Periyali, New York

A cool Mediterranean retreat from the city's chaos, with fabric-swathed ceilings and pristine white furnishings. Even on a hectic night, service is calm and competent, and the professional couples at most of the tables seem to be speaking in peaceful whispers. The kitchen offers scintillating versions of hearty, refreshing Greek favorites. Souvlaki is charcoal-grilled and up scaled with filet mignon to produce an impressively tender, succulent result. Wine-marinated octopus legs are also charcoal-grilled, resulting in astounding flavor and not a hint of rubberness. Classics like garlicky skordalia, fava beans, sauteed chicken livers over lentils, and spanakopita are all best-of-breed versions, the latter prepared as a platter of bite-sized pies. A sizeable portion of moussaka, consisting of layers of juicy ground lamb and eggplant, tied together by a superlative bechamel. For dessert, the array of delicate pastries and the deeply creamy rice pudding are excellent without exception.