9 September 2022. Iraklio, Crete
In my last post we had just finished up our sprint through the Archaeological Museum of Heraklion. We then dashed across the old town center of Iraklio to a lunch date with Paul and Michael P.’s friends, Ivars and Lisa, at Peskesi. Lisa’s niece, who worked at the restaurant, arranged for our reservation and joined us for drinks.
Ah, Peskesi! I could wax poetic about you all day long, especially if I could do so in the shade of the plane trees and vines that gently cradle your stone courtyard, with a bottle of chilled Cretan wine (or an iced carafe of ρακή) at hand.
Peskesi is a farm-to-table restaurant which serves authentic Cretan food grown on its 30-acre farm in the village of Harasso near Hersonissos (east of Iraklio). There, they organically and biodynamically raise 120 varieties of fruits and vegetables, along with herbs, flowers, olive groves, and beehives.
The restaurant also serves meats and cheeses produced by local small farms. You can taste the commitment and passion of these people in every bite of the meals that they serve.
I grew up on a farm and was involved in organic certification in the past, and the boys raise vegetables and herbs, so we all appreciate what goes into the production of quality food.
Peskesi is quite popular, and reservations are strongly encouraged. It’s also pretty reasonably priced. I treated the entire table, and the bill for appetizers, entrées, wine, and ρακή came to €160 for everyone (tip included). As the euro was trading about 1:1 with the dollar at that time, this was dirt cheap! But while the price may have been cheap, the experience was anything but. And I’m not the only one who feels this way, as the restaurant’s Tripadvisor page shows.
I don’t know that I’d make snails my go-to food on Crete, but I felt obligated to try them seeing as they’ve been a staple here for over 4,000 years. For my entrée, I selected the roast pork with baked squash purée. The meat essentially melted in my mouth. It had been basted with herbed honey during roasting. OMG.
No Greek meal is complete without a final course of ρακή and a light dessert (in this case, a sorbet).
After paying the bill and taking our leave, we headed off to the airport to pick up our rental car and travel to Knossos.
— Να εχεις μια ωραια μερα. —
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