Ask plenty of industry insiders where they’d splurge and the answer isn’t someplace new or trendy—it’s this 16-year-old Mediterranean tasting room from omnipresent owners chef Johnny Monis and Anne Marler. We love the serene dining space where you can nerd out with veteran sommelier Kyle Wilson over wild-foraged hard cider, swoon over cheffy bites like kanpachi crudo with bone gelée, and then gorge, Greek farmhouse–style, on savory finales such as crunchy-skinned suckling pig or lamb ribs, tzatziki, and just-baked pita. (Bonus: leftovers.) Thrills lean less on luxury ingredients and more on finesse—who knew a squash fritter could ring divine?—and the personal touch (e.g., housemade Greek pastas). While Komi has always eschewed trendiness—even social media—its sporadic new Happy Gyro pop-up, a whimsical monthlong vegetarian ode to the Greek-American diner fare of Monis’s childhood, was the most fun eating we had all year. Very expensive.
