Friday January 20, 2006 – Tier or Two Below Sizzler

Tonight we were invited to join the Limassol office’s promotion party at Draft Bar, a brewery/restaurant whose specialty was a changing daily brew as well as serving Mexican food. The beer tasted like a bad Corona and the “Mexican food” appetizers were nacho cheese Doritos and a selection of dips – white nacho cheese (reminiscent of Madison Square Garden or any sporting event), sour cream, some sort of processed avocado surprise, salsa/spaghetti sauce, and a few others of unknown origin. But we were starving, so we feasted on the fine bounty of a Cypriot’s version of Mexican appetizers and enjoyed the conversations with the “Cast of Characters” (less Nichos). The interior and atmosphere was oddly reminiscent of the Los Gatos Brewing Company.

There had seemed to be a reoccurring trend over the past week – a steady decline in dinners since Neon Phaliron. We were taken out to dinner this past Wednesday night to Scotty’s which was touted over and over again as the best steak house in all of Cyprus. While the atmosphere was nice and the menu cover flaunted the owner’s pursuits in steakhouse restaurateuring in London, the steak quality was a tier or two below what Sizzler could muster up. I think this could have something to do with not seeing one cow on this island so far. Even though the meal lacked a little bit to be desired, the conversations and laughs continue to be terrific.

On a side note, I haven’t purchased anything other than our “full fat” cow milk at the grocery store. The continued patronage to the “thick milk” is that it seems to be the only one which has anything written in English and the remaining brands have photos with goats on them. There’s something a bit more reassuring about nuzzling up to a cow udder than a goat’s…although the concept of drinking any animals milk is odd in general.

Following our gorging on chips and dips, Steph, Kane, Inigo, "C", and I went to Mez Tabla, a small “mom and pop” restaurant for a fine Cypriot meal. “Pop” served us our meals along with a few jokes and niceties. "C" got this amazing chicken tandori and I got the hugest chunk of lamb I’ve seen at a restaurant (definitely an Anytown, USA portion not a Euro one). Hopefully this marks the turning point in our dinners in Cyprus!