Kalispera! I’m back from a couple magical weeks in Greece, where I learned all about Greek PDO (protected designation of origin) feta, and tasted it at every meal for about six days. Let’s just say I have an entirely new perspective on one of my favorite cheeses, and I’m on the hunt for any barrel-aged PDO feta we can find! (If you have a shop in the Bay Area—or know one—selling barrel-aged PDO feta from Greece, please drop me a line—I heard Cheese Plus in SF has some!) I’ll be writing more about all things feta soon—and I know a bunch of you were following along at @tablehopper—but in the meantime, you can take a look at some of the dishes our group tried in this Planet Cheese post from Janet Fletcher.
I also spent a week in Athens on my own, touring incredible ruins and museums daily, trying a bunch of souvlaki, seafood, natural wines, Greek yogurt (sheep’s milk, baby!), I fell in love with trahana, and got my daily fill of Greek coffee and frappés. Thanks to everyone who sent recommendations! It was a truly incredible trip—the Greeks were so hospitable and kind, and who knew late March would be so idyllic? Spring had sprung in Athens, and I soaked up every wildflower and all the rays of sunshine. I also returned home with one of my heaviest bags yet. Shout-out to Athena for protecting my suitcase from the beagle at Customs.
Before we dive into today’s catch-up issue, I wanted to be sure you saw this piece that posted just before I left town that I wrote on the women blazing San Francisco’s canna-culinary scene. Yes, it was a fun piece to research. There are some talented women you should know about in that article!
I was also so pleased to be included in George McCalman’s latest “Observed” column, featuring Zuni’s magnificent 40th birthday celebration. Pop!
Big congrats to all the local talent included in the 2019 James Beard Foundation Award nominees! The Awards Gala will take place on Monday May 6th!
Okay, that’s it for announcements, let’s jump in! Marcia Gagliardi
This happened often on #fetatrip. This was after our tour of the A.S. Kalavryton cooperative, enjoying lunch at To Spiti tis Marios in Kalavryta. Photo: © tablehopper.com.View tablehopper Newsletter from Tuesday, Apr 2 2019
