Kyma
By Patricia Barry
Kyma
69 West Street
Annapolis, Maryland
Tel: 410-268-0003
www.kymarestaurant.com
Moderate
Tapas (small plates) $4 to $9.75
Large plates and paellas $17 to $49
Hours: Lunch: Mon.–Fri 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
Sat. and Sun. closed for lunch
Dinner: Sun.–Thurs. 5:00 p.m to 10 p.m.
Fri.–Sat. 5:00 until midnight
Lounge: Sun.– Thurs. 3:00 p.m. until midnight
Fri.-Sat. 3:00 p.m. until 1:30 a.m.
Self parking in nearby Gott’s Court Garage
Extensive Wine List
After our second visit we knew for sure—we were onto something of quality. Upon entering the stylish Kyma, the greetings were sincere and the greeters were animated and consistent with, as they say, “the Mediterranean meets the Chesapeake.” One wall was blue and green—depicting an “ocean wave” or in Greek, “kyma” (pronounced kee ma). On both occasions, we were warmly acknowledged and immediately seated near the first floor bar. Our servers, Jason and Sarah respectively, were attentive to us and savvy about the fare.
We wanted to dive right in with choices that excelled in the Greek and Spanish food history of this hip restaurant on West Street, just a block west of Church Circle. Soon we were sampling what turned out to be one of most memorable experiences of both visits when we favored the small plates of both Greece and Spain—the Mediterranean olives, tenderized in selected vinegars and the substance the Spanish call “liquid gold”--or “allioli” and that makes the difference! It’s a lot of work, challenges the laws of physics and changes the liquid olive oil into something much more substantial through the machinations of garlic and technique. To accompany, we chose the tzatziki, a cucumber sauce made of Greek yogurt, garlic, and of course, cucumbers, that brought mild explosions to our taste buds. It was more than a mere combination of sour cream and sliced cucumber and we had to know what else.
Research gleaned a wealth of mystery, but we eventually came to some other ingredients that give this modest listing in the menu the layers that make up the quality of so many of the delicacies at Kyma—not only is it the layering of ingredients, it’s also the authentic Greek yogurt that imparts the special zing. Such yogurt may be found at Whole Foods, but more assuredly at a Greek market. Of course, essential to the dish are the fresh pita and rustic breads—superior in their roles as underpinning and as mop for the glorious sauce.
We discovered 23 kinds of tapas and sampled the following vegetable tapas: spanikopita, phyllo encrusted pillows of spinach, green onion and dill; dolmades of rice scallions, pine nuts, mint, grape leaves and a foam of tzatziki; and mousaka, a baked delight of eggplant, cauliflower cream, egg, and Greek yogurt under a gentle blanket of cheddar cheese. From the seafood tapas: fried calamari (tender but needing more crispness which the staff were eager to provide, and worked out well upon a quick flash sauté); Prince Edward Island mussels, fresh in a non-quitting red wine broth; and Kyma crab cakes that hold their own on the Chesapeake. From the meat and poultry list we found another star —the braised lamb shank, sliding off and tender to the bone under an eggplant puree with rosemary glacé.
We tried only one large plate, the Santorini shrimp from Mayan waters in the Gulf of Mexico. It’s advisedly a favorite here, but we found the large-eyed beauties somewhat chewy. And that appears to be a universal seasonal characteristic in a these large shrimpor langoustines. We’d vote for the paella as the center shared dish on the next occasion.
We were with a friend celebrating his birthday and were favored with a special variety of almond gelato-ice cream that accompanied our almond cake selection—both superb. Coffee and cappuccino were faultless.
Jose Picazo is the talented and daring executive chef from Madrid, Spain at this “with it” and urbane restaurant. He was last at Mi N Yu, the eclectic hotspot on M Street in Georgetown. Hicham Bennani is the restaurant manager and Victoria Caplick is the general manager. Both are accessible and eager to help with private party arrangements and special seating.
A 100-bottle wine list is intriguing with its variety of wines from Greece, Spain and the Chesapeake region. On Sunday evenings wine is half price and we took advantage of the opportunity. On one occasion we chose the Greek Areti from Macedonia and were charmed by its fruitiness. On the second evening we selected the Altamuta, an Italian pino grigio and enjoyed its smoothness. Also known for its martini bar, Kyma’s “Come Sail Away...to the Mediterranean” martini was a favorite of the Annapolis and Anne Arundel County Visitors Bureau’s recent martini competition.
Much positive rumble is in the air about Kyma and it is well deserved. Its creative food from Greek and Spanish Mediterranean areas, fused with Chesapeake ingredients, will surprise you with daring new taste experiences.
