Oia, Sunshine Taverna

Mario Andretti would have loved this island.  Excellent driving skills are a bonus when driving around Santorini.  The drive from Fira to Oia was a bit of a bare knuckle drive.  The roads literally hug the cliffs and one wrong turn, you’re done.  Width of the roads are enough to basically fit two Honda civics.  I thought Fred was going to pass out, his fingers definitely hurt afterward from clutching the car. 

We went walked into the port and had lunch at the Sunshine Taverna.  Serving fish that had been caught that morning among other local flavors.  A few brick ovens outside filled with piping hot white charcoal, grills and seafood.  So good.  This is a picture of the beautiful basil in pots surrounding the restaurant on the water front. 

Kefalos is the local fish that had been caught that morning so that was the choice.  We had a variety of different dishes.  Fresh orange juice to start.  Sunshine salad which is full of seafood, greens and peppers and a rich olive oil vinaigrette for the table.  Beautiful presentation and
delicious.  We also went with a few things we had already had at other tavernas but each place makes it different.  Fried tomato cakes, think tomato latkes.  These were flat and filled with pieces of onion, zucchini, mint and tomato.  I could do with out the heavy hand of mint but very good.  We also had piece of eggplant that had been stuffed with feta and deep fried.  A beet salad including the tops sauteed in olive oil.  Of course a piece of octopus too.  The octopus here was a bit tough, just over grilled.  As I passed through the port, there was a cute little girl of maybe 6 years old with a large octopus tentacle in her hand, like a lollipop,  munching away. 

For the main courses, Josh wanted mussels.  The largest mussels I have
ever eaten.  Opened up on the grill and served with a red thick tomato sauce for dipping on the side.  Sweet and tasty.  The fish, wow.  Out came our fish, which was delicious, sweet and juicy.  The guy waiting on us, who I believe was one of the owners, loved how we had devoured our fish. See before and after pictures.

We plan on returning to that location to eat at the restaurant next door. 
Everyone there was on vacation but from all over the world, a local vacation spot.