Our friends Lee & Kevin suggested trying Nostos in Tyson's Corner (McLean) VA last night and we agreed having never heard of it. We were surprised on arrival to find the place had been open for over a decade and is an adorable (if noisy) spot just a block off Route 7/Leesburg Pike that you might never notice! The rooms are all stucco white giving a real Greek Isles feel with on brick wall in the room we were in, though the noise factor was high when the room was full. Our server Bella was very helpful, though we had some specific items in mind and decided to share 4 starters!
Before they arrived, the owner offered us four small skewered pieces of swordfish on fava bean puree which we adored. we had ordered an Assytirko "Kaldera" from Karamolegos Winery on Santorini that was bright and acidic and worked brilliantly with the foods as well. The wine bottles start at around $50 with lots of options as well, many of them Greek, of course. Our second wine was a barrel aged Assyrtiko from Nikolau Estates on Skyros which had an ever so slight hint of oak but still retained that strong acidity. With all the dishes being fish and the temperatures outside near 100, red was not needed!
The Taramosalata here is excellent and we gobbled it up along with the superb Dolmadakia Yaialantzi, stuffed grape leaves with tzatziki. For fun, you must try the Saganaki, a pan fried Kefalograviera cheese which is flambeed tableside! I have never had Feta Karpouzi which is another excellent option if you like feta cheese, here served warm and crusted with sesame seeds then fried and paired with Greek honey and refreshing fresh watermelon!
We were surprised again when the owner appeared with another complementary tray this time with four "palate cleansers" the likes I have never had before and truly LOVED. It was the same fried and sesame-crusted feta blocks but here served with an ice-cold chili sorbet that just was excitement in the mouth and on the tongue!
When we asked Bella about which main fish dishes were best, she went right for the Whole Branzini, and it is indeed special. She did agree to fillet it tableside, and another guy helped her as two of us ordered these huge whole sea basses served with broccolini and potatoes. There must have been more than 3/4 of a pound of fish after they finished the filleting and it was a lot for one person, easily a great dish to split, especially after a goodly number of starters which are all so great! The Garides Saganaki was another dish one of us ordered and I realized that saganaki is not cheese, but the frying! This was sauteed shrimp with feta, tomato, onion and raisins. Also yummy was the Youvetsi Thalassinon, a huge platter of shrimp, calamari, fish of the day, mussels and tomato sauce over orzo.
There is of course Greek coffee to be had and some dessert options as everyday as Chocolate Mousse or as traditional as Baklava. There are two baklava variations which we tried and loved: BAKLAVA CRUMBLE with added crumble over the traditional and ice cream on top, as well as BAKLAVA BEXEVANIS (credited to a chef in Greece who created the dish) which is a modern version with less phyllo (I missed the phyllo) but with apple, apricot, raisin, cinnamon and walnuts and ice cream wedged into the dish. I have to admit it was most refreshing with the intense heat outside.
We all left full and very happy finding an excellent option for Greek food in our area that we never knew about!
