Kokkari Estiatorio, San Francisco

Sample Menu

• Appetizer: grilled octopus with lemon, oregano, and olive oil
• Entree: spiced-lamb skewer with tzatziki and potatoes
• Dessert: baklava with vanilla-praline ice cream

Who's in the Kitchen: Chef Erik Cosselmon was named the restaurant's executive chef in 2004. Since then, he’s built Kokkari's legacy around casual taverna-style cuisine, which encourages diners to share and try new things.

Where to Sit: There are several unique dining areas, each warm and inviting. The coziest is the front room, or saloni, which is outfitted with a huge stone fireplace, exposed woodwork, and large windows that peer out onto Front Street and Sydney G. Walton Square.

Inside Tips

• The restaurant enforces a $20 corkage fee for every 750-milliliter bottle of BYO wine they open.
• Valet parking is available, but only during dinner service.

Vocab Lesson
Moussaka: a Greek casserole that’s typically layered with lamb and eggplant and topped with béchamel sauce.
Phyllo: a paper-thin Mediterranean dough renowned for its flaky texture.

History Lesson: Kokkari isn't just fun to say, it's also a quaint fishing village on Samos, an island in the Aegean Sea. According to Greek legend, it was here where Orion—the son of Poseidon—gathered food and prepared exquisite feasts in an effort to impress the daughter of the King of Chios.

If You Can’t Make It, Try This: Chef Cosselmon also oversees the kitchen at Evvia (420 Emerson Street), where he churns out another lineup of elegant Greek dishes.

Do it Yourself: Pick up the restaurant’s cookbook, Kokkari: Contemporary Greek Flavors, which contains some of the chef’s favorite dishes and showcases his use of fresh, seasonal ingredients.