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In a minor setback for nouvelle Greek but a major boon for budget gourmets and Upper West Side fussbudgets, Psilakis converted Onera (Greek for “dreams”) into Kefi (something like unbridled, plate-smashing bliss), dispensing with the tablecloths and raw fish and turning his attention to the more traditional, rustic fare he grew up with in his parents’ house on Long Island. Kefi’s menu might read a bit garden-variety Greek, with the requisite Feta and lamb, moussaka and spanakopita, but the food doesn’t taste that way. Even in the depths of winter, Kefi distinguishes itself with vibrant, vivid flavors that wake up hibernating taste buds. Take, for instance, the warm Feta meze. Riddled with capers and olives and crowned with a couple of briny anchovies, it’s not a dish for anyone on a low-sodium diet, but the bracing salinity is balanced by the creamy cheese and buttery olive oil, all swiped up with triangles of grilled pita. Grilled octopus, that Greek taverna staple, is firm but not rubbery and nearly upstaged by its garnish of black-eyed peas, chickpeas, and an herb salad that has no right to taste that fresh in February. Crispy cod was another winner, the tender pieces of delicately fried fish huddled on a mound of vinegary skordalia, Greece’s high-octane-garlic gift to the world of mashed potatoes.

  — Rob Patronite and Robin Raisfeld

Note

As good as the pastas and main courses are, it’s fun to make a meal out of several meze and sample the ouzo selection along the way.

Ideal Meal

R.P.: Spreads to share, meatball soup, pasta with braised rabbit, or pork souvlaki. R.R.: Warm Feta, crispy cod, walnut cake with walnut ice cream.

Related Stories

New York Magazine Reviews

• Robin Raisfeld and Rob Patronite's Full Review (3/5/07)

Best of New York Awards

• Best Meatballs (2007)

Featured In

• Where to Eat 2008 (1/7/08)
• New York's Best Cheap Eats 2007 (7/30/07)