my favorite non-Astoria eats, eXo always has something interesting up their sleeve.  The Chef, Costa happens to be a fellow Astorian and some of the other staff as well, so you can see where their loyalties lie - with us!

Something new and interesting they're rolling out this fall is Jazz Night, which starts on Saturday, November 19th from 8 - 10 p.m. Featuring unlimited and very delicious house wine and meze, the evening will be held in their new heated patio, which is pretty extensive.  The whole evening for just $40 - sounds good to me.

If you haven't yet tried this place, I think this is your chance, since the event is on a Friday, which gives you some extra time to get to Whitestone.  The food is fresh and creative, and if you do make it out there, I can't wait to hear what you think.  Shoot me a line with your feedback.

Exo - 15-16 149th Street, Whitestone NY 11357
718.767.4396
www.exorestaurant.com

eXo - Think About Mother's Day Brunch

Image by exorestaurant.com

Mother's day is coming up in just under two weeks and restaurants are getting ready.  For those of you who enjoy the day with Mom by dining out, you'll know how busy this holiday is for the restaurant industry.  Key take-away - get there early and make your reservations now.

eXo, one of my all-time  Greek food favorites will be pulling out all the stops for mama with a special brunch and dinner menu prix-fixe.  I'm already thinking about brunch, and wanted to share the enticing options.  I hope they inspire you to treat mom to something homemade and wonderful.

Mother's Day Brunch - Sunday, May 8th from 10 a.m. - 3 p.m., $26/person

Eggs Benedict Spanakopita - Poached eggs, feta, spinach, bechamel

Sizzling Lamb “hash” (pictured above) - Sunny side eggs, cured lamb, smoked paprika

Greek American Brunch - Eggs any style, smoked bacon, country sausage, feta tater tots

Fluffy Corn Pancakes - Seasonal fruit, warm maple syrup, powdered sugar

Double Dipped French Toast - Seasonal fruit, warm honey syrup warm dippy eggs

Soft Boiled Eggs - With warm hummus, grilled pita, arugula

eXo Egg Burger with Cheese - Double smoked bacon, sharp cheddar, hand cut french fries

Soft Shell Crab Panini ($5 supplement) - House made chips, Greek tartar sauce, pickled onion

eXo Lamb or Beef Burger - Brioche bun, french fries, spicy feta spread

Greek Feta “Caesar” Salad - With grilled chicken, steak, or shrimp

Steak n’Eggs our Way - Charcoal grilled hanger steak, olive oil baked egg, feta tater tots

Dessert (choice of 1): Chocolate cake for 2, honey doughnuts, or filo custard pie

Mother's Day Dinner - Sunday, May 8th from 4 p.m. - 9 p.m., $36/person

First course (Choice of 1)

Dozen Fresh Shucked Oysters - Sheep’s milk yogurt, lemon, smoked pepper oil

Baby Arugula Salad - Marinated olives, cucumber, red wine vinaigrette

House Smoked Salmon Platter - Baby arugula, red onion, capers, grilled pita, tzatziki

Sizzling Cheese Saganaki - Olive oil fried cheese, white wine, lemon

Housemade Feta Ravioli - Toasted garlic, black pepper, mint

Crab, Spinach and Rice Balls - Tsatziki, fried dill, dehydrated feta

Grilled Lamb Sausage - Baby lettuce, pickled onion, lemon

Entree (Choice of 1)

Roasted King Salmon - Sauteed escarole, Greek style polenta

Pan Seared Lemon Chicken - Root vegetables, lemon, oregano

Swordfish Souvlaki - Hummus, kale, crispy chick peas, lemon oil

Grilled Diver Scallops - skordalia, garlicky beets

Charcoal grilled hanger steak rosemary, lemon, potato/feta croquettes

Dessert (Choice of 1)

Gooey chocolate cake for 2, honey doughnuts, or filo pie

eXo - 15-16 149th Street, Whitestone NY 1135
718.767.4396

exorestaurant.com

eXo Food & Wine Fun!

Images by Constantine Kalandranis

Just the other week, I told you about eXo, a sophisticated Greek restaurant in Whitestone, with some of the most amazing Mediterranean eats I've had to date.  Well...in addition to showcasing their culinary cajones during regular lunch and dinner service, they also offer cooking demonstrations for eager foodies who are curious to learn about Mediterranean food technique and recipes used right at eXo. 

Taking place every Monday night from 6 p.m. - 8 p.m. these cooking classes vary in size from 2 to about 15 people and include unlimited wine and plenty of food.  Reservations are required and classes can be tailored to a client's preferences. 

I wanted to mention these classes specifically, as Valentine's Day is coming up and it can make for a very nice gift.  I know that I personally wouldn't mind to find it in my box of chocolates :)

Here's the pricing.  You can call the restaurant for more details.  Enjoy!

1 class...$65
2 classes...$120
4 class gift package...$230
6 classes...$350 (includes a free lunch for 2)
Special - Bring 5 friends, and get your class for free!

Exo - 15-16 149th Street, Whitestone NY 11357
718.767.4396
exorestaurant.com

Exo - Greek Greatness Knows No Boundaries

Exo - 15-16 149th Street, Whitestone NY 11357
718.767.4396
www.exorestaurant.com

Living in Astoria for many years has exposed me to some of the best Greek food I've sunk my teeth into.  Until now.  Even though the restaurant I'm about to tell you isn't in Astoria, I'm not at all surprised that its chef and owner, Constantine Kalandranis is an Astoria native. 

Atmosphere:
It was fun to explore a new neighborhood while visiting Exo.  Located in Whitestone, which is a a quaint, mostly residential area in Queens, I'd suggest driving over.  If making the trip from Astoria, it's a short 15-20 minute drive and parking seemed to be a cinch.

Once inside, we immediately took in the cozy space.  Situated on two levels, Exo's front-of-the-house space serves as a casual bar with a few local beers on tap that caught our eye.  As you walk further into the restaurant, you'll notice an alcove opening that leads into the main dining room, with seating on the ground level but also one level up.  Dan and I sat in the latter section that seemed cozier, and we loved our little corner nook that gave us privacy and a good view of the entire place.  Our table was set with charming blue and white tablecloth that made me think of a picnic on the beach.  We couldn't wait for this six-course tasting adventure to begin.

Food:
Since we were on a tasting, we had the incredible experience of trying nearly everything on the menu.  The entire tasting consisted of meze (small plates of hot and cold food), and even the entrees and dessert were presented in this style, which worked well for us.

Course 1 - Starting with a gorgeous plate of housemade pita, sesame breadsticks (from Rose & Joe's) and a trio of dips and spreads including tsatziki, hummus and marinated Greek olives, we could tell we were in for a treat.  I love this type of appetizer because you try a little bit of everything.  My favorite nibble was the hummus, which was super creamy and garlicky, topped with something special - thin shavings of fried garlic, which brought up its flavor profile another notch.

A couple of other highlights from this course included a Long Island Oyster duet, a seasonal lobster bisque, and a beet and feta horiatiki salad.  If you're an oyster fan, I strongly encourage the duo of raw and cooked oysters - the cooked one is fried to perfection in a Mythos beer batter and dressed with double smoked bacon and horta (dandelion greens) fondue.  I've never had anything like it!

Course 2 - This course consisted of an all-encompassing seafood feast including char-grilled octopus, Mayan shrimp, baked (and raw) razor clams and seared diver scallops.  We were impressed with the freshness and clean flavors in everything, but what really made us fall in love was the octopus.  Sizzling with vim and vigor, the gorgeous pieces of octopus rested on a bed of fiery grilled tomato, giant capers and chick peas that added body to the dish.  The best part was the texture of the octopus - crunchy and charred on the outside, but tender and not unlike a great steak on the inside.  If you fancy yourself an octopus connoisseur, you have to check this one out. 

Course 3 - A carefully thought out cheese course separated the seafood part of the meal from the meat.  We received a homemade feta ravioli that looked like a piece of art, with a mavrodaphne (Greek black wine) reduction that was expertly brushed on a long, flat plate.  The soft and slightly sweet feta filling exploded in your mouth and once again the dish was adorned with those delicious fried garlic chips. 

The other cheese we received was a sizzling saganaki, which was a plate full of salty goodness.  Consisting of an olive oil fried kefalotiri cheese, dressed with garlic, capers and Greek herbs, it was deliciously aromatic and a nice way to jolt excitement onto your palate.

Course 4 - This was my favorite course in terms of creativity, as Exo nicknamed it their Greek charcuterie.  A plate of lamb meatballs (keftedes), a housemade liverwurst and the piece-de-resistance, a homemade lamb pancetta piqued my curiosity.  I marveled at the pancetta's uniqueness - resembling its traditional pork sister in appearance, but not in taste, as it was a little milder and not as smoky.  It was excellent with a crispy piece of pita.

Course 5 - At last, we got to the meat (and some more fish too), most of the offering made up of lamb dishes including a 5-hour moussaka, roasted lamb leg and seftalia sausage.  The moussaka was my favorite, looking and tasting like a yia-yia's masterpiece, with tender pieces of eggplant, ground lamb, and a creamy bechamel top with  a blistery crust.  Fried herbs and spices further decked the top of this dish, making it the most decadent thing we ate.  While it was a very rich dish, it was the perfect thing to split between two people, because too much of a good thing, can sometimes be...well, too much.

Course 6 - I can't believe we actually got to the dessert, considering how much we ate that night, but once it came, we had to at least try it.  A long plate of Greek specialties such as warm rice pudding, galaktoboureko (my favorite!), baklava, loukomades (Greek donuts) and ekmek kataifi sent us off on a sweet farewell.  My two favorites were the baklava - super sweet, nutty and slightly spicy - as well as the rice pudding, which was soft and creamy, sprinkled with cinnamon and two chocolate piroette cookies, which served as the dippers.  Fun!

Service and Cost:
We received excellent service and by looking around the room, I could tell that everyone else enjoyed the same pleasantries.  Exo very much feels like a friendly neighborhood restaurant where you can come and hang your hat after a long work day.  It seems like they have some regular customers, which is nice and I'd love to check them out on a weekend or a Monday, when they do instructional cooking classes (more on that later).

Costs are moderate and very fair for the quality of food being served:

Meze - $5 - $19
Entrees - $12 - $27

3 Loud Mmmms