Second day of Christmas 2019.
I’m finally arranging my photos after so long, with disks overflowing with flavors, moments, smells, impressions, memories…
Suddenly, the familiar ding sound of the phone is heard…
Your photo has the most views…
I open it, look, and my eyes well up with tears.
It is the photo of the meatballs from the legendary Trifylli.
Mr. Giorgos left us back in ’19, but he left behind a legacy that I believe will live on —
a legacy of flavors, feelings, and memories.
The story
Oinomageireio Trifylli, gate 13 of taste and green tradition.
Trifylli is the old tavern opposite gate 13 at the stadium, on Leoforos Avenue!
I was about ten years old when my father decided to make my dream come true…
Tomorrow we’re going to the stadium, and suddenly the figures from the cards with the Panathinaikos players started passing in front of me.
I was living in the era of Domazos, Fylakouris, Sourpi, Loukanidis, Kamaras, Oikonomopoulos, Grammos, Antoniadis, Eleftherakis… the great Panathinaikos.
Oh my God, what a gift that was.
The next day, I was up early and ready for the big game.
My father and my uncle George, both members of the Panathinaikos track and field team, arrived at eleven, and we set off for the stadium.
I heard them say Gate 13 to the organized fans, but I didn’t understand at the time.
We’ll go grab a bite to eat first and get tickets from Trifylli, I heard them say, and get some orange juice for the game.
I believe you remember the first bottled orange juices that looked like a round plastic orange, with a screw cap on top.
the match
We arrived at the stadium early, there weren’t many people there yet, so we went straight to Trifylli for food.
The small wine bar with the old barrels made a big impression on me back then, full of loud fans eating and discussing how many goals we would score against our opponents, Panathinaikos flags hanging on the walls, a large poster of the team, and a crowd of fans of all kinds.
The food was cooked daily, and Mrs. Koula would put two or three pots on the stove and feed all the hungry fans.
All of this was imprinted on my little mind, the experience of going to the stadium with my dad and uncle was incredible, and to this day it is as vivid as if it were yesterday.
The food
From then on, when I was old enough to appreciate simple everyday flavors, I would occasionally visit Trifylli.
Mr. George, who was now close to my age, was in charge and faithfully followed the old tradition but with a different menu. The cooks had been replaced by meatballs, fried cod, liver, and cabbage rolls, which complemented the traditional dishes.
The cooks’ place had been taken by meatballs, fried cod, liver, and cabbage rolls, which completed the recipe for success.
Everything is fresh and delicious.
Yes, four dishes, because potatoes don’t count… and everything is one of a kind.
The meatballs are fried just right, crispy on the outside and juicy on the inside. With rich aromas, just as I remember them from back then…
The cabbage rolls are divine, with a rich homemade egg-lemon sauce. A filling that is aromatic, delicious, and fragrant, enough to drive you crazy.
The legendary Trifylli wine-taverna
Trifylli has remained for sixty years now as the temple of taste. Passes and disappears into the depths of my childhood taste.
Like my grandmother’s old aluminum pan, blackened by the gas, which retains its taste.
With the old technique of turning the meatballs or cod with two forks…
However, I believe that it has found a worthy replacement and will continue to offer young and old alike these four dishes with the flavors of the past.
The phone call was made, somewhat hesitantly, but ultimately liberating.
We lost Mr. Giorgis, but the clover lives on!!!
The answer cheered me up and I quickly got dressed for my first visit to Trifylli in 2020, and the story continues.
With the meatballs and fried cod at their best!!!
As I left, I glanced back at the door.
I had grown accustomed to the familiar face of Mr. Giorgos bidding us good night from behind the green iron door.
Trifylli Wine Bar
7 Panathinaikou Street, Athens 115 21
Tel. 210 64 46 585
Texts and photos by GiorgioGrigor
At #TasteLocalGreece, we taste and promote all our favorite hangouts.
The local products we discover, the places we visit, and those that fit our philosophy.
The taverns we discover in our culinary quests. Our articles have no commercial benefit. Often, the restaurants we visit are unaware that we will be mentioning them.
They are all our personal experiences, and we share them with you. We strive to highlight forgotten flavors, authenticity, and simplicity that have been lost from our lives.
We strive to highlight forgotten flavors, authenticity, and simplicity that have been lost from our lives.
The information we provide is based on the period when we visited the place.
