Try something new at Eos!

For one reason or another, and despite many attempts, I had never managed to eat at Eos on Summer Street in the nearly five years they've been open.  Fortunately, I had the pleasure of sampling their new menu, and if the old menu was anything like the new one, I was missing out!

First up was a trio of Mezedes, or small plates.

One at a time, from front to back:
- Feta Saganaki - sesame and poppy seed crusted feta with peppered honey drizzle.  This was amazing.  We could've eaten two more of these.  It's sweet and savory, creamy and crunchy.  Just delicious.
- Veggie Moussaka - zucchini, eggplant, potatoes, mushrooms and lentils with béchamel cream.  Also delicious, and a great alternative when you want something meatless and yummy.
- Mydia - P.E.I. mussels steamed in white wine, ouzo, butter, garlic, and fresh herbs.  Mussels + garlic + butter.  You can't go wrong with that equation.  Great eats.

Next were the EOS Sliders, ground lamb sliders with caramelized onions and roasted red pepper sauce.

My wife usually finds lamb a little dry and gamy, but she loved these sliders.  They were tasty and moist, and the red pepper sauce was a nice complement.

Second course!  Kypro Salata - mixed greens, grilled zucchini, mushrooms, eggplant, red peppers, haloumi cheese, and balsamic vinaigrette.

Grilled veggies are always a good thing.  Haloumi cheese is kind of like "Greek mozzarella" and has a similar texture and salty flavor.  Grill up some of that goodness, throw it on top, sprinkle it with balsamic, and you've got yourself a salad going.

Entrée time!

From the top:
- Papia - char-grilled duck, black cherry and red wine reduction, and pine nut rice
- Lahanodolmathes (not pictured because I forgot to use the flash) - ground beef and rice stuffed cabbage leaves with creamy lemon sauce
- Ksifias - char-grilled swordfish kebab with lemon potatoes

The Papia was superb.  The duck was perfectly charred and crunchy.  I love pine nuts in any form (pesto, toasted, etc.), and this rice was no exception.  And the cherry-wine reduction - wow.  If it came in jars, I'd bring one home and put it on everything: pizza, pasta, toast, Cap'n Crunch, you name it.

The Lahanodolmathes were so-so.  The beef was a little too dry for my liking, though the lemon sauce was quite tasty.

Bringing things back to greatness was the swordfish kebab.  Like the duck, it was perfectly grilled, and nice and flaky.  The lemon potatoes were also very good.

I spoke with Nikki, Eos' general manager, about the inspiration behind the choices on the new menu.  She said that these were dishes that they've wanted to try since opening almost five years ago.  They first introduced new items as specials to gauge the reception they got, and then went with the winners.  The menu is mainly inspired by traditional Greek dishes, with the occasional different idea like lamb sliders, another dish they'd always wanted to try.  The veggie moussaka came about specifically because vegetarians have been requesting it, and it's also an option for Lent or other times of fasting.

Thank you again to our gracious host, Nikki, and everyone at Eos.  If you're looking for something new and delicious, make Eos your next dinner choice.  Don't wait five years like I did!

First look at Spazzio's replacement - TOMᾹTO TOMÄTO

My source from the local pizza paparazzi (pizzarazzi?) sent me these exclusive spy pictures of the new restaurant that has taken over the former Spazzio space on Shippan Avenue.

Now with umlauts!

As you can see, TOMᾹTO TOMÄTO is not just a pizzeria - it's also a pour house, a fact reinforced by the presence of something my classically handsome source calls a "bar":

BÄR

My source, a witty and articulate writer, also tells me that TOMᾹTO TOMÄTO plans to make a lot of dough.  How, you might ask?  With this:

Zing!

No standing here!  My clever, well-read source tells me that TOMᾹTO TOMÄTO has seats.

SËÄTS

My rakishly good-looking source tells me that people in the pizza business call these "ovens."

But these are ÖVËNS.

My overall first impression is that it looks like a pretty nice Remo's-style pizza joint.  It'll be a welcome addition to an area that is underserved by pizza-flingers.  And umlauts.

PS: Biagio Express update: I had their ciabatta sandwich with veal ricotta meatballs, roasted red peppers and olive oil, and Parmesan reggiano.  It was delicious - and HUGE.  The ciabatta in question was probably about a third of a loaf!  You should definitely come down and check them out.

Sneak peek at Stamford's news food truck: Biagio Express

Head to the very end of Harbor Drive in Shippan and look for the office building complex you never knew existed.  Drive around until you see a big food truck next to the parking garage near the water.  You have arrived at Biagio Express.

Biagio's Osteria in Stratford has opened Biagio Express, a food truck serving the starving office workers in Harbor Plaza Shippan Landing and anybody else who seeks out good eats.

Today was their soft opening, with a grand opening TBA, and everything sounds delicious!

Here's the menu:

(The website on the menu doesn't work yet.)

I brown-bagged it today, so I'll report back on the food once I've sampled it.  If anybody wants to meet up for some lunch, let me know!