My Connecticut friends had an errand to do at Hudson Yards, so we decided to celebrate her birthday at very spacious Estiatorio Milos as neither had eaten inside since the start of the pandemic. The Greek seafood restaurant with fresh fish flown in from the Mediterranean daily has stunning views looking out over the Hudson River and the Vessel.

We started with Milos special stack of lightly fried zucchini and eggplant tower layered with tzatziki and accompanied by kefalograviera cheese (large, $31), their assortment of grilled King Trumpet, Shiitake, Oyster, Portobello, Hon Shimeji and Hen of the Woods mushrooms ($31) and grilled sliced octopus over pureed fava bean, sprinkled with capers and onions.

Their wine director assisted us in selecting a Greek white wine to accompany our dinner, recommending the Mikra Thira Assyrtiko, arguably Greece’s most iconic wine grape variety. This white wine from the volcanic Santorini worked well with all our selections.

We all agreed on sharing the lavraki wrapped in sea salt and baked in the oven with herbs ($61 per pound). The server first cracked and removed the hardened salt before skinning and filleting the fish tableside.

For a sweet with our coffee and tea, we shared baklava, the traditional Greek pasty with chopped pistachios, almonds, walnuts and honey sprinkled between the layer of filo served with vanilla ice cream.

Before heading home, I took my friends to see King Nyani, the giant gorilla that was moving on the end of May 2021.

Estiatorio Milos
Hudson Yards
20 Hudson Yards, Fifth Floor,
New York, NY 10001