Catching a bargain Greek seafood lunch in midtown Manhattan

Each table at Estiatorio Milos, a Greek seafood restaurant in midtown Manhattan, has a bottle of extra-virgin olive oil and a miniature oregano plant. At lunch on Monday, a server poured olive oil into a dish, snipped leaves from the plant into it and whisked both away.

By VICTOR E. SASSON

EDITOR

Estiatorio Milos is one of Manhattan's best restaurants, especially if you love fresh seafood.

And until Aug. 16, you can enjoy a three-course weekday lunch for only $25 during the semi-annual Restaurant Week promotion.

On Monday, the limited fixed-price menu offered 2 grilled Canadian scallops as an appetizer, but I had my heart set on fresh fish as an entree.

So, I ordered the Mediterranean Meze Plate with tasty taramosalata, hummus, tzatziki, Greek olives, sliced radish and the world's smallest spinach pie. 
 

Mediterranean Meze Plate.

A fresh whole Loup de Mer from the island of Kephalonia with steamed crown broccoli.

My entree swam a long way from Greece, but landed on my plate butterflied, grilled and dressed in a simple emulsion of extra-virgin olive oil, lemon juice and oregano. Delicious.

I ended the meal with fresh fruit, including a slice of perfectly ripe cantaloupe.

The $25 lunch represents a savings of $15 or $20, compared to ordering a la carte.

I got even a better deal by registering the American Express card I used to pay for the meal, and will receive a $5 statement credit each time I eat at a restaurant taking part in the semi-annual promotion.

Fresh Fruit of the Season, with a gloriously sweet slice of cantaloup.

The bread served is nothing special -- I ate just the crust -- but excellent Greek extra-virgin olive oil and fresh oregano make you forget that.

After my meal, I looked over the well-iced fresh fish and other seafood on a display in the dining room, marveling at sea scallops with their roe.

Live sea scallops in their shells were being offered for $14 each.  

Fresh whole fish was available, starting at around $45 a pound.

The New York City Restaurant Week promotion began in 1992 at lunch only (3 courses for $19.92, plus tax and tip).

Each year, the price for lunch went up one cent. In  2010, the price jumped to $24.07.

This year's increase to $25 makes it easier to figure the tip: 15% is $3.75 and 20% is $5.

On the fresh-seafood display, a delicacy I have never seen: Sea scallops with their roe. The restaurant says they are perfect when grilled in the open kitchen.

Tables near the bar. The fresh-seafood display is at the rear.

The restaurant is on West 55th Street, near Sixth Avenue.

Estiatorio Milos, 125 W. 55th St., near Sixth Avenue, Manhattan; 212-245-7400.

Web site:  Simply prepared fresh seafood

New York City Restaurant Week offers 3-course lunches and 3-course dinners at hundreds of restaurants through Aug. 16.

Web site: 3 courses for $25 and $38

Avoiding higher produce prices, enjoying a bargain lunch in the city

Image via Wikipedia

Roma tomatoes are grown in hothouses and sold under the Sunset label.

By VICTOR E. SASSON
EDITOR

Field-grown produce in Florida and Mexico has been damaged by cold weather -- leading to shortages and higher prices in New Jersey supermarkets and warehouse stores -- but consumers might find what they need by looking for vegetables grown in greenhouses.

One of the biggest such producers is Mastronardi Produce Ltd. in Canada, the company behind the Sunset brand. It sells hothouse-grown Campari tomatoes, large cucumbers, bell peppers and other items, many from Mexico, and they have been unaffected by the weather.

An employee who gave his name as Al said the supply is steady, but that shortages "in the field" have led to more demand for hothouse-grown products.

I have been under the impression Sunset-brand tomatoes and other produce are herbicide free, but Al said a small amount of herbicide is used and that his produce is close to organic. 

"We can't legally call it organic," he said. The company does sell organic produce, but I haven't seen it in North Jersey.

At Costco in Hackensack this week, I bought 2 pounds of Sunset-brand large Gourmet cucumbers for $3.79 and 2 pounds of Campari, European-style tomatoes for $5.49. Sunset Roma tomatoes were $4.99 for 2 pounds.

Web site: Sunset-brand produce

Fish on ice in Manhattan

Estiatorio Milos, one of those expensive Greek fish houses in Manhattan, has an impressive display of fresh seafood and produce on ice, and charges up to $49 a pound for whole fish. 

But the restaurant also serves a three-course Restaurant Week menu year-round, and its $24.07 lunch attracts a full house of business people and tourists.

My wonderful lunch today started with two plump sea scallops atop orange-section slices in a balsamic reduction. 

My wife had a tomato salad with feta cheese, and my son chose a platter of appetizers, including spinach pie, hummus, taramasalata and strained yogurt with garlic.

My entree was a whole grilled fish -- loup de mer from Greece -- de-boned and served butterflied with extra-virgin olive oil and capers. 

The fish was moist, but needed fresh lemon juice, so we asked for lemon edges. The side dish was broccoli. My wife had the same. 

My son ordered a single, thick lamb chop (cooked medium) with french fries, broccoli and cauliflower.

Dessert was either honey cake with ice cream or fresh fruit. I chose the fruit. We were served toasted bread and olive oil during the meal.

The interior of the ground-floor dining room is industrial -- mostly unadorned concrete, painted walls and ducts, and the "wine cellar" is on the second floor.

Estiatorio Milos, 125 W. 55th St., Manhattan, 1-212-245-7400.