There’s plenty of food and drinks to go around at the South Beach Food & Wine Festival, but we’re here in town to taste what the locals eat. And in South Beach there are many choices for a healthy, extravagant meal that satisfies both the palate and the pocketbook.
So we visited Poseidon Greek Restaurant & Outdoor Lounge. It’s a relative newcomer to Washington Ave and if you love fresh exotic fish, their Branzino is shipped weekly from the saphire-blue Aegean Sea.
Having spent the vast majority of my day bummin’ on the beach, I was somewhat in the mood for squid — stuffed calamari specifically.
And Stephen Brandoni, the head server was happy to explain to me that the stuffing was carefully prepared using a perfect combination of tomato, feta and stone crab harvested from the shores of Biscayne Bay.
Upon entering I was greeted by the enchanting decor that reminded me of the magical blue waters and the white-washed architecture that line the cliff tops of Santorini Island — you know the decor is perfect when it invokes pleasant memories of faraway European excursions.
“We serve everything fresh and authentic here, proclaimed Stephen. “From the bread drizzled with Kalamata EVOO to the thick, tangy Greek yogurt.” Stephen’s loud, commanding voice could be heard above the din of the mellow, relaxing music that soothed your mind, whether you were out casually with friends or on a romantic date.
And the squid was both tender and succulent — the feta and tomatoes offered a nice combination of zest and palate-soothing-flavors.
Chef/Owner Demetrios Pyliotis (along with his brother Vasilis) each day painstakingly gathers ingredients to bring tourists and Floridians a fresh taste from his homeland.
For dessert, Demetrios brought out his signature Baklava served with Greek yogurt — a perfect combination of heavy & sweet with soft & tangy.
Perfectly Prepared and Amazingly Delicious…
“It’s all Teamwork at Poseidon,” said Stephen. If the Miami Heat doesn’t satisfy us this year, Poseidon, the God of the Seas surely will save us.”
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