Mountain Views News          Saturday, September 13, 2014

7

FOOD AND DRINK

Mountain Views-News Saturday, September 13, 2014 


DILLS� GREEK VACATION + 
GREEKFEST AT SANTA ANITA

Thomas Wolfe wrote a book titled �You Can�t Go Home Again� but throughout the years there have been 
different variations of that familiar title. Ah but this man lived in an era that didn�t include airbuses 
now did he? It has been some 40 years that I departed Greek Soil. I recently returned to Greece and am 
excited to share my experience with you. If it is history that you seek, there is plenty of that to enjoy, if 
you are looking for relaxation then this is your spot, how about superior cuisine? I will attest that the 
worst meal of the trip wasn�t really all that bad. Yes, 
Greece has something for everyone.

Getting There: It�s a long flight, with choices of 
airlines and layovers in Toronto, Washington and 
New York. We traveled on Air Canada and had a layover in Toronto. As a beer drinker, a few Molson�s 
at the airport restaurant helped make the time go by fast. One warning though, if you are using dollars 
they will give you back Canadian currency, so my suggestion is to use your credit card. Unless you 
want to have a couple of dollars as a keepsake. Once you make it to Athens, you�ll have the choice of a 
taxi, renting a car, or if you are on a tour like we were then someone will greet you at the terminal. My 
suggestion is that if this is your first trip a taxi or hotel shuttle would be prudent. However, if you are on 
the islands, renting a car is safe and easy.

Where to stay: In Athens there is a list of five star, four star and 
three star hotels. We stayed at the Metropolitan just outside of 
Athens, and while the hotel was clean and a great view of the port, 
I wouldn�t say it was five star. But I liked that it had a view and was 
away from downtown Athens that is congested and a bit dirty with 
graffiti and scooters everywhere. Once in Santorini and Mykonos, the 
accommodations are very nice, in fact while our hotel in Santorini El 
Greco, wasn�t on the beach it reminded me of staying in a storybook 
village: very upscale and with four different pools. In Mykonos there 
are many small/boutique hotels very close to the beach, while our 
accommodations were close to being cramped, I will call it cozy. 

To tour or not: If you have traveled to Athens or any other surrounding 
Islands before, I don�t see any need to sign up for a tour. We did and I 
am glad we did, but it was the consensus of our group that if any of us 
were to return, that you could easily do it on your own. We agreed that once if you have seen the ruins 
and the stadium, that none of us would spend much time in Athens. 

Getting Around: Big difference in getting around in Athens and getting around in Greece. First of all it�s 
much hotter in Athens then it is in the islands, and as I mention in when to go July and August have is 
severe heat. My mother to this day reminds me of the 100+ day in July when I was born on a US Army 
base. The buses in Athens are usually filled with locals and would opt for taking a taxi or even the tram. 
On the Islands I do recommend the buses, many of them are new, air-conditioned and dependable, a 
bus ride is about $1.40 euro. On the islands you can rent a scooter by the day, it looks fun, but I was 
warned that many a kid has seen the hospital by crashing into the wall on a narrow road. Getting from 
island to island is done by Ferry, a boat that costs about $45 euro. There are airplanes that do fly from 
the Athens Airport to Santorini/Mykonos, and when I return I will take advantage of them, but for your 
first visit it adds to the fun of the trip. Bring a book or a crossword puzzle. If you aren�t on a guided tour 
tickets can easily be purchased at the port.

When to go: Athens is hot, I mean temperature hot, in fact many workers and vendors take off August to 
visit friends and families elsewhere. If you are there to relax and get a tan, then by all means July would 
be OK, however just visiting the Acropolis in June we were overheated and water was our best friend, I 
couldn�t imagine a July tour of Athens. My suggestion is early June or late September.

Dollar v. Euro: Those looking for bargains, we found that even though Greece is in a financial crisis, they 
haven�t put out the distress flag yet, when shopping you can always ask for the best price. I was warned 
that dinners can easily run $60 euro, while I did see that price tag, it was very few and in between. I 
did notice that the restaurants closest to the water were pricier. A tip is to go to supermarkets, not the 
markets and buy beer, water and fruit and have it in your hotel refrigerator. The fruit there is some of 
the best I�ve had. The beer and sodas at the hotel can be twice or three times as much as getting them at 
the market or a Kiosk.

Dining in Greece: Originally I was going to give a few reviews of the restaurants that I visited, and after 
collecting business cards of places that I dined, I came up with this conclusion, where ever you go, you 
really can�t go wrong. You want affordable dining? They have it. Want to dine on or near the beach? Yes, 
fish and chicken are the most popular items that we came across both in Athens and in Santorini and 
Mykonos. The items on the menus at each restaurant are very similar. You won�t find too many steaks 
or burgers, yes, they are available but there are no beef cattle being raised in Greece. We enjoyed the 
Greek Salad and the Rocket Salad pretty much with every meal. You�ll find that the Greek Salad has no 
lettuce, and is made up of cucumbers, olives, tomatoes and Feta Cheese. Something I found odd, the 
extra charges on the bill, first when they ask if you want bread, we always say yes, there is an additional 
charge of 2 to 3 euro. Plus sit down restaurants have a cover charge, no not the night club admission, 
this is a sitting charge, this charge gives you the privilege of sitting at your table for as long as you want, 
I think this was initiated more for the locals that like to sit for hours and conversing over cigarettes and 
espresso. Note.. everyone smokes, even while they are working. One spot that did stand out in Athens, 
near our hotel was Restaurant Kalypso. The food was above average and the waiter even assisted us with 
our Greek language lessons. We returned there while waiting for our flight home.

Tipping: This isn�t as big of a deal that it is in the states. Workers are working for what is called a �living 
wage�, don�t ask me to explain a living wage, I am restaurant reviewer not workers rights lawyer, however 
you won�t get the typical service that you�d expect from the waiters, it�s not bad, it�s �are you ready to 
order� your food is brought and you might not see your server again, at least until you flag them down/ 
and I did a lot of flagging down. My suggestion is 10 to 12 % tip. Taxi Cab drivers same thing, a couple of 
euro are sufficient. As with any trip leaving the chambermaid and if you are on a tour, a tip is suggested.

Sightseeing: The first day is full of sight seeing, visit the Acropolis, Zeus Statue, Temple of Poseidon, and 
the Stadium, an afternoon at the beach in Athens is also a pleasant way to end your day in Athens, a 
day in Athens? Yes, ! I found Athens to be hot, congested and plain dirty. If you want to see the ruins, 
I took a boat trip to the Island of Delos. There is a small admission charge once you get there, but you 
will get a sense of the history of Greece. One of the highlights of the trip was our seven-mile hike on 
The Santorini; we started at Fira and ended our walk in OIA, beautiful walk looking the cliffs and sights 
of the Volcano�s and the Aegean Sea. Two other musts while we are on Mykonos we took a small boat 
along the shore and you have your choice of five beaches, a beach for everyone, a party beach, a topless 
beach, we opted for Elia, plenty of sand and chairs to enjoy a relaxing day sun bathing. Santoroni has 
been voted top ten sunsets in the entire world. We took the Sunset Cruise that was quite relaxing and is a 
must; another bonus is the boat stop briefly at one of the volcanic hot springs, hot? No, but quite warm. 

Is Greece Safe? : Yes!! On our first day on our vacation we stayed just a few miles from downtown, it 
wasn�t till we went to downtown did we see any police presence, you are more likely to be hit by a scooter 
then witness any crime that goes for the Islands of Santorini and Mykonos as well.. In fact on the Islands 
we noticed no police at all, I mean none. I was surprised by the text messages and facebook postings 
asking me if I was OK? Just like Los Angeles, some areas are better then others, if you are looking for a 
demonstration I am sure if you wait long enough you can find one.

Opa!! Pack your bags save your money and head to the Islands of Greece. The locals are waiting for you 
with open arms and a glass of Ouzo.

 Opa! If you�re in the mood for fabulous homemade Greek food you�ll love the atmosphere at the 
56th Annual Pasadena Greek Fest at Santa Anita Park on September 19, 20 and 21, 2014. Enjoy award 
winning dance group performances and live Greek music at Southern California�s preeminent Greek 
Festival. Come celebrate�eat�live �all things Greek�.

 

Pasadena GreekFest hours are from 5 p.m. to 1:00 a.m. on Friday, September 19, 2014; noon to 1:00 a.m. 
on Saturday, September 20, 2014; and noon to 10 p.m. on Sunday, September 21, 2014 at Santa Anita 
Park located at 285 W. Huntington Drive Arcadia The event is priced at $5 for adults and children under 
12 years are free. Parking is $4 per car at the main entrance of Holly and Huntington Drive at Santa 
Anita Park. 

Proceeds benefit educational, spiritual and community outreach programs supported by Saint Anthony 
Greek Orthodox Church.

For ticket information or to obtain additional information regarding the event, call 626-600-1672 or 
visit the official website of the festival at www.pasadenagreekfest.org.

There is more!! Please listen to my radio show at it�s new time Sunday Morning at 10:30 AM KLAA 830 AM 
or email me at thechefknows@yahoo.com

Apple and 

Butternut Squash 
Risotto 

TABLE FOR TWO by Peter Dills

thechefknows@yahoo.com

INGREDIENTS

1/2 butternut squash, peeled, seeded and cut into 1/2-inch dice (about 2 cups)

1 small Granny Smith apple, peeled and diced

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 teaspoons kosher salt

1 teaspoon ground black pepper

2 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth

1 medium onion, diced

1 cup Arborio rice

1/2 cup dry white wine

2 sage leaves, finely chopped

3/4 cup grated Parmesan

DIRECTIONS

1. Heat oven to 400 degrees F. Place the squash and apples on a baking sheet and toss with 
1 tbsp olive oil, 1 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp pepper. Roast until very tender, tossing once, 25 to 30 
min.

2. Meanwhile, heat broth with 21/2 cups water in a small covered saucepan and leave it on 
low heat.

3. In a medium saucepan add 1 tbsp olive oil and saute onions on medium-low heat until 
the onions are translucent but not browned, about 3 min.

4. Add rice and stir to coat the grains with oil. Add wine and cook until evaporated, 2 min. 
Add 11/2 cups broth to the rice plus 1 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp pepper. Continue stirring until 
the broth is absorbed, about 5 min.

5. Continue to add broth, 11/2 cups at a time, stirring every few minutes. Each time, cook 
until the mixture seems a little dry, then add more. Continue until the rice is cooked 
through, but still al dente, about 15 min total.

6. Remove from heat and add sage, squash and apples. Stir in Parmesan. Serves 6

Tip

Butternut squash and apples lend a delicious sweetness to this classic dish. For more budget 
meal ideas, go to Recipe.com.; 


GALE KOHL & FRIENDS DO TOMATOES!

At the Arboretum, 301 North Baldwin Ave., Arcadia, CA 91007

Wednesday, September 17, 3-5pm

$50 Arboretum members; $60 non-members (includes garden admission)

Reservations Required: please call the Class Reservation Line at 626.821.4623

 

Summer means heat�vacation�heat�watermelons�camp�AND TOMATOES!!! Just outside 
of the Oak Room where the Fresh Cooking classes are held is a garden filled with all varieties 
of tomato plants to celebrate the season. These tomato plants were all generously donated 
by Gary Jones of Armstrong Garden Centers so do watch their growth progress as you walk by!

 

However, NO picking please as those wonderful fruits (yes�tomatoes are a fruit!) plus a 
few others will be the main ingredient in a delectable and fun class by Gale Kohl (of Gale�s 
Restaurant) and Her Friends in September that focuses on �all things tomato. � How about 
tomato sorbet?

 

Gale�s Restaurant is consistently voted one of the very best and most popular establishments 
in the greater San Gabriel Valley! 

Gale�s Restaurant: 452 S. Fair Oaks Blvd., Pasadena, CA 91105; 626-432-6705; www.
galesrestaurant.com 

Mountain Views News 80 W Sierra Madre Blvd. No. 327 Sierra Madre, Ca. 91024 Office: 626.355.2737 Fax: 626.609.3285 Email: editor@mtnviewsnews.com Website: www.mtnviewsnews.com