The 37th Greek Breakfast of Preveza took place on Monday 3-4-2017 thanks to the cooperation of the Hotel Chamber of Greece, the New Association of Hoteliers of Preveza and the Chefs' Club of Greece / Preveza Branch. During my stay, I did not miss an acquaintance visit to the city, which, although small, was enough to change some of my misconceptions.

The rainy and often hazy weather of the city in combination with the famous "damn" poem by Kostas Karyotakis:

"Death is the bars that hit the black walls and the tiles,
death the women, who are loved as they clean onions.

… Base, Guard, Sixth Prefecture of Preveza. On Sunday we will listen to the band.
I got a bank deposit book first deposit thirty drachmas…

… If at least, among these people, one was dying of disgust
Silent, sad, in modest ways, we would all have fun at the funeral. ”

and his suicide (21-7-1928), the thirty-second day of his stay in Preveza, create an image that blatantly wrongs a city that just 17 years ago was liberated by the Turks and a destination that the shortest way to approaches at that time was a long journey by steamer from Patras.

During my tour of the city guided by Polycarpos Chalkidis, president of the New Hoteliers Association of Preveza, he introduced me to a beautiful city, happy youth, warm people, food lovers and especially gastronomic hangouts.

The walk on the beach on the Amvrakikos, on a summer day -sunny June-, to travel in a T-shirt and the next cold we had 10 degrees and of course rain and wind. Both days, however, produced a sweet and of course both days produced good fish. Bay sardines, gossip, melanuria, soup fish.

 

A few meters from the port we proceeded to one of the two most beautiful ouzo-distilleries in Greece, in the heart of the city (the second most beautiful is Trikene in Messolonghi). You realize it before you even meet it from the intoxicating smells of anise that you "hear" meters before you reach the shop of Roubos. And when you enter you are stunned by the beauty!

Then, with a clear conscience that we did our ouzo-drinking duty, we entered a mahala, the so-called satan-bazaar, which is a Turkish word and means devil's bazaar. Stories say that it was so named, when during the Turkish occupation, on the narrow cobbled street, housewives poured oil from the windows to cause an accident to the Turkish soldiers, who were patrolling the city. One night, a Turkish officer, falling, shouted satan-bazaar.

In this neighborhood and especially in this alley, the shops are smoky, old low ceilings, but they contain treasures such as the "candle shop" of Pavlos Giotis.

Next door is a barbecue from other eras…

Next to the house where the poet Costas Karyotakis spent the last days of his life, is the cafe "Ano Vlanto" which is more than 90 years old.

The cafe a stalia is the oldest in the whole city and still keeps the traditions of past times, when until 1960, there were three cafes, next to each other, where famous musicians played music all day and all night. "In this hole where you see the good times, a hundred people gathered, one on top of the other to listen to the stars of the time, Dais, Tourkovasilis, Tzaros, Blandaridis", says the brown-haired Stavros Kostas, an open-hearted man who his eyes have seen a lot.

Greek coffee at € 1.20 and ouzo at € 1.50. Zero inflation for 7 years!

Then we were taken to the patsatsidiko of Preveza, the restaurant of the Rapti sons, where on the large cast iron plate of the oven, together with the patsades, we found several pots with delicious dishes.

At some point we came to the "Crazy Shrimp" the most famous store in Preveza. You want the beautiful cooking, a fish eater because of it, you want because the place is very tasteful, but definitely because Zois -the owner- is a dude with everything, the shop is always hot, and there is no person who has passed through the village and not be driven here.

We ate very well at Zois and made even better company. But the food that impressed me was from Polycarp's aunt: Cod with raisins, onions and plums! Poem!

Preveza, built on a peninsula that dominates the entrance of the Amvrakikos gulf, is very strongly reminiscent of an island as it is bathed by the sea on all three sides and has a marina. The cuisine is rich in seafood and fish. From Amvrakikos, sardines, gambars (dark shrimps) and gossip are fished, which are the identity of the bay.

The richness and uniqueness of local products and local cuisine was highlighted by the presentation of the Greek breakfast in Preveza organized on Monday afternoon at the impressive Margarona Royal Hotel by the New Hoteliers Association of Preveza and the Hotel Chamber of Greece in collaboration with Archi Club Greece / Preveza Branch.

Local producers and hoteliers in collaboration with the Greek Chefs Club / Preveza Branch presented unique local products which can be elements of the identity of the Greek breakfast of Preveza, provided of course this cooperation is done in practice and not just for one day and the accommodation of the area to offer the visitors of the area the opportunity to get acquainted with the abundant gastronomic wealth and the unique products of Preveza.

Greetings were addressed by the vice-governor P.E. Preveza, the president of the Preveza Chamber, Polycarpos Chalkidis on behalf of the New Hoteliers Association P.E. Preveza, A. Tolis, Honorary President of the Chefs 'Club of Greece, Thanasis Brettos from the local branch of the Chefs' Club and the President of the Tourist Committee of the Municipality of Preveza, who stressed the importance of establishing a Greek breakfast in hotels.

The event, which was attended by over 200 people, featured a number of traditional Epirus pies (batsaria, macaroni pie, cabbage pie, spinach cheese pie, pumpkin pie)

and pastry and spoon cakes, extra virgin olive oils, honeys, homemade jams and sauces, pasta, cold cuts, dairy products, fruits, vegetables, beverages, etc., while attendees had the opportunity to attend demonstrations of foil, yogurt and products without c.

The conditions for Preveza to become an interesting gastronomic destination were set but everyone admitted that everything will depend on the continuation… Not to be left alone in the first step.