Cooking in Greece

We took a cooking class on the island of Naxos. Discover the history, experience, and recipes of Greece.

GREECELIFESTYLE

8/27/20262 min read

We arrived at Gregory’s Tavern, yes GREGORY's tavern, with time to spare and were greeting at the restaurant by the young lady operating the class and her mother who ran the restaurant kitchen. Three other people were expected, so we admired the hills and valleys as we waited. The instructor called us to work after a respectable 15-minute delay, and we were delighted to have her all to ourselves in a 1:1 situation.

Gregory’s Tavern was opened in 1964 by our instructor's grandfather. My Gregory is almost the same age as the restaurant! Originally a minimarket and coffee shop for 40 years, it was turned into a family restaurant with cooking classes. The business is now operated by the third generation, her brother, and she is one of the chefs. In the last few years, they’ve won numerous awards. While some of food was cooking during the class, our instructor took us on a small walking tour of her village. Her family owned the property for several generations and grows many produce items in the garden.

We had step-by-step instructions for each of the dishes and even earned a certificate of completion. Probably because the portions were intended for six people, there was too much food in the end, so we had to take it home too. We also took home certificates of completion from Gregory’s tavern.

Food makes the world go round. Whether eating it or making it, most people find joy in sharing it. Many vacationers will take a cooking class when traveling and we too find it to be a great way to learn more about a culture. While in Naxos, Greece, we signed up for a cooking class high up in a mountain village. Because of the start and end times of the class we were not confident of arriving on time by bus, so we chose to rent an ATV for the day. They are a very common mode of transportation.