In summer, diners – from politicians in suits (the Conservative party headquarters used to be right around the corner) to working-class families and other locals – sit in the whitewashed garden. Truman that was erected in the ’60s and has come to define the area, Karavitis is the stuff of legend, bearing the trademark of the Athenian old-fashioned tavern: enormous wine barrels on the walls. Located in the popular neighborhood of Pagrati, near the emblematic statue of American President Harry S. Luckily, in central Athens there are three good places for paidakia. Traditionally, there are certain areas near Athens – such as Kalyvia (33 km from Athens), Varibobi or even Stamata – that specialize in lamb chops, but going there is an excursion. Lamb chops are not to be found everywhere. They are generally accompanied by patates tiganites (the Greek version of French fries), a combo that’s as irresistible as it is cholesterol-raising. Paidakia are marinated with oregano, lemon juice, herbs, thyme and pepper and then grilled at a high temperature until they are well done (no pink meat allowed), usually over a charcoal fire. If lamb is a beyond-meat Greek treat, lamb chops, called paidakia, are a delicacy. When Aunt Voula finds out that the groom Ian is a vegetarian, she says, “What do you mean, you don’t eat meat? That’s okay, that’s okay, I make lamb.” The film My Big Fat Greek Wedding may be a never-ending fount of stereotypes, but it does get it exactly right when it comes to how Greeks view lamb. Greeks eat beef or pork at least once per week lamb, however, is not an everyday thing but a treat, something more than just meat. If there is a symbol of the adoring relationship that Greeks have with lamb, it is none other than the lamb on a spit that most Greeks in mainland Greece eat as a specialty on Easter Sunday.
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