Second Feature #Anatoli56 Since November 2024 by #ExecutiveChef #PaulSagos #PeterSagos #AnthonySagos #TedSagos #Greek #Taverna 1066 Second Avenue at East 56th Street Manhattan
Befriend the Scallops and Bacon!
Peachy's favorite this visit.
Founder, Owner and Executive Chef Paul Sagos
It's not who you know, it's WHOM YOU KNOW and we know the Sagos family and their superb new hotspot, Anatoli 56. They were first featured at the end of 2024, and we continue to be impressed. The longer we do this, the more we know and experience and it is far harder to achieve a second feature in 2025 than it was earlier on. Also note this is a new restaurant in addition to being new to us. We were greeted immediately upon arrival by Executive Chef Paul Sagos, who owns Anatoli 56 with his dad Ted and three brothers, Peter, Ted and Anthony, located on 2nd avenue at 56th. Avid readers also know we frequent places owned by people from Greece regularly so we know if a Greek place is great in particular. Paul and his family take immense pride in their work and are super friendly and care about all the little details that you would want them to. There are lots of slick people in New York that come and go in the culinary world and the genuine care of the Sagos family is refreshing to see and experience. Fresh pita and olives are customarily brought to the table to welcome you. The salads are a strong suit here and the Horiatiki is embellished with beefsteak tomatoes well cut, red onions, bell peppers, olives, capers and Hotos feta cheese. Evoo comes to the party and in every salad case they followed directions and put the dressing on the side for Ms. Pretty Picky. Peachy only likes Caesar Salads dressed.
The Marouli Salad boasts truly outstanding dill which elevates this salad tremendously. It is joined by romaine lettuce, scallions, cherry tomatoes, feta and lemon vinaigrette. Paul tells us he personally sources the dill daily.
We might be the first ones to try the spectacular seedless Watermelon Salad which is so new it's not on the printed menu, or it wasn't the day we visited. You absolutely want this particularly in July and will truly be in the pink. The chunks of pink deliciousness revel with arugula and sesame seeds and normally for people that like salad dressing, balsamic dressing is mixed in and when it arrives a balsamic glaze is drizzled over to get the party started for you. Paul tells us ten percent of the menu changes four times a year.
You can see that is a nice piece of Salmon, not some wimpy slice the size of your finger that inferior places that we would never publish on might serve you. The Salmon is sourced every other day from the Atlantic and is fabulously fresh. It's sauteed in garlic, white wine and capers to capture phenomenal flavor and note Peachy LOVES GARLIC. Sauteed zucchini noodles make it even healthier and they deliciously rejoice with cherry tomatoes and baby arugula for both color and nutrition. Anatoli 56 strikes the right balance and is creative enough without overdoing it. Some places try too hard to be different and in the course of doing so thinking that they are the last word in trendy, they ultimately sacrifice culinary quality. Anatoli strikes the right chord.
Beef Youvetsi is a heavier dish but absolutely delicious. We surmise it might hit the spot on a rainy day. Braised short ribs braised for four hours hit the sweet spot for our carnivorous readers with pearl onions, tomatoes, carrots and pappardelle pasta. Kasseri cheese ups it even more.
We love bacon. We love scallops. Both are totally underrepresented on Manhattan dinner menus and maybe Anatoli 56 recognized that! Bay scallops sourced from the North Atlantic seared to perfection luxuriously recline in a decadent bacon (obviously bacon from a pig, normal bacon) risotto and kasseri cheese with just the right hint of lemon zest. Some places overdo lemon on many things and we don't want it to dominate any dinner entree: it is just right here, not too much. You should not pass go and collect $200 without trying this and if you are a tourist this in particular should be on your bucket list.
Grilled vegetables are another nutritional triumph from the asparagus and red bell peppers to the zucchini and spanish onions; it makes a great side for whatever you are having. Finally, do not ignore the assorted spreads which were just as great as the first time. Peachy love love loves Greek dips. Peachy's favorite Tzatziki is in the middle, clockwise from top left is Taramasalata (fish eggs, Peachy's second favorite), Melitzanosalata (eggplant), Spicy Feta and Skordalia (garlic) all bring their respective fresh tastes to your palate with joy. Of course, the pita is fresh and piping hot. Pita is finished on the grill. Note coming up soon you will discover 16 sidewalk seats with 32 additional outside seats in the street later this summer. There will also be heat lamps in the fall for outdoor seating.
We look forward to seeing what they do next.
1066 2nd Ave, New York, NY 10022
