By Karen Talbot 

Yefsi Estiatorio, 219 Main Street, Eastchester, NY  914-779-8988

May 11, 2016:  Yefsi Estiatorio is a recent and welcome addition to our area, serving Greek and Mediterranean cuisine from an extensive menu that goes well beyond the usual fare. The executive chef and owner, Christos Christou, from Cypress, selects high-quality ingredients mostly imported from Greece. He also runs a sister restaurant in New York City on York Avenue in the East 70s.

Warm pita bread and a tasty hummus of chick peas, garlic, dill, and olive oil were a good introduction to our meal. A must-try appetizer was the “Yefsi Chips”--zucchini and eggplant slices lightly battered and fried almost tempura-style and served with tzatziki sauce.

Other goodies were kolokithokeftedes (zucchini croquettes with feta and kefalograviera cheese with fresh herbs on a bed of caper and yogurt sauce) and garides me fasolia (sauteed shrimp and gigandes beans in a tomato sauce topped with feta cheese). Both were very tasty and flavorful, and so was a pristine version of the grilled baby octopus salad with capers, red peppers, and onions in a red wine vinaigrette, which my husband said was probably the best grilled octopus that he had ever eaten. The appetizers are priced from $9.00 to $18.00.

Our kyria piata (main courses) included a braised lamb shank (arni youvetsi) over lazanaki noodles in a cinnamon tomato sauce, topped with aged Greek cheese, which unfortunately was overwhelmed by too many noodles. But the bifteki (Greek certified Angus beef patties with onions, kefalograviera cheese, and Greek fries) was outstanding. The tzatziki sauce was as good as it gets, made with rich Greek yogurt and lots of dill. We enjoyed glasses of Rapsani, a medium-bodied Greek red wine, with our meal at $11.00 a glass. Main courses range from $19.00 to $35.00

Further dining options were recently added: Brunch is served on Saturdays and Sundays from noon to 3:00 pm with first courses, salads, sandwiches, and mains. A prix fixe dinner is served on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays from 4:00 to 6:00 pm for $29.00 and includes a first and main course and dessert.

We suggest that you don’t skip on the delicious desserts. We enjoyed a tasting of baklava (crispy phyllo dough with crushed walnuts and honey); karidopita, a honey walnut cake (galatoboureko, phyllo dough with custard and honey); scrumptious doughnut holes dipped in honey and Greek yogurt, topped with walnuts, sour cherries, and honey.  

With dessert we enjoyed Commandaria, St. John, a port from Cypress with the distinction of being the world’s oldest named wine still in production, with aromas of dried fruit, oak, and caramel.

Michael Savides, the charming manager, was attentive and professional. Yefsi is very attractive, with green walls, brown leather banquettes, lots of dark wood, a tiled floor, and soft lighting. The waiters are friendly and knowledgeable, and the service is efficient. 

A year ago, Chef Christos was the only Greek chef chosen to cook at the White House for President Obama and 400 guests for Greek Independence Day. 

Pictured here:  Interior of Yefsi Estiatorio.

Photo by Karen Talbot