Greek food at Pylos & Tapas at Alta

Our first few days of eating were made up of a series of communal tables where we, along with the family, could share in some varied dining and order a number of different dishes. Since we had family in town for the first few days, we were looking for something low-key, fun and some atmosphere. Here are the two places that my brother-in-law booked for us and we had great meals at both.

Definitely worth checking out again, once we've gone through the other 15,000.

Pylos Greek restaurant (www.pylosrestaurant.com)
Busy, fun, Greek restaurant with a lively atmosphere that matches its delivery of food. Good service, good food and good company.

On order for our first dinner out included appetizers:
kolokythakia kai melitzanakia tyganita - crisp, fried zucchini and eggplant rounds served with tzatziki (light, fried slices of eggplant and zucchini, piled up on a single dish. Not too many on the plate, but enough to share as part of a series of apps.)
haloumi sote me stafylia kai tsipouro - thick slices of sautéed haloumi cheese finished with greek grappa and served with grapes (I've always enjoyed haloumi, a mid/firm cheese with a subtle flavour. Fried to a light golden brown on the outside, each bite is a little crunch followed by that classic warm, melty cheese texture.)
ta afrata keftedakia tis dianas - diane’s light-as-air meatballs, pan-fried in olive oil (if I had to chose a meal that was purely made up of meatballs, these would be them. Moist, flavourful and dripping with deliciousness.)
saganaki tou merakli - three greek cheeses meltedin a clay pot (more melted cheese, but this time, more like melted mozzerela)
poikilia - a trio of greece’s three best dipping sauces: tzatziki, the thick, tangy yogurt dip; taramosalata, the robust and
lemony fish roe dip; and melitzanosalata, a luscious eggplant condiment made with char-grilled eggplants and extra-virgin greek olive oil

Entrees:
arni kotsi me meli, gigantes skordalia kai psiti tomata - cretan-honey braised lamb shank served with giant bean and roasted garlic puree and roasted tomato
A soft, succulent, lamb shank, with fall-off-the-bone meat. Like little pockets of flavor bursting in your mouth. The subtle bean and garlic puree is a nice contrast to the rich, flavorful meat and helps cleanse your palate between bites.

Alta restaurant (www.altarestaurant.com)
A great restaurant for large groups to share many little dishes. If the tapas craze is going out of style, you wouldn't know it here as the kitchen delivers a broad assortment of tasty dishes that will satisfy any number of appetites.

Marcona Almonds Lamb Meatballs - spiced butternut squash foam, toasted sesame seeds and lebne
Grilled Japanese Eggplant - scallion gratinee, aleppo pepper & toasted sesame seed
Spinach Salad - dried cherries, toasted pine nuts & red onion, garlic cream
New Style Yellowtail Sashimi - passion fruit lebne, almond vinaigrette, guindilla, mint
Tuna Tartare - hearts of palm, chorizo, macadamia nuts
Crispy Brussels Sprouts - fuji apples, crème fraiche, pistachio nuts (crisply sauteed brussel sprouts in a fresh, blend of flavours.)
Crisp Chicken Wings - Agave glaze, chile spice blend, frisee & celery with Valdeon dressing
Sea Scallops - artichoke puree, yuzu mayonnaise, salmon caviar (plump, juicy scallops, cooked perfectly)
2 Enormous Whole Shrimp - simply grilled with sea salt
Ricotta Parmesan Gnocchi - parsnip lemon puree, Prosecco almond espuma, celery leaves
Skirt Steak with chimichurri - oven roasted Jersey Tomato & shoe string potatoes (medium-rare skirt steak, cooked and sliced, topped with a different take a chimichurri, made up mostly of olive oil and parsley in this case. In Argentina, everyone makes chimichurri differently - some with more chilis, some with none.)