Thalassa

[CathyL]

Liza & I had an excellent dinner here last night. The owners are the world’s largest importers of Greek foodstuffs, and have pristine fish flown in daily. Preparations are simple and the quality is stunning.

With our drinks came a plate of spanakopita: shatteringly crisp filo, tender spinach, nuggets of cheese.

We split two starters. Grilled “sushi quality” octopus, tenderized in a (dedicated) washing machine, was sliced in thick disks, nicely charred, dressed with lemon, olive oil and capers. Whole calamari were stuffed with cheese and tomato, then grilled; the plate held three of them, each striped with vertical grill marks and capped with its own tentacles – a clever but unfussy presentation. Both apps were superb.

There is a handful of ‘composed’ main dishes (including a few non-fish items), but the menu focuses on grilled whole fish, priced by the pound (a la Milos, where the chef worked previously). Our St. Pierre arrived split and boned, and was divided between us; we asked for the head also (a first, said our server). The fish was perfectly cooked and tasted just-caught, its snowy flesh accented by the crisp-charred skin. Gorgeous.

We expressed interest in cheese and asked the server to select three of his favorites: a standout feta, an excellent kasseri, and a third whose name I didn’t catch that was slightly crystalline in texture like a Parmesan. After learning we were neighborhood folk, the chef sent a complimentary plate of galaktobouriko: lemon custard, not too rich or sweet, sandwiched in layers of filo.

I know nothing of Greek wines but the two we sampled by the glass were very good: one reminded me of Pinot Grigio, the other of Gruner Veltliner.

The place itself is lovely. Blond wood, high ceilings, red brick, subtle lighting, sinuous white marble bar, and a splendid display of whole fish and shellfish on ice. Tables are well-spaced. Our young server was so knowledgeable and attentive I didn’t even notice his studded tongue. Liza did.

Appetizers are priced around $12 - $14. Whole fish prices per pound are in the $24 - $28 range. Thalassa is at 179 Franklin between Greenwich and Hudson.

[macrosan]

Our St. Pierre arrived split and boned, and was divided between us; we asked for the head also (a first, said our server).  The fish was perfectly cooked and tasted just-caught, its snowy flesh accented by the crisp-charred skin.

Cathy, is that St Peter's Fish, as in Sea of Galilee/Lake Tiberias St Peter's Fish ? The description sounds like it, but I've never heard of it as "St Pierre" before. And I understood that it was only found in Lake Tiberias, so I'm surprized to hear of it in a Greek restaurant

Sounds like a great place. Whenever I've been to a Greek restaurant, I've always ordered only meze for the complete meal, because I've always been disappointed at their main dishes, and especially meat. For some reason, I've never eaten fish at a Greek resto. Must try it.

[Suzanne F]

Thanks for the heads-up. Isn't that the space that was the legend-before-its-time, that was supposed to become a Cajun restaurant back around 1996-97, backed by some big rock star? Well, it's probably pretty clean at any rate (Ecolab is on the same block, no?)

[CathyL]

Cathy, is that St Peter's Fish, as in Sea of Galilee/Lake Tiberias St Peter's Fish ? The description sounds like it, but I've never heard of it as "St Pierre" before. And I understood that it was only found in Lake Tiberias, so I'm surprized to hear of it in a Greek restaurant 

Sounds like a great place. Whenever I've been to a Greek restaurant, I've always ordered only meze for the complete meal, because I've always been disappointed at their main dishes, and especially meat. For some reason, I've never eaten fish at a Greek resto. Must try it.

St. Pierre = John Dory, Macrosan. Does that help? The meat is firm and mild in flavor.

Suzanne, I know the space has been vacant for a while...not sure what previous plans might have fallen through.

[macrosan]

Isn't that interesting !!! The two fish are indeed the same. John Dory is found mainly around Australia/New Zealand, but also the Mediterranean and Indian Ocean, and is considered a game fish. The same fish found in Lake Tiberias is called St Peter's Fish for obvious biblical reasons.

Amazing what you can learn

[Liza]

I was floored by the calamari appetizer. Had never considered stuffing cheese into it's capacious bottom, but will attempt now. Our server blossomed with our interest and seemed genuinely pleased with our interest and pleasure.

For interested parties, interested in parties, there is a lovely large private room downstairs.

If only we could remember the wines! I recall we really enjoyed the Gruner-like one that was third on the list of wines by the glass, if that's any help.

Location-wise - across the street from Tribakery.

[Suzanne F]

We just got back from a terrific dinner at Thalassa. A good-looking place -- I especially like the Aegean feel to the lighting, "sails," and handrails, and the alabaster downstairs. Service was very, very good. Our waitress was very knowledgeable, and when she was unsure of something, she was honest ("We've just changed some of the wine list, and I haven't had all my training yet.") Since it was only about 1/3 full, I couldn't tell about the noise level; but the music was not intrusive.

Shortly after we sat down, I noticed a woman -- obviously a manager-type -- who looked very familiar. It was Mina Newman, formerly the executive chef at Layla (after Joey Fortunato), and Laight Street (originally City Wine and Cigar Bar), among others. She is the GM at Thalassa, and says the owners and staff are just great to work with. Such a small world!

The grilled octopus was one of the best we've ever had -- and that's one dish we use to test a restaurant. It was perfect to split; in fact, the large portion would have been just too much for one person in both quantity and ultimately in acidity. But the octopus was extremely tender, and the grilled flavor was right on the money.

We shared a pair of grilled langustines -- very simply done with oil, dill, and parsley. Sweet, tender, juicy. But at $36 per pound, I was glad we only had about 1/4 #.

Too many apps were calling to us: we also shared the Bakalao: three strips of reconstituted salt cod, very lightly breaded and fried, served over a mound of "almond purée" (skordalia including ground almonds) and lightly dressed, thinly sliced cooked (roasted?) beets. Also excellent. And the skordalia was pretty damn good on the octopus, too.

For mains, we had the regular menu Arctic Char, grilled and served over a ragout of artichokes and fava beans, and the by-the-pound Royal Dorado, with a side of steamed wild greens (swiss chard, spinach, escarole, and something else, dressed with oil and lemon). The char was on the fatty side, but that meant that it was still very, very moist after grilling, and that the skin was very crisp. The dorado was fresh!! and grilled simply, then split and boned in the kitchen. We could have asked them not to bone it, but we were pretty tired. The busser was very accomodating about wrapping our uneaten vegetables to take home: each went into a separate container, which is much appreciated.

We also had a couple of glasses of red Greek wines, and a couple of whites. I didn't manage to note what they all were, but they were all relatively light in body.

A very enjoyable meal. Definitely a place to give fresh. a challenge.

edited for clarity of reference.

Edited December 20, 2002 by Suzanne F (log)

[anil]

Quite interesting observations about Thalassa The space had been underutilized for sometime; till the owners decided to open a restaurant -- slightly upscale than the rest of the run-of-the-mill greek diners.

About fish - It is indeed fresh and imported daily (some-of-it) from the coasts off Greece and Italy.

More later ....

[Suzanne F]

We went back to Thalassa last night. The food was still wonderful, although the service was a bit strange.

This time for apps we had the scallops wrapped in kataifi, sauced with sheeps-milk butter, lemon, capers, and the grilled quail. The scallops were just barely cooked, and extremely sweet; sauce was tangy and made a great contrast. I wasn't thrilled with the kataifi part -- it seemed a little soggy and greasy to me -- but He Who Only Eats loved it. The quail, four tiny halves, were the ultimate in plainness -- just brushed with olive oil and grilled, served over finely shredded cabbage dressed very lightly with oil and lemon juice, with some roasted red peppers and roasted eggplant puree. They were wonderful: juicy, flavorful, and refreshingly simple.

Part of the bizarre service: AFTER our apps, we were presented with an amuse of fried smelts -- really itty bitty fish, at most 2 inches long head to tail, floured and deep-fried. Yummy, if at a strange point in the meal. Oh, btw: the white peasant-style and dark olive-and-herb breads were both excellent. Mushy but tasty olives alongside.

We shared a main of Nova Scotia lobster yuvetsi: small and large chunks of lobster in a creamy tomato sauce with tiny squares of pasta mixed in. The pasta reminded me of Jewish "farfel" noodles. The sauce tasted more of lobster than of tomato or anything else, but overall the balance was great. The lobster meat itself -- a large chunk of tail, one claw, and lots of smaller bits -- was some of the sweetest we've ever had, and cooked just right. The dish was garnished with a half-lobster shell minus the claw; the meat had been removed from the tail, so we only got to play with four huge swimmerettes and the half of the body that was still in the shell. Messy, messy -- and delicious. (We were given hot wet napkins, nicely presented, with which to clean up afterwards.)

After that, we ordered 2 salads: one of "wild greens" (= mesclun mix) with a sheep's milk cheese, and arugula with a parmesan-type. The sheep cheese was soooooo sweet; unfortunately the dressing was too sharp, too peppery, and too much, overshadowing the cheese. The other salad was fine. Service note: when the runner brought the salads, he also brought . . . another dish of the fried smelts. I guess they're not used to tables ordering salad AFTER the mains.

With all this, we had a bottle of

Tsantalis (winery)

Naousa (appelation)

Epilegmenos ("reserve")

1995

from Halkidiki, made from the xynomavro grape. Very reminiscent of a light pinot noir -- lots of cherry, spice, and it really opened up as the meal went on. Yummy: our highest encomium for wine Later the wine director gave us a taste of another Tsantalis wine from the same grape, different area, different year (1999), that was nowhere near as good.

Dessert: galactabouriko filled with a lemon custard and served with "pergamont" (= bergamot?) sorbet and garnished with a slice of Granny Smith apple and a couple of coulis. A little soggy for me, but the contrast of citrus flavors was excellent. No decaf Greek coffee for HWOE but he really enjoyed the decaf espresso.

A good-size crowd mostly filled the main dining room; a few tables were seated downstairs. The chatter sometimes covered the music, but was never annoyingly loud.

[alacarte]

I've been to Thalassa too, and I highly recommend it as well. Very good, very fresh fish and several Greek cheeses on the menu that I hadn't heard of before. I took a walk downstairs to find the restroom, and lo & behold they have a perfect little wine and cheese cave.

I was sorry that I didn't save room for dessert once I saw the dessert menu -- they have Greek as well as traditional desserts, and they all sounded divine.

The space is lovely too -- extra-high ceilings, spacious rooms upstairs and downstairs, and soft lighting that makes everyone look good.

Overall, I'd advise everyone to hurry to Tribeca for dinner before too many reviewers find the place!

[Robert Nesta Marley]

the new wine director there is very knowledgeable & well-traveled, with great passion for his work. so even if you're completely unfamiliar with greek wine, he's likely to steer you in a direction you're interested in going. just tell him what you usually drink.

yes, everyone should go now. before the hoards.

[jeunefilleparis]

cathy~ is it better than Milos? i was introduced there by my college roomates parents ( thank god i wasnt paying) and now love it! I know that they fly their fish in daily too,,,,, how does it compare?

[anil]

.... is it better than Milos?....

It is a toss-up [Factors other than food will arbitrate personal preferences....] Milos can be off-ish to many because; they do not not handle stress on hectic days with a

Edited April 2, 2003 by anil (log)

[Suzanne F]

We went again last night with HWOE's sister and brother-in-law (the wine-and-food lover). The food was the best ever, and the service issues seem to have been worked out. No amuse this time, but we did not go hungry.

We started with 4 apps, 2 on the menu and 2 specials:

- Zucchini blossoms stuffed with crabmeat: that's all they were, and they were exquisite, pure and clean;

- Octopus: still as tender as described above, with a delicious char;

- Sepia (cuttlefish), a special: also very simply prepared, a bit chewy but not tough;

- Sweetbreads: floured and sauteed, with a lemon butter-caper sauce; wow.

With that we had glasses of a white Santorini (I did not keep the wine notes, sorry) that was every so slightly raisin-y -- more complex than I usually think of Greek wine, and very good with the food.

For mains, we shared one fish and a main-course size order of softshells. The crabs were floured and sauteed, with a lemony sauce: very good, but not yet great. The fish, though, was spectacular in its simplicity: Lethrini (a new one to me) that was meaty and sweet, and needed nothing beyond their usual preparation of grilling and sprinkling with olive oil and a little parsley. (I forgot to ask for the head, but I think my sister-in-law might have freaked out if I had.) The fish was just under 3 pounds, and came to 3 very large portions.

We also had a special of grilled asparagus that was better than any I've ever had to make: the spears were big and fat, and so could sit on the grill long enough to really pick up the smokiness. The sauteed greens were good as always, but paled by comparison.

One of the highlights of the meal was . . . the butter! Made from sheep's-milk cream. I could have made a meal just on the bread and butter. Mmmmmmmmmm.

Wine with our mains was a Premus Zitsa: very light by comparison to the Santorini, but a good enough match with the food. Dessert wine was a Moscato from Limnos: lightly sweet, not heavy and syrupy, just right.

Dessert: a selection of cheeses (Manouri, Kaseri, and Metzovoni); galactabouriko, which this time came with blood orange sorbet; and crepes filled with chocolate, garnished with hazelnut ice cream and thick slices of green apple. I keep saying I'm not much for sweets, but I could have been happy just having those crepes (along with my bread and sheep-butter).

We never even checked out the special Tribeca Film Festival prix fixe. (That's not bro-in-law's style.) But they might be more than worth it -- the cooking lets the excellent ingredients do the talking.

(Since our table was pretty loud, I couldn't tell what the general noise level was; but the tables are well-spaced.)

[oakapple]

I haven't eaten at Thalassa, but I walked in recently, and the management kindly gave me a tour and walked me through every species of fish on the ice bar. It is a very nicely designed space.

Steve Cuozzo of The New York Post had an article a few weeks ago that took Greek restaurants to task for pricing fish by the pound. Thalassa wasn't mentioned by name, but it clearly was in his sights. His point: most diners want to have some idea what the bill is going to be.

As I understand it, you order the John Dory, they pick out a whole fish, and that's what you get. If it's enough to feed 4 people, and only 2 of you are there, you still get the whole fish, and your bill is the per-pound price times the weight. It's not like ordering a $35 entree and paying $35. You order the fish, roll the dice, and at the end of the evening find out the damage to your credit card. Is that correct?

Incidentally, I believe Thalassa has never had a NYTimes review, or even a Diner's Journal entry, which for a restaurant on this level is a significant omission.

[kurl]

They definitely have not (thanks Lexis-Nexis!), though they have been mentioned off-handedly in articles about fresh fish and Halvah.

[Suzanne F]

The waiter does tell you the approximate weight of each type of fish, and the price-per-pound is listed in the menu. So it's not a total shock unless you're 1) not listening, 2) illiterate, and 3) math-deficient.

Although it is very easy to get carried away by the look of a selection and not pay attention to all the danger signs

In spite of not having been reviewed, they were mostly full last night.

[Stone]

I had a very mediocre meal at Thalassa a few weeks ago. It was a dinner party for about 15 people with a set menu. The grilled shrimp appetizer was terrific. Huge, tasty and well cooked shrimp. The zucchini blossoms stuffed with crab were somewhat of a disappointment because they were just crab cakes. Apparently the kitchen ran out of zucchini blossoms.

I made the mistake of ordering the rib eye steak. It was thin, overcooked and dry. The fish choice didn't fare much better.

However, my friends who live nearby tell me the place is usually great.

[jeunefilleparis]

I m going to Thalassa next friday and of course I checked out their desserts right away,,,,,,,

can someone tell me what this is?

<<Lemon Custard Wrapped in Fillo with Pergamont Sorbet>>

thanks

lauren

[Suzanne F]

It was actually bergamot (the citrus fruit used to flavor Earl Grey tea). But when we had the Galactabouriko on Monday, the sorbet that came with it was Blood Orange instead. Much better, to my palate.

[juuceman]

We never even checked out the special Tribeca Film Festival prix fixe. (That's not bro-in-law's style.) But they might be more than worth it -- the cooking lets the excellent ingredients do the talking.

funny you mention this.. went to tribeca film monday night and my date wanted to hit one of the price fixes.. we couldn't get into afrazan, which i'm dying to try after having some of their stuff at the Spanish Embassy's City Harvest benefit, so we hit Thalassa Monday night and had the price fixe..

the food was wonderful.. we started with salads of baby spinach with blue cheese and sliced lamb.. she had some sort of grilled white fish over garlicky mashed potatoes/fish roe.. i had the plain grilled john dory.. it was amazing.. desserts were a molten chocolate cake and some sort of greek/cream/honey dessert, which was fine..

my problems were with the service.. and there were a few.. we had an open table reservation and received the obviously worst table in the restaurant, literally right next to the waiter's closet.. the way they arranged the table and the seats around it, with my date in the prime seat, i had the option of facing the curtain and the corner of the restaurant or sitting directly in the path of the waitstaff.. they couldn't have possibly designed the seating to be any more demeaning or uncomfortable if they had tried.. given my company, i really couldn't have cared less..

we were completely abandoned once we indicated we would be ordering from the price fixe menu.. drinks we ordered pre-menus being delivered weren't delivered until well after our order was placed and we had asked for them.. like the waiter never coming back to discuss anything.. to bring us any of our food.. to ask whether anything was ok.. like having to flag down a waiter so we could order espressos, which were suprisingly good.. like having to get the manager involved to get the check so we could make it out of the place in time to make our movie, which we'd indicated to the waiter upon sitting..

basically the waiter sucked.. schmuck that i am, i still gave him 20%.. i suck..

but still.. for a hundred twenty bucks, couple cocktails, couple glasses of wine, couple espressos, all in with tax and tip, considering the room and the quality of the food, i'll be back and order the amazing fish..

that waiter really would have really pissed me off though, if i wasn't so enchanted with my company..

[Suzanne F]

OMG, juuceman: we were that loud 4-top a couple of tables down from you! (Two couples "of a certain age.") You couldn't have gone to Azafran on Monday anyway: they're closed Mondays. (That had actually been our first choice to take sis- and bro-in-law.)

We've had that table you got. Feh. Waiters bumping past all evening without stopping. But don't blame Open Table (you still got your 1000 points, anyway, right?). And don't hate me if we had better service (not entirely, though -- we also had the disappearing drink routine) -- they know I know the GM.

But yeah, isn't the fish great?

[juuceman]

But yeah, isn't the fish great?

it's the reason i'd go back and deal with the service glitches..

[oakapple]

Thalassa (179 Franklin, between Greenwich & Hudson) is a Greek seafood restaurant. The Hellenic influence is on display everywhere, but with fish imported daily from all over the Mediterranean, you can think of Thalassa as simply a very fine seafood restaurant.

Thalassa means "the sea" in Greek. The letter theta is everywhere, from the china, to the banner outside, to even the doggie bags. The design radiates cool blues, making Thalassa a most soothing place. Billowing fabric covers the exposed brick walls. Perhaps it is meant to suggest sailing ships, but it also absorbs the sound, making Thalassa a place of calm, even when it is full.

Our party of 3 shared a starter of calamari. We're all used to strings of calamari, breaded and immersed in the deep fryer. This dish was totally unexpected. The calamari was wrapped in the shape of a sausage around stuffing of feta cheese, parsley and pine nuts. We were simply amazed.

Thalassa's menu offers a number of standard entrées, as well as a whole page of fish by the pound, which varies depending on what's available. The restaurant recommends one pound of fish per person, but you have to order a whole fish, and not every selection is available at every weight. You're dependent on your server to explain all this, and our server had a bit of trouble getting it across. In the end, my friend and I settled for a two-pound sea bass, which we shared. A pound of fish sounds like a lot, but remember this is the uncooked weight. After the head is removed and the fish de-boned, this turns out to be just the right portion size. It was a nice flakey fish with a rich taste. The fish-by-the-pound selections don't come with anything else, so we ordered a side of asparagus to go along with it.

My mother chose one of the standard entrées, Snapper Spetsiota, which is described as "oven-baked in a clay vessel with tomatoes, onions, fresh oregano and white wine." This turned out to be a very large portion, which she enjoyed immensely, but she had half of it wrapped up to take home for tonight's supper.

Thalassa boasts a long and varied wine list. We settled on a modestly-priced but obscure cabernet, which was such a hit that we asked the staff to give us the label, so that we can buy ourselves some more. (Yes, I know: red wine with fish ... do forgive us!)

We passed on dessert, but at the end of the meal we were each presented with a silver box with the familiar letter theta printed on it. Inside was a sugary pastry puff to send us on our way. All evening long, service was superlative. The New York Times hasn't reviewed Thalassa, but based on a consensus of other media reviews and my own experience, I would award two stars.

Appetizers at Thalassa are $8-18, mains are $24-36. The market fish selections available last night were at $26-45 per pound, with most in the $26-32 range.

Edited June 13, 2004 by oakapple (log)

[Suzanne F]

How nice that others are finally discovering Thalassa. It's one of my neighborhood favorites, as you see on the thread tommy linked to.

It's a pity you didn't have dessert: their take on galactoboureka is one of the best!