If you love traveling not for the sights but for the flavors, people, and stories, this Greek journey is definitely worth your attention. Chef Daniel Humm, along with the team from New York's Eleven Madison Park restaurant, set out to explore the culinary traditions of a country with a history spanning centuries.
Not Just a Gastro Tour
The journey began in Crete. The team drove for two hours along winding mountain roads, following a local shepherd to reach his stone hut — the mitato. It was there that Humm got acquainted with traditional lifestyles and products that come not from industrial kitchens but directly from the landscape and the labor of local people.
The route did not stop at just one island. Together with Vassilis Bakasis, the owner of the Athens tavern Oikonomou, and chef Andolis Papakis from the restaurant Pharaoh, the team traveled to Crete, the island of Tinos, and explored the gastronomic scene of Athens. This format resembles getting to know a country through its cuisine rather than a typical restaurant tour.
What Might Interest the Traveler
The focus is not on trendy effects but on the origins of food. Humm investigates how people grow, gather, and prepare products, as well as what modern cuisine can learn from local traditions. For him, Greek food is a way to see the connection between nature, community, and the daily table.
What is particularly appealing is that the journey passes through various gastronomic environments: from the mountain villages of Crete to the vibrant restaurant culture of Athens. At Pharaoh, known for its selection of natural wines and a large collection of records, the traditional theme receives a modern urban continuation.
Is It Worth Noticing
Yes, if you are curious about how a restaurant idea is born even before the menu appears. The impressions from the trip are meant to influence the work at Eleven Madison Park and the new restaurant that Humm plans to open later this year in West Village, Manhattan.
This is also a good tip for your own journey through Greece: do not focus solely on well-known taverns. True discoveries may await in a mountain hut, in conversation with a producer, or at the table of a small establishment where food still tells the story of a specific place.
Would you be interested in such a journey — with mountains, local products, and an introduction to Greek cuisine not through a tourist menu but from the inside?