When picturing a prototypical Greek restaurant, one imagines souvlaki, gyros and baklava, but upon entering Cavo, horizons are expanded beyond traditional Hellenic cuisine.
The Astoria restaurant, which moonlights as a neighborhood hot spot, creates modern remixes of yiayia’s classic dishes.
To prepare your palate for the wide array of tastes you’ll encounter throughout the course of your meal, a popular starter is a collection of three homemade Mediterranean spreads — hummus, tzatziki and a hearty olive tapenade. The dips are served with pita crisps, providing the spreads with a perfect, crunchy complement.
Cavo features an assortment of appetizers that is sure to satisfy any diner’s tastes. The crab cakes are packed with jumbo lump crab meat and served with a corn and avocado salsa. The refreshing salsa splendidly supplements the zesty crab cake, which is served with a Worcestershire sauce and a balsamic vinegar reduction.
If you’re looking for something out of the ordinary and out of this world, you must try the jumbo shrimp, flash fried in phyllo dough with a squeeze of lemon and a drizzle of honey Dijon mustard. The sultry mix of sweet and briny combine to form an appetizer fitting of a Greek god.
Those interested in traditional Greek appetizers can choose from saganaki, calamari, octopus or feta cheese pizza, among others.
Whether your preference is surf or turf, Cavo can cater to your every craving. The short ribs, braised for four hours, are served over a creamy polenta and topped with a red wine reduction. The slow-cooked, savory short ribs melt in your mouth before you even have time to chew.
The bronzini, a Mediterranean sea bass, is a dish large enough for two, though tasting it will make you reluctant to sacrifice even one bite. The full fish is stuffed with vegetable couscous and baked in a tomato stew with mussels, shallots, capers, olives and cherry tomatoes. Each ingredient is integral in a dish any seafood lover that enters Cavo’s doors must experience.
Cavo fulfills Greek custom by offering an extensive wine list complete with fruity whites and full bodied reds. Your expert server will advise you in the proper wine pairing with each dish. A favorite is Parparoussis Sideritis — a medium body, sweet white from Greece — which perfectly complements most seafood dishes.
If you’re too full to eat another bite, sitting back, relaxing and enjoying an after dinner drink, such as a glass of Cockburns Tawny, is the cherry on top of the cake.
Cavo offers the best of both worlds by whisking patrons away to a Greek isle taverna fused with a chic New York restaurant.
