Prodromos is one of the beautiful villages of Paros, one of those blue-and-white Cycladic dreams we close our eyes and think about during the winter, eagerly awaiting the hour we can get off the ferry again and lose ourselves in its narrow, freshly whitewashed streets.
The taverna run by the Roussos family is located at the edge of the village, right in front of what is now a parking lot. It has been operating for more than half a century, since 1969, when Yiannis Roussos first opened it as a taverna-grocery store. Today, it’s one of the oldest eateries on the island. Over the years, there have been very few changes. The reins have been passed down through the generations, with Yiannis Roussos being succeeded by his son Vlassis and later by his grandson, also named Yiannis, in the management role and with Maria Tzanakopoulou Roussou taking over the cooking from Vasiliki Roussou, the wife of the founder.
Yiannis’ children and grandchildren inherited not just the taverna, but also a farm and orchards in Lefkes and Molos. From these holdings, they supply nearly all their own ingredients for the food they serve, except during the particularly demanding peak tourist period in July and August. They even make their own cheeses from a mix of cow’s and goat’s milk, producing both traditional xinomizithra and Parian kefalotyri, two gastronomic gems they served us as an appetizer along with cold suma (a traditional distillate made from grape marc).
From outside, the place looks like a typical kafenio, but on the inside it’s a traditional little taverna (albeit with a jukebox), and at the back, there’s a cool courtyard with a pergola. We sat out there, close to the courtyard wall and hidden from the sun – they honored us by seating us at the same table where Monica Bellucci had sat two or three years ago. As for the menu, sometimes they have their own squab, which they prepare either in a tomato stew or grilled. In the summer, they serve tender string beans with a good lemon-oil dressing and a Greek salad with wonderfully ripe tomatoes and xinomizithra cheese.
They almost always have a few servings of local chickpeas slow-cooked in a wood-fired oven, tender and flavorful like meat. In season, they offer artichoke and broad bean stews, and they also have classic taverna dishes such as meatballs and zucchini fritters, both exceptional. Depending on the day, they might prepare rabbit or rooster stewed in tomato sauce with fries or pasta topped with plenty of grated kefalotyri. You’ll find some of the island’s bottled wines here as well.
This article first appeared in Gastronomos, Kathimerini’s monthly food magazine.
