Remezzos in Sigri

It's not very often we go out for a lobster dinner. Simply put, we can't afford it. Well maybe we can but we choose not to, spending our money on other things like ouzo, newspapers, and sardeles pastes. So when Joanna and Vassilis of Sappho Travel invited us for a lobster dinner we jumped at the chance. Of course when we arrived half an hour late to the beautiful seaside village of Sigri, Vassilis was finishing up his work in the office, while Joanna was still in the other office at Skala Eressos, being beseiged by clients looking for any room that was available in mid-August, of which there were none.

So while the ladies were trying to bar the doors and make their escape for our 'business lunch', Vassilis gave Andrea and I a tour of Sigri, including the brand new Natural History Museum at the top of the village.

When we walked into the Remezzos Fish Taverna I was amazed to see the biggest lobster tank I had ever seen. There must have been 100 large lobsters and giant crabs in this container which was about 20 feet long. While we sat down, Vassilis disappeared and spoke to the owner, perhaps to select the lobsters we would be eating.

 When he returned he asked what would be drinking and when I told him 'ouzo', his eyes lit up. I knew I had found a friend. He ordered a bottle of Matis brand and a selection of mezedes which included grilled sardines, tyrokavteri (spicy cheese), mussels saganaki, clams, greens and gavros pastes (raw anchovies marinated in vinegar.)

The restaurant was suspended over the small fishing boat harbor, with a lovely view of the beach and the Saratsina peninsula. It was the kind of place you could sit, drinking and eating all day with a few friends. When Joan and Jo arrived at about the same time as the food, the tone was set and we embarked upon an orgy of conversations, laughter, ouzo and of course the lobster.

I am not much of an expert on lobster. I see them on menus and pass them swimmming around in tanks in the supermarket. I have seen big lobsters before. But this was clearly a case of 'eating him before he ate us". Greek lobster is a little different from good old USA lobster. First of all it has no claws. What's the deal? How can a lobster have no claws? That's like a fly having no wings. But what it lacks in claw meat it makes up for in body meat and every crevice is filled with surprises. Even the head, which in America is full of weird green stuff that you either love or hate, is filled with the same tasty meat you find in the tail.

By the time we were half way done with the lobster we had finished 3 bottles of ouzo and Joanna was making fun of my lobster eating technique.
"You don't know how to eat a lobster" she told me rather matter-of-factly.
I took great offence.
"Have you ever seen a blue crab?" I asked her. "I can get more meat out of a blue crab then you could get out of a MacDonalds quarter-pounder", a comparison quite lost on her. Nevertheless I took it as a challenge and stripped my lobster bare, even down to the strands of meat in the antenae. (Yes it's true). Then I threw the remains to the hungry grey mullet who were swimming below, who attacked it with a frenzy they usually save for leftover bread.

Sadly, Joanna had to go back to work at the Skala Eressos agency where undoubtedly there were mobs of people ready to break down the door. We remained with Vassilis who told us about the new NEL (Lesvos ferry company), super-fast boats which would begin service to the island next season, getting people from Pireaus to Mytilini in 6 hours. As we were leaving we congratulated Nondas, the owner for this most incredible meal,  who then proceeded to entertain us by juggling lobsters and giant crabs.

If you are looking for a great seafood meal, with or without lobster, come to Remezzos in Sigri. It's right in town on the road that leads to the beach from the harbor.