Vasilikos: A Farm Bistro in the Heart of Northern Greece

The cheeses are made by Nikos Katsamperis in neighboring Kariotissa. Vasilikos is at the heart of a community of quality purveyors, offering meats such as pork from a native breed of pig (the ‘Ellinikos hoiros’ – Greek pig) raised on Makis Tapkos’s farm in Esovalta (17 km away). Vassilis gets the whole animal and does the butchering himself; their aim is to get as close to zero-waste as possible, but more importantly, in his words, “to honor the animal.” He does this by using everything he can. The house-made charcuterie, such as the nduja served with a local burrata, is delicious, with the heat balanced by the sweetness of charred peppers. 

The core menu – in fact, four menus, one for each season – is supplemented with daily inspirations. However, due to popular demand, the “sidirodromos” (‘railroad tracks,’ for the rack of ribs) – slow-smoked pork from the wood oven, with a crisp crust lightly glazed – is a year-round staple. The meat crumbles under the fork, contrasting with the crispy bronzed skin. The “biftekia” – seasoned burgers (all pork, no beef, for extra juiciness) – are classic comfort food, erved over a silky baby-soft potato puree. Manestra – second in the Greek comfort-food triad – arrives hot and fragrant under the cone-shaped lid of a tagine. The dish is usually made with beef, cooked in a red sauce with kritharaki (Greek orzo, a small, rice-shaped pasta); Vassilis’ manestra features tender local lamb, its almost musky meatiness soaked up by the saucy pasta, with very little tomato to interfere.

Chicken and potatoes, or “kotopoulo me patates,” complete the Greek triad. A few generations ago, a chicken such as this one – local, hormone-free, fed right, and raised in the wild (these by Konstantinos Galanos, 20 km away in Edessa) – would have been a commonplace pleasure, but not anymore. Now, a taste of the real thing, seasoned gently and roasted in the wood oven with potatoes, redefines the homestyle classic. The pork, manestra, and chicken were from the day before; dishes from the oven “need a day to rest,” Melina explains, so they always make them ahead of time and then reheat them, crisping up the chicken and pork over the coals.