A Table Set for Summer: Five Greek Dishes That Define Dining at Calissa
There are meals that nourish. And then, there are meals that remember.
To dine at Calissa on a summer evening in Water Mill is to surrender to something richer than simple sustenance — it is to be immersed in a ritual of light, flavor, texture, and timeless Mediterranean joy. Here, under the soft glow of hanging lights and the hush of sea breezes threading through birch trees, the table becomes a destination.
The food, of course, is the soul of this experience — not just beautifully plated, but deeply considered. Our ingredients are the quiet heroes: wild-caught, heritage-raised, locally sourced when possible, always of exquisite quality. Many dishes are naturally gluten-free, dairy-free, or easily adaptable — a reflection of the lightness of the Mediterranean diet and the evolving needs of modern diners.
Among the many standouts on Calissa’s sun-soaked summer menu, there are five that the team returns to again and again. Five dishes that speak not just to flavor, but to philosophy. And when paired with selections from our Wine Spectator-awarded list, they become something more than dinner. They become memory.
1. Local Montauk Salt Baked Fish for The Table
Paired with: Domaine Sigalas Assyrtiko, Santorini
There’s a kind of theater to this dish — a quiet spectacle, performed without fanfare. The salt-baked fish arrives whole, its skin charred just enough to crackle beneath a fork, its flesh delicate and glistening. A server deftly fillets it tableside, the ritual precise, almost reverent.
It’s a fish that doesn’t need dressing up. Simply seasoned, brushed with olive oil, kissed by smoke, and served with lemon and fresh herbs, it speaks of long, lazy lunches along the Aegean coast. Montauk may be its origin, but the soul of this fish is Greek.
Sourced from pristine waters and chosen for its rich, clean flavor, it’s a centerpiece meant to be shared — whether between lovers on a date or old friends catching up over a second bottle of wine. And speaking of wine: there is no more perfect pairing than an Assyrtiko from Santorini. Dry, bracing, almost saline, it mirrors the branzino’s lightness and balances every buttery flake of fish with a blade of citrus.
This is summer at its most elegant: elemental, communal, unforgettable.
2. Pasture-Raised Australian Lamb Chops
Paired with: Domaine Tatsis Xinomavro, Young Vines
While the sea may dominate the Calissa table, the land holds its own with astonishing grace. Nowhere is that more evident than in the lamb chops — pasture-raised in Australia, seasoned with restraint, grilled to pink-centered perfection.
The dish is served simply, as it should be: four, six, or eight chops arranged with lemon potatoes and a side of creamy tzatziki. It’s not flashy. It’s better than that. It’s the kind of plate that feels rooted — in tradition, in confidence, in craft.
The lamb is impossibly tender, its flavor subtly grassy, a result of the animals’ free-roaming diets and humane raising. This dish is a nod to the mountains of Northern Greece, where meat is slow-cooked and savored with good bread and better wine.
Speaking of wine: the Xinomavro from Tatsis is a triumph. With notes of black cherry, olive tapenade, and a whisper of smoke, it meets the lamb where it lives — deep, complex, and just wild enough to thrill.
3. The Classic Greek Salad
Paired with: Gaia Monograph Moschofilero, Peloponnese
There are versions of Greek salad that have wandered far from home. But at Calissa, we stay close to the source.
Ripe tomatoes, crisp cucumber, slivers of red onion, kalamata olives — and at the center, a generous slab of creamy, crumbly Arahova feta. No lettuce. No trickery. Just the classic, composed with reverence and plated with a kind of rustic elegance.
This is the dish that arrives first, that is picked at all through dinner, that ties everything together. It’s bright, refreshing, and deeply satisfying — a palate cleanser and a conversation starter. The ingredients are impossibly fresh, sourced as locally as possible, often from farms just down the road.
It pairs beautifully with a chilled glass of Moschofilero — a white wine native to the Peloponnese. Its floral aroma and bright acidity echo the salad’s citrus and herb notes. It’s the kind of pairing that makes one sigh softly and reach for another forkful.
4. Crispy Calamari (Gluten-Free)
Paired with: Tselepos Amalia Brut Rosé, Peloponnese
This is the secret indulgence — the one ordered “for the table” and devoured before mains even arrive. Calissa’s calamari is a masterclass in balance: crisp without heaviness, golden without oiliness, and impossibly light, thanks to a gluten-free flour blend and a feather-light fry.
Served with a whisper of Calabrian chili and lemon aioli, it’s the kind of dish that disappears faster than you meant it to — and makes you consider ordering another round. The secret? Top-quality squid, always fresh. Oil that’s never overused. And the kind of attention to detail that elevates a simple fry into something transcendent.
Its ideal partner? Sparkling rosé from the Peloponnese — Tselepos Amalia Brut. It cuts through the richness with fine bubbles and red fruit zip. It’s also pink — which, let’s be honest, never hurts.
5. Calissa Ice Cream Sundae
Paired with: Samos Vin Doux, Muscat of Samos
Dessert should never be an afterthought. At Calissa, it’s a finale worthy of applause.
Our house sundae is an homage to the joy of simplicity. House-made Greek yogurt ice cream meets tahini caramel, crumbled halva, and a cascade of dark chocolate sauce. It’s grown-up and playful at once — the kind of thing that makes diners close their eyes after the first bite.
It’s also a testament to our pastry team’s philosophy: flavor first, always. Many of our desserts are gluten-free, and some dairy-free, made without sacrificing an ounce of indulgence.
With this sundae, we recommend a pour of Samos Vin Doux — a sweet Muscat from the island of Samos. With floral notes and just enough acid, it dances with the caramel and complements the tahini’s nutty depth. Together, they’re magic.
The Ingredients That Tell the Story
What unites all five dishes — and indeed, the entire Calissa menu — is the purity of its ingredients. We source locally when possible. We choose heritage-raised meats, wild-caught fish, organic greens. We cook exclusively with Mediterranean extra virgin olive oil and non-GMO sunflower oil. And we keep our preparations clean — so each element has room to sing.
The result? Dishes that feel luxurious without being heavy. That make you feel better, not worse. That linger in your memory long after the table has been cleared.
One Table, Endless Memories
Dining at Calissa is more than a meal. It’s an atmosphere. A rhythm. A story told in five courses, or maybe more. It’s laughter between mezze and mains, the hush of candlelight on a late summer night, the rising beat of a DJ set as dessert is served.
And these five dishes — our team’s favorites — are the anchors of that experience. Order them all, share everything, pour something new. Let the night unfold.
Because when the ingredients are this good, the wine this cold, and the company this lovely… what else is there to do but savor it all?