Return of the classics

Such internationalization is amply demonstrated with Chef and the Dog (Chef and the Dog, Loukianou 21b, Athens; +30 21 0724 8889), a takeaway restaurant that offers creative hot dogs -- not a traditional Greek street meal.
Its range of hot dogs -- German, Japanese katsu, Korean, Mexican, even lobster -- as well as its low prices and long hours has made it the hip alternative to koulouri stands amongst the young.
Then there's Kioftes (Kioftes Likavittou 6, Athens; +30 21 0364 7969), a tiny restaurant takeaway below Mount Lykabettus, that takes its name from traditional Greek meatballs.
Kioftes (or Keftes) is the Greek equivalent of falafel, an indigenous on-the-go street food and as such the main ingredient of Athenian picnic baskets.
Hidden away from the street by giant jasmine creepers, Kioftes has been a runaway success using "grandma's recipes from Smyrna dating from 1904" reminding many Greeks of their own migrations from the Middle East almost 100 years ago.
It has been so successful, it now aspires to be classed as full-blown restaurant offering appetizing Smyrniot dishes such as Meliassiá (bourek pastries with cheese honey and sesame), Aplotí (eggplants with cheese and tomato) and, of course, meatballs.
It's not all new. More traditional Greek street food has seen a recent resurgence.
Souvlaki (skewered grilled meat) has been reinvigorated and kebabs are back with a vengeance thanks to strict new quality controls that take the guesswork out of the ingredients.
Back on the tour Kantaroglou takes us to Kostas (Kostas, Plateia Agias Irinis 2, Athens; +30 21 0323 2971), a hole-in-the wall family takeaway since 1946 that's famed for its traditional juicy souvlaki and homemade tomato sauce.
Wrapped in a delicious, perfectly cooked pita, the souvlaki at Kostas is a reminder that the best food is often the simplest.
While versions of some Greek street food can be found from Budapest to Bangladesh, loukoumades, fried dough balls in honey and cinnamon, is as unique to Greece as the Parthenon.
At the Krinos patisserie (Krinos, Aiolou 87; Athens; +30 21 0321 6852) we taste a batch straight from the pan. They're delicate, fluffy and fragrant.
Here I also drink a glass of Greece's second contribution to coffee culture.
Cold frappé is made from Nescafé instant powder beaten with cold water and ice -- a perfect thirst quencher.
Legend has it that it was created when the lack of hot water in a Thessaloniki exhibition back in the 1950s forced a Nescafé salesman to improvise and offer glasses of cold coffee all round.
It's a story reflected in today's Athens where tough times have forced a rethink of old traditions, especially where food is concerned.
Because whatever the economic conditions, Athenians will never stop eating well -- gastronomy, after all, is a Greek word.