Dounias in Drakona

At Dragon Tiles, on a green slope of the White Mountains at an altitude of about 500 meters and just 18 km from the Chania is located the tavern of Stelios Trilyrakis, the so-called "Dounias".

And it is the tavern that could become the example of the absolute impressive gastronomic experience for all of Greece.

The story begins when Stelios Trilyrakis, a young man, a professional cook in Chania in 2004 decided to live in his village and deal with his parents' family tavern.

Only he, using all the knowledge of his grandmother and mother, decided to create a holistic concept, a kitchen that would have the absolute traditional identity. The raw materials should be local products (whatever can be produced) and the dishes should be prepared in the traditional way and the flavors should be typical of the place.

First the kitchen was created with parasites, wood stoves, wood oven. There are no electrical appliances and so all cooking is done on a wood fire. Then he organized the estate. He planted his orchards and created places where free-range animals live, small local cows, sheep, goats, rabbits.

Ten years later the tavern of Stelios, "Dounias", is a reference point in Crete.

His reputation drew us to him. The most beautiful route to get there is to cross the beautiful gorge of Therissos.

Stelios was waiting for us and welcomed us in the courtyard where the hulls where the food is cooked are located. A spectacle for passers-by, the ultimate show cooking, customer control, kitchen decongestion.

He participates in an enjoyable theatrical performance with a protagonist…

Because he is the one who welcomes the customers, he has to go through the kitchen to see the hulls, and the wood oven, the potatoes to be fried in olive oil. He takes orders, delivers them, makes bills and all this on his own… Of course in the kitchen the girls and his wife help him…

And in between all this, he sits for two minutes (whenever he has the opportunity) at our table and describes his food, which we then ask for a translator to understand:

Stelios a mixture Thanasis Vengou, but with movements of Olympic composure, George Constantine, as he in the monumental scene of profiteroles tries to describe to customers his food and Korniliou Kastoriadis when talking about gastronomic self-sufficiency and autonomy.

His food, always of the season, one by one, the bread with local flours, award-winning nuts, gardoumakia, cauliflower with sour cream, lamb in oil paste and a lot more…

And if he is sometimes overwhelmed by a lot of people, then he answers with a smile: "Didn't you guys want slow food?".