Thalassa

A couple of weeks ago, I enjoyed a complimentary dinner at Thalassa.*  I’ve noticed a lot of promos for Thalassa lately so I was def excited to check it out myself.  I invited Ms. S to come along.  I arrived before she did but was not phased sitting and waiting in Thalassa’s beautiful entrance area.  They had a beautiful blue Christmas tree that matched their wonderful warm and relaxing atmosphere.  I was literally transfixed by the beauty of the restaurant.  It has very high ceilings and feels very grand. 

Eventually Ms. S arrived and we were waltzed off to our table in the main dining room.  From our table, we were overlooking the ground floor area, which looks like it is mainly used for private events.  I would totally host a private event there – I mean seriously the restaurant looks beautiful.  Thankfully the food is also good.

They provided our table with a trio of items for our individually selected pieces of bread.

What you see there is Eggplant Salad, Extra Virgin Olive Oil and Mediterranean olives.   The Eggplant Salad was delightful! It’s rare to have such a substantive accompaniment to the bread.  They also served an amuse bouche.

That Tuna Tartare on cucumber was delicious.  Definitely sushi grade tuna!  We decided to try a few appetizers.  So many things looked good, but the manager told us we must try the Maine Diver Sea Scallops.  It was not originally on our list but we went ahead and ordered it.

I had a hard time finding the scallops in there.  When I finally did I realized they were wrapped in kataifi and not that well seasoned.   The Kalamata balsamic reduction didn’t really do it for me either.  The plate was crowded and there were far too many distractions.  It reminded me of the first episode of Top Chef All Stars where the scallops were disguised. Scallops are rich and delicate creatures – they are not meant to be cooked like this. I was disappointed that we were encouraged to sample a dish that did not hold as much joy as was promised.  Luckily the rest of the dishes were far more satisfying.  By far, my favorite appetizer was the Saganaki.

A beautiful blend of whole shrimp, baby clams and mussels slowly baked in a fresh tomato, feta and robola wine sauce.  The sauce was excellent, shrimp extremely fresh and as Ms. S said, the mussels were like whoa.  This was a great turn around from the scallops, which were easily forgotten.  We moved on to the highly regarded Octapodi.

I’ve never had octopus like this before! Grilled octopus with micro organic greens, olive oil and red wine vinaigrette.  It was delightful and extremely satisfying.  It can be quite filling though so be careful how much you eat!  We needed a bit of a break from our appetizers but eventually we ordered and were served our entrees.  This being a Greek restaurant, especially one whose name means the sea, I couldn’t resist ordering fish. 

I wish it photographed a little better, but the Lavraki – a lean white fish from Greece – was top notch.  The fish was extremely fresh with a light flavor.  I was quite happy with it, although I did encounter a couple of fish bones.  Demerits to the chef in charge of deboning the fish.  Ms. S ordered the Striped Bass and one piece of Langustine.

The bass had great flavor but also a few tiny bones. At times it seemed as though the seasoning was inconsistent because it was much more flavorful and delicious towards the edge.  

The Langustine was slightly overcooked.  I was stuffed to the brim after our entrées, but as most of you know, different receptors control the savory and sweet part of our appetite.  The extravagant dessert menu was a little overwhelming, but we finally settled on two delicious selections.  The Toasted Greek Almond and Walnut Baklava was to die for.

No, seriously. I have NEVER tasted Baklava that was this incredible.  It was sweet but not sugary. WOW – so good.  If for nothing else, you should go to Thalassa and try the Baklava.  While you’re there, you should also try the Galaktobouriko.

This citrus custard layered in filo and drizzled with honey is like crème brulee on steroids.  It reminded me just how powerful dessert can be.  What a great way to end our dining experience.

Thalassa is a beautiful restaurant with an incredible menu.  The seafood tasted amazingly fresh and left a big smile on my face.  The dessert was out of this world.  I definitely recommend dining at Thalassa.  If for some reason you end up dining at another Tribeca restaurant, you should definitely save room for dessert at Thalassa. Oh and if you’re feeling so inclined – you should definitely try the Opera.  Ms. S was singing its praises all night and I definitely agree.

Hungry yet?

* Although this meal was complimentary, that did not at all affect my comments or views towards this dining experience.