Sunday “Barbeque” in Vourliotes

 

There is a little family-run restaurant-taverna-café, just up the street,  where every Sunday, the owner spits half dozen chickens or so, then lets them roll over an open charcoal pit for about 3 hours. The birds are basted liberally, and often, with a mixture of olive oil, mustard, lemon, salt, pepper, and oregano.  He calls it “barbeque.”

 As the evening sea breeze cools the village and the aroma of roasting chicken begins to fill the narrow street, the neighbors, wearied by two hours of church services and refreshed by an afternoon siesta, begin to appear.  The chickens are removed from the spit as they are ordered, the remainders are wrapped in aluminum foil, and the spit is raised to the top notches of the roasting rack to keep them warm.  Full fare price for two Americans to eat:  Half a chicken, bread, taziki, tomato, fried potatoes, a small carafe’ of red wine and a complimentary dessert, 10.50 €.

 

photos by Newell