At Estiatório Milos Toronto, Greek food is elevated to the highest level, a celebration of both its cultural heritage and its status as the one of the world’s favourite cuisines.

On a 2021 episode of ITV’s Gordon, Gino and Fred Go Greek!, famously skilled and belligerent British chef Gordon Ramsay confidently declared, “Greece never gets the look-in that France has or the Italians … Honestly, I think Greek cuisine is better than Italian cuisine.”

Naturally, this left Italian celebrity chef Gino D’Acampo in shock, but Ramsay didn’t expect to shock the entire world — or spark the rivalrous Mediterranean cuisine debates that continue to this day. Meanwhile, the cuisines of Greece and Italy (mainly southern Italy) both feature fresh vegetables, fruits, olive oil and seafood.

As of recently, that debate may have shifted in favour of Greece, courtesy of Estiatório Milos Toronto. Led by chef and founder Costas Spiliadis, Estiatório Milos, located at 330 Bay St., is redefining our understanding of Greek cuisine, which, unfortunately, has often been gravely misrepresented by quick- to-make ubiquitous, greasy and gyros wraps. Estiatório Milos is, without a doubt, the finest Greek cuisine, made with high-quality ingredients prepared with respect and simplicity.

Spiliadis was born in Patras, a port city near the ancient Greek site of Olympia. As a child, the family values he learned in the kitchen were that Greek cooking is born out of respect for nature and love for everyone and that it is a form of artistic expression for us to share with our loved ones.

“I wanted to create a place where everyone feels welcome, where the joy of dining is embraced in a refined yet warm and inviting environment. Toronto is the ideal city to continue this journey, and I hope everyone will enjoy the authenticity and heart of our cuisine and our experience,” says Chef Spiliadis.

Milos Toronto’s menu showcases signature dishes including the Milos Special, paper-thin zucchini and eggplant lightly fried and served with saganaki cheese and tzatziki; the Greek Spreads, a selection of taramasalata, tzatziki and htipiti accompanied by grilled pita and raw vegetables; and Octopus, sashimi- grade Mediterranean octopus that has been charcoal-broiled to perfection. Two more standouts are the Grilled Heirloom Onions that have been flown in from the Greek island of Zakynthos and drizzled with 25-year-aged balsamic vinegar, and the popular Astakomakaronada, Athenian-style lobster pasta.

As fine Greek cuisine continues to gain recognition, it will undoubtedly alter the story of what we too often mistake “Greek food” to be.

www.estiatoriomilos.com
@milostoronto