Goldfish

Our first eagerly awaited meal of the trip was in a taverna/ouzeri on Mitsotaki Street in Heraklion. When I say it’s on this street the kitchen is but the seating area is across the busiest roads in Crete – Sofokli Venizelou. The waiters dance in and out of the traffic with the plates over to the tables along the sea wall. But don’t let this health and safety at work performance put you off from going as it is a great place for a traditional Greek meze.

I don’t have a name unfortunately but it is the last eatery on the corner. If you are a foreigner (xeno) you will get the tourist menu which is the ubiquitous plastic flick book with garish pictures of food. However if you are Greek the waiter will bring your own order to fill in. A tick box list of about 40 different dishes ranging from melenzanasalata (pureed aubergine and garlic dip), sagnaki a deep fried cheese. Meat and fish (psari) dishes can also be ordered. J was craving some calcium for the baby so we ordered deep fried whitebait and these what can only be described as goldfish!

We are still looking through the reference books trying to work out what they were.