Estia

Estia
1405 Locust St, Philadelphia, PA 19102 (215) 735-7700

Estia, nestled in the prominent Philadelphia Theater District gives us a taste of the Greek Islands in the heart of Philadelphia. The restaurant features gorgeous architecture which starts with an impressive awning featuring the restaurant with theateresque incandescent lighting.

Large unscreened windows open to the street allowing al fresco and interior diners to converse with ease. It also underscores the openness of the traditional Greek home creating a warm, welcoming ambiance.

Inside, large whitewashed walls with exposed wooden beams coupled with tiled limestone vaulted ceilings make for a beautiful cornucopia of pleasing designs.  Truly, whoever did the interior designing for this restaurant deserves a raise, or at least a write up in several prominent interior decor magazines. Even before the feast that was called dinner started, my eyes had a visual feast of color, texture, lines, and space.

Here, a close up of some intricate wooden frames hanging from the exposed wood beams against the white washed wall great a pleasing ambiance true to the traditional Greek home.

And let us not forget the bar.  Beautiful hanging tapestries drape the ceiling in texture and pleasing lines.  The gorgeous hand carved wooden column on the bar with the stained molding around the bar cabinets with matching wooden chairs would make anyone want to stop by for a drink.

Here is where Estia's bread is buttered.  They feature whole fish preparations where the diner may select their own fish from elaborate displays and then watch in the kitchen area as it is prepared.

Directly adjacent to the fish display is the open kitchen area where one may at their own discretion watch food being prepared. The transparency of a kitchen that is not "in the back" is so satisfying that I immediately throw aside my inhibitions and commit to being adventurous with my taste buds this evening.

(above) I decided to start the evening with Yemista Kalamarakia.  Calamari stuffed with a trio of Greek cheeses, grilled served with lemon and extra virgin olive oil on a bed of spinach. This was not a bad choice.  The lemon should be generously squeezed over the calamari however to elicit the best flavor.

(above) The Arugula Salata. Arugula, almonds, cherry tomato, shaved kefalograviera* cheese and sweet balsamic vinaigrette. This was a pleasing way to start the evening with a tasty, sweet balsamic reduction balanced by the cheese and sweetness of the cherry tomato. The arugula added great texture which made it a winner.
*hard table cheese produced traditionally from sheep's milk or mixture of sheep's and goat's milk. Usually salty.

GRILLED SHRIMP: $18. Jumbo shrimp charcoal grilled served with arugula and cherry tomatoes. Not bad, but I thought it should have been served with cocktail sauce so we ended up having to flag down the waitress to bring us some. Minor detail here, but in my humble opinion, it made the shrimp 10x better. Shrimp, lemon, parsley and tomatoes just weren't cutting it.

On a side note, I added a delicious wine pairing to my meal- Sangiovese di Maremma.  Bonizio, Tuscany 2011.  Intense red with violet reflections. Intense and complex, with lots of cherry and earthy aromas. Soft, round palate with flavors of fresh berries and some spices. With its well-rounded acidity and mild tannins.

(above) ARNI PAIDAKIA $38 Lamb chops marinated for three days in olive oil, lemon and fresh herbs served with potato tiganites and tzatziki*.  Probably the best part of this dish was the tzatziki, which was sweet and added an interesting variation to the fries (which normally are dipped in ketchup).
*dish of seasoned, strained yogurt, eaten throughout the former Ottoman countries.

(above) KOTOPOULO $23 Organic chicken roasted served over caramelized onion and yogurt orzo* with a lemon chicken thyme jus. While not disappointing, the chicken did not particularly impress.  The presentation was adequate, but nothing to write home about.  For some reason, I didn't feel there was enough yogurt to subsidize the dryness of the chicken.
*short-cut pasta, shaped like a large grain of rice.

(above) EKMEK Pistachios layered between kataifi filo, custard and whipped cream. Not bad at all.  Then again, any dessert with pistachio is not bad at all. Traditionally, ekmek is a mouthwatering Greek dessert made with layers of kataifi dough baked until crispy and golden, bathed in lemon scented syrup, topped with creamy thick custard and whipped cream and garnished with cinnamon and pistachios.

(above) GALACTOBOURICO Semolina custard wrapped in filo with orange, lemon zest syrup.  I honestly never do this, but I ordered this dessert based on the name.  Anything called GLACTO-BOUR-ICO is something you should definitely order.  And a good choice it was. Galaktobureko is a Greek dessert of semolina-based custard in phyllo. It may be made in a pan, with phyllo layered on top and underneath, or rolled into individual servings. It is served or coated with a clear, sweet syrup.

I would be remiss if I failed to include the unbelievable basement banquet facilities in the basement. Here is the foyer opening into the basement area.

And below is the view to the left of the foyer.  A cozy circular bar opens on the side of one of the banquet halls.

I was able to peak inside one of the banquet facilities which featured gorgeously decorated wood paneling and elaborate place settings. Beautiful chandeliers add just the right ambiance to an already well thought out banquet setting.

(above) a close up of the plating settings inside the main banquet hall.

Gorgeous chandelier detail.

Absolutely the most gorgeous banquet room in the house with seats for 14. Located inside the wine cellar, this room is sure to impress for any commencement dinner, graduation party, business dinner, rehearsal dinner, pre-prom dinner, birthday celebration, retirement banquet.  The room is so absolutely awesome, I'm featuring it again from a different angle below.

Of course, this review would not be complete without commenting on the bathrooms.

Bathrooms are elegant and classy.  Loved the elevated sinks with basins.  Pretty much every feature of this restaurant in interior design had been attended to with great detail. Polished facets and untainted mirrors marked the bathrooms as a step above the rest.

We may be splitting hairs but the one blemish I could find was the used paper towels found around/on the bathroom trashcan.  Otherwise, a perfect evening in lavish surroundings made all the better by good friends and good food and good drinks.