Barbarosa, Paros, Greece

Oh what a meal! We actually said that this was the best meal of our lives. Tucked away in the Cyclade Islands of Greece is the little Island of Paros, a notorious target for the pirate captain Barbarosa (Redbeard), for which the seaside restaurant is named. It was late April and a beautiful night which mus often be the case judging by 90% of the seating being al fresco. There was a long cord from which at least 8 octopi hung, what an image!
We had so much food and two delicious bottles of a local white wine. Among the best things we enjoyed was a Greek style party platter, with an array of delicious mixtures rolled in flaky dough and fried to perfection, served with spicy and sweet sauces. We tried a warm feta with sour cherry sauce, and red pepper hummus with fennel infused bread and rich olive oil.
Our waiter, delighted to see how thoroughly we enjoyed our meal was only too happy to serve us a complimentary desert, which may have been the single-most fortunate happening to date. We initially had decided to skip desert because we were full, but more importantly because we were rushing in order to not be late and miss our ride, so I wasted no time! In front of me he placed a huge mound of, from what I could see, flaky shreds of philo with powdered sugar. Underneath I discovered a layer of rich, smooth cream between the flaky deliciousness and a generous dome of the best chocolate ice cream I’ve ever had (and I’ve had some great ice cream!). I knew time was short so I dug in with my big spoon and savored every bite until the last possible second. And this, without a doubt, was and remains my favorite desert.