Heraklion, December 2015 - The new trend in gastronomy, brunch, comes in Heraklion and specifically in the restaurant "Olive & Mint" (elia & diosmos) together with the chef & food blogger, Marilou Pantaki (aka Madame Ginger). On Sunday December 27, our favorite restaurant welcomes Marilou in its kitchen for an original and festive brunch inspired by the traditional flavours of Crete!
Marilou Pantaki was the first chef that brought brunch in Greece five years ago, and made eggs benedict and American pancakes fashionable, mainly in the capital. Now Heraklion is ready to be initiated into the traditions of brunch, mixing traditional and local products into new recipes!
The restaurant "Olive & Mint" was always interested in innovative culinary combinations and embraced new trends, while always using the richness and variety of the Cretan gastronomy.
The menu
Marilou and Argiro Varda, owner and award-winning chef at the restaurant "Olive & Mint", created an authentic menu for a Christmas brunch, based on Cretan materials and Christmas flavors and aromas! Guests will enjoy the elegant setting of the restaurant and will have the opportunity to choose a starter, a main course and a dessert, while the two chefs will bring them ‘surprise’ treats in between!
The cost of the brunch will be around 25 euros per person.
The menu includes:
For all:
- Traditional bread with butter and jam, olive oil and olives (both savory and sweet options to start)
- Soup with pumpkin & sweet potato. Served with baked homemade bread and yoghurt
- Festive salad with seasonal greens, nuts, cretan cheese (graviera), pomegranates and almonds
First course- A choise of:
- Eggs Benedict with homemade bread, English muffin, Cretan sausage (apaki), 2 poached eggs and hollandaise sauce with traditional Cretan staka
- Eggs Benedict with homemade bread, English muffin, stamnagathi (seasonal greens) sautéed, 2 poached eggs and hollandaise sauce with traditional Cretan staka
- Fried eggs with fresh fried potatoes & traditional sausage. Served with toasted bread.
- Fried Stamnagathi with eggs
- Traditional meat pie (olive & mint recipe)
- Snails a la francais: with butter flavored with herbs and garlic.
Second course - A choice of:
- Burger with roasted lamb, mustard, pickles. Served with fresh fried potatoes.
- Porc shank baked in orange juice and aromatic herbs. Served with mushed potatoes.
- Roasted chicken with 'christmas' filling (chestnuts, minced meat, liver) and gravy
- Slowly cooked beef with onions and red wine. Served with celery puree.
Desserts - A choice of:
- Pancakes with fresh Cretan cheese (mizithra) and honey
- Bougatsa (cream-filled pastry)