Sofia Crokos Hosts a Luscious Birthday Celebration in Bridgehampton

The fairytale setting is infused with Peloponnesian flavors and flair.

August 14, 2021

Photographs by Doug Young,

wooden chairs; dining table; cottage table setting

Photographs by Doug Young

Sofia Crokos, owner of the Greek restaurant Elaia Estiatorio in Bridgehampton, hosts a birthday luncheon infused with Peloponnesian flavors and flair. Sofia Crokos sets the table with flower arrangements created by Emily Pinon, founder of Bastille Flowers & Events.

olive and almond branches and chamomile decorate a credenza

Photographs by Doug Young

Olive and almond branches and sprays of chamomile decorate a credenza that Crokos describes as “my masterpiece. Every week we have fresh flowers at the restaurant—it’s amazing what flowers can do for the soul.”

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Photographs by Doug Young
“Kalí Orexi,” the Greek way of saying “Bon appétit!,"heads a menu listing all dishes in Greek. Both the menu and the invitation to the luncheon were designed by Ceci New York.

Photographs by Doug Young
“Kalí Orexi,” the Greek way of saying “Bon appétit!,"heads a menu listing all dishes in Greek. Both the menu and the invitation to the luncheon were designed by Ceci New York.

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Photographs by Doug Young
The table is set with Crokos’s own personal dinnerware on lace cloths belonging to her late mother.

Photographs by Doug Young
The table is set with Crokos’s own personal dinnerware on lace cloths belonging to her late mother.

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Photographs by Doug Young
Garnished with rosebuds, the specialty drink is called Anthea, which means “to bloom” or “to flower” in Greek. It comprises all Greek spirits—Kir-Yianni rosé, Otto’s Athens vermouth, Stray Dog gin—plus lemon juice and a housemade jasmine cordial tea.

Photographs by Doug Young
Garnished with rosebuds, the specialty drink is called Anthea, which means “to bloom” or “to flower” in Greek. It comprises all Greek spirits—Kir-Yianni rosé, Otto’s Athens vermouth, Stray Dog gin—plus lemon juice and a housemade jasmine cordial tea.

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Photographs by Doug Young
Lalanghia, thin strands of dough twisted and fried in Greek olive oil, are placed on the table along with the meal. “We also enjoy them in the morning with coffee and hard Greek cheese or feta,” says Crokos. “It’s a common tradition in the Peloponnese.”

Photographs by Doug Young
Lalanghia, thin strands of dough twisted and fried in Greek olive oil, are placed on the table along with the meal. “We also enjoy them in the morning with coffee and hard Greek cheese or feta,” says Crokos. “It’s a common tradition in the Peloponnese.”

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Photographs by Doug Young
Grilled sardines and lemon with sautéed fennel.
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Photographs by Doug Young
The starter, a pasta dish made with caramelized red onions, Greek yogurt, lemon zest, and a drizzle of Kosterina olive oil, was one of her mother’s favorites.

Photographs by Doug Young
The starter, a pasta dish made with caramelized red onions, Greek yogurt, lemon zest, and a drizzle of Kosterina olive oil, was one of her mother’s favorites.

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Photographs by Doug Young
Beets with garlic and a walnut spread, like many of the meal’s dishes, are served family style.

Photographs by Doug Young
Beets with garlic and a walnut spread, like many of the meal’s dishes, are served family style.

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Photographs by Doug Young
Baked eggplant with onions, garlic tomato sauce, and feta garnished with mint.

Photographs by Doug Young
Baked eggplant with onions, garlic tomato sauce, and feta garnished with mint.

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Photographs by Doug Young
Piles of grilled pita accompany virtually every Greek meal.
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Photographs by Doug Young
Crokos added a special dish, called psiti feta me meli kai sousami, a heady confection of feta baked in phyllo and topped with Cretan honey and sesame seeds. “This entire meal is based on the rusticity and lushness of the Peloponnese,” Crokos says. “I am in awe of its food and its people.”

Photographs by Doug Young
Crokos added a special dish, called psiti feta me meli kai sousami, a heady confection of feta baked in phyllo and topped with Cretan honey and sesame seeds. “This entire meal is based on the rusticity and lushness of the Peloponnese,” Crokos says. “I am in awe of its food and its people.”

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Photographs by Doug Young
Main dishes, also served family style, include chicken braised in cinnamon-scented tomato sauce and pork souvlaki served with a Greek yogurt and garlic spread.

Photographs by Doug Young
Main dishes, also served family style, include chicken braised in cinnamon-scented tomato sauce and pork souvlaki served with a Greek yogurt and garlic spread.

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Photographs by Doug Young
Religious icon paintings decorate a corner of the restaurant.

Crokos enjoys a glass on the restaurant’s terrace with guests Tonia Slade and Katerina Mountanos, plus Emily Pinon, Toula Livanos, and Anastasia Gavalas. “Special gatherings like this one are vitally important to me,” says Crokos. “It’s part of my core.”

The print version of this article appears with the headline: Grecian Ode.
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This article appears in the August-1 2021 issue of HC&G (Hamptons Cottages & Gardens).