Mourayo is Greek for safe harbor, where Aegean fishermen take refuge until dangerous winds subside, and Mourayo on Connecticut Avenue NW, just below Florida Avenue, is a new and cozy little harbor where warmth and conviviality reign.
There’s room for about 40 diners, and the tables, covered in crisp white cloths, each adorned with a single colorful Gerber daisy in a little vase, are likely to become some of the most sought-after in the neighborhood.
A stunning blue-green etched glass panel behind the bar at the back depicts the sea in subtle hues. An olive branch on the front wall, hanging blue lamps and faux portholes along the walls evoke the Greek seaside.
The elegant Natalina Koropoulos is familiar to the Dupont Circle neighborhood as the owner of the popular La Tomate on the opposite side of Connecticut Avenue, and the care she has taken with her new restaurant is evident immediately, both in the details of decor and the cuisine. Diners obviously are enjoying themselves, and it’s fun to sit at one of the window tables to watch the colorful array of passers-by.
This is not the usual run-of-the-mill Greek cuisine. Mourayo is about grilled fresh fish, wonderfully moist and fragrant with herbs; unusual seafood dishes; and several excellent meats.
Sauteed shrimp in a sauce of tomatoes and feta cheese is a highlight of the appetizers. The shrimp are tender, and the cheese adds both flavor and texture. Shrimp dumplings, actually beignets, on a red-pepper coulis are pleasant, though the sauce could use a little more zing to balance the flavor of the shrimp.
On one recent evening, we started dinner with miniature cod cakes in a light tarama sauce. It’s a very Mediterranean combination, and the slightly salty fish-roe sauce added the perfect touch to the delicate fritters.
Manouri cheese and roasted peppers in phyllo pastry, called “beggar’s pouch,” is another fine way to start. So, too, are the cardamom-spiced clams in white wine sauce; grilled cuttlefish and steamed mussels in lemon sauce, and the traditional tyropita, cheese baked in a light pastry. Mourayo’s menu, as befits a new restaurant, is evolving as unique dishes are added, such as fresh sardines wrapped in grape leaves in a tomato sauce.
The tentacle of grilled octopus was splendidly presented, though a bit tough and a little chewy. The accompanying fava-bean puree, served cold, would retain its full flavor if served warm or even at room temperature.
The squid-ink soup is excellent and not to be overlooked. It’s a light, slightly salty broth tasting of the sea but without the fishy aftertaste, and it makes a fine starter.
The grilled whole fish is outstanding. We chose a branzino, a sea bass. The kitchen prepares a mixed seafood soup similar to a bouillabaisse, fresh cod filet sauteed with beet root, and sauteed John Dory. The daily choice of grilled whole fish is dependent on what’s available at market but usually includes red snapper, striped bass and sole.
The meats are first-rate. Four small lamb chops are cooked precisely to order and served with a white-bean puree. The pork loin is equally delicious, tender to the fork and served with an unusual sauce of figs, manouri cheese and honey. It’s an excellent version of a pork roast, and the slightly sweet sauce and pork enjoy a happy marriage.
Some diners don’t fancy fish or red meat, and grilled chicken breast with an eggplant, tomato and thyme sauce makes a fine choice. So does the sauteed quail, partially boned and served with slices of oven-baked potato. For those truly into the Greek dining experience, Peloponnesian goat soup is available regularly.
Any of the three salads on the menu makes a good starter or, in the French style, a refreshing dish after the main course. Beet salad includes beet greens in a garlicky vinaigrette; Santorini salad is a fresh mixed green salad with a sun-dried tomato dressing and shaved hard cheese, similar to provolone; and the traditional shepherd salad of lettuce, tomatoes, olives and cucumbers is enlivened by a creamy feta dressing.
Desserts are offered with clever names, such as Aspasia’s Ecstasy (strawberries in red wine with vanilla ice cream), Aphrodite’s Desire (yogurt, honey and walnuts), Sappho’s Rhapsody (melon balls, ouzo and mint). As is the wont in Greece, desserts are quite sweet for example, a small slice of ravani cake (similar to a sweet moist sponge cake) in a wine sauce or galaktoboureko (citrus cream in phyllo pastry).
Additional lighter items, such as chicken kebabs with a yogurt sauce, are on the lunchtime menu. Occasionally, the chef will prepare a mean moussaka. Lunch prices are somewhat lower than dinner.
There’s a thoughtful selection of Greek wines, including an excellent Skouras red by the glass. Service is knowledgeable and friendly, and any dish that is not to a diner’s liking is replaced quickly. Mourayo is a safe harbor for a diner with a taste for something unusual as well as the familiar.
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