Estiatorio Milos and Grilled Squid

Estiatorio Milos and Grilled Squid
🇬🇷 🦑 🇬🇷 🦑 🇬🇷

Lunch at Estiatorio Milos was one of those meals where every dish felt simple at first glance, yet somehow absolutely perfect once it hit the table. A high-end Greek seafood restaurant located in The Venetian Resort on the Las Vegas Strip, founded by chef Costas Spiliadis, it is widely considered one of North America’s finest Greek dining establishments, known for its emphasis on pristine, fresh ingredients and authentic Mediterranean preparations.

We shared taramosalata with warm pita and crudité, a Greek salad with vine-ripened heirloom tomatoes and feta, slow-cooked gigantes, grilled jumbo prawns, chargrilled octopus with Santorini fava, sautéed diver scallops, and a beautiful sepia dish with fresh Mediterranean cuttlefish and black ink risotto.

The cuttlefish especially stayed with me afterward. I wanted to recreate that same Mediterranean combination of seafood, olive oil, lemon, and black rice at home, but since fresh cuttlefish wasn’t available, I decided to make my own version using grilled squid instead.

The squid turned out so tender and lightly smoky from the grill that I ended up making two variations. The first version was sliced into strips and paired with grilled chiles. For the second version, I sliced the grilled squid into rings and tossed it generously with fresh parsley and basil before serving it over black rice. To echo some of the briny depth of the restaurant’s black ink risotto, I cooked the rice in clam juice, which gave the dish an even deeper seafood flavor.

Squid worked beautifully here as a substitute for cuttlefish because the preparation is so simple and seafood-focused. While cuttlefish is slightly meatier and richer, grilled squid brings a similarly clean Mediterranean flavor and silky, succulent texture.

Estiatorio Milos and Grilled Squid

Taramosalata, Pita, And Crudité
Greek Salad, Vine-Ripe Heirloom Tomatoes
Slow-Cooked Gigantes

Grilled Jumbo Prawns
Sepia, Fresh Mediterranean Cuttlefish, Black Ink Risotto
Chargrilled Octopus, Santorini Fava
Diver Fresh Scallops, Sautéed

Chardonnay, Marmarias, Ktima Tselepos, Arcadia 2022

Marmarias Chardonnay from Ktima Tselepos has a refined balance of citrus, stone fruit, subtle oak, and bright acidity that works beautifully with Mediterranean seafood.

The wine’s lemon and mineral notes echo the grilled squid and parsley-lemon dressing, while its slightly creamy texture complements the black rice without overwhelming the dish. Its freshness also cuts through the olive oil and smoky char from the peppers, keeping the pairing clean and vibrant from start to finish.

Grilled Squid and Black Rice Recipes

Mediterranean Grilled Squid
Charred Pepper Ribbons and Black Rice

CHARRED PEPPER RIBBONS

2 medium-large mild peppers (such as Anaheim)
1 T. olive oil
pinch salt

Char peppers until blackened all over.
Steam in covered bowl 10 min, then peel.

Remove stems + seeds. Slice into long ribbons.
Toss with olive oil + salt. Set aside.

BLACK RICE

1 c. black rice (such as Seggiano, product of Italy)
8 oz. clam juice (such as Bar Harbor)
1 1/2 c. water
1 T. olive oil
1 small shallot, minced
1 garlic clove, minced
1 T. butter
zest of 1/2 lemon
salt + pepper

Heat olive oil in pot.
Cook shallot 3 min. Add garlic, cook 30 sec.
Stir in rice 1 min.

Add clam juice and water. Cook covered over medium-low ~40 min until tender.
Add more hot liquid if needed.

Finish with butter + lemon zest + salt + pepper.

LEMON–PARSLEY DRESSING

3 T. olive oil
juice of 1/2 lemon
1 small garlic clove, finely grated
1 T. parsley, chopped
salt + pepper

Whisk together. Set aside.

GRILLED SQUID

1 lb calamari tubes, thawed (such as Town Dock)
1–2 T. olive oil
salt + pepper

Pat dry well.

Toss with olive oil, salt, pepper.

Grill very hot:

2 min first side
1 – 2 min second side

Remove immediately. Slice vertically into strips.

Toss while warm with:

lemon–parsley dressing
chile pepper ribbons

TO SERVE

Plate black rice on one side of the plate.
Plate grilled squid on the other side, like Estiatorio Milos presentation.

Finish with:

parsley sprig
lemon wedges

Mediterranean Grilled Squid Rings
Lemon Herb Dressing over Black Rice

LEMON–HERB DRESSING

3 T. olive oil
juice of 1/2 lemon
1 small garlic clove, finely grated
2 T. parsley, chopped
2 T. basil, chopped
salt + pepper

Whisk together. Set aside.

GRILLED SQUID

Cook squid the same as above. Slice horizontally into rings.

Toss while warm with lemon–herb dressing.

TO SERVE

Spoon black rice into shallow bowls. Top with grilled squid.

Finish with:

basil sprig
lemon wedges
edible flower (orchid)

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Thank you to CC and FA for the fabulous lunch! 💙