Next was a tour through the art gallery, where Alexandra showed me a painting by a Syrian Muslim artist named Jamal who is the artist-in-residence for the Emir of Qatar. When America’s Test Kitchen sampled Greek, French, and American varieties, both plain and cooked with shrimp and tomatoes, the Greek fetas won hands down due to their “funky, grassy, barnyard” flavor. The tanginess, saltiness, and texture can vary from country to country. Feta is also made in France, Denmark, Bulgaria, and the United States and is sometimes made with cow milk or only sheep milk. She showed me the refrigerator filled to the brim with Epiros-brand feta and said traditional Greek feta should always be made with a combination of sheep and goat milk. I met Alexandra Sofis, who works in the specialty food business and procures most of the Greek products available at the church shop. What was most impressive was the fact that the phyllo dough had remained crisp on such a sweltering, humid day. The spanakopita was exceptionally good, tasting fully of all its ingredients: spinach, dill, and salty feta cheese. All of the food was prepared by church members in the church kitchen. Under the food tent I tried spanakopita, green beans, and salad. The white thyme is somewhat rare and only grows at high altitudes. He was serving a variety of Meligyris honeys from Crete, which had a faint hint of the wild herbs and white thyme grown there. Next was Konstantine Rountos, an active member of the church who teaches the youth dance program. “That’s because she has passion and eats olive oil!” Mentis Estate’s olive oil has been written about in Wine Spectator and Crain’s, which referred to it as “a green diamond.” He showed me a picture of his 81-year-old mother atop a tractor, and I remarked on how young she looks. Anastassios was offering samples over bits of semolina bread sprinkled with sea salt from the same village. It was absolutely delicious, buttery and pale green. The first person I met was a photographer, Anastassios Mentis, who was selling his mother’s extra virgin olive oil from the Laconian village of Neapolis, Greece. Under the tent each table had a blue and white tin can with mint and oregano plants. There was beautiful hand-painted pottery, chamomile and rosemary soaps, and mastic chewing gum. There were plenty of vendors selling T-shirts and jewelry embellished with variations of the “evil eye,” a talisman meant to protect against a malevolent glare believed to bring misfortune or injury. ![]() It was, however, a perfect day to sample the lamb roasting on a spit over hardwood charcoal, seasoned with lemon, garlic, oregano, and salt, the rich pastitsio (macaroni with beef and béchamel sauce), spanakopita (spinach, dill, and feta cheese in crisp phyllo dough), salads, hummus, and divine honey, cinnamon, and walnut pastries galore. Nobody wants to mount a furry animal on a day like that. It was scorchingly hot when I went on Sunday, so hot that Tony the Pony was kept in his cool, shady trailer. Guests visiting this location will find a heavy focus being placed on highlighting organic, biodynamic, sulfate-free, sustainable and natural wines, which includes three signature house labels: Felice Chardonnay, Felice Sangiovese and Felice Rosato.The Hamptons Greek Festival was held last weekend in Southampton at the Greek Orthodox Church of the Hamptons. The extensive Italian-driven wine program at Felice West Palm features a collection of beloved varietals, blends and esoteric grapes that can only be found in Italy, including a large selection of vintages of Super Tuscan and Brunello wines. “By sourcing ingredients locally and from Italy, we’re able to take the best of both destinations and turn that into a fantastic culinary experience.” "Our goal is to transport guests to the rolling hills of Tuscany through our menu,” says Maurizio. Serving authentic Tuscan cuisine, executive chef Roberto Maurizio features signature favorites such as French Toast (homemade brioche, mixed berries, creme Anglaise) and Vegetable Frittata (spinach, tomato) in the morning and Pappardelle Alla Salsiccia (pappardelle pasta, Italian sausage, endive, Porcini mushrooms, Parmigiano-Reggiano), and B ranzino Al Cartoccio (oven roasted Greek branzino, potato, olive, fresh herbs) during lunch and dinner.
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