New Arrivals – October 2023
Posted by estiator at 9 October, at 12 : 31 PM Print
A coast-to coast glance at some of the industry’s newest additions
New York City | STAFILI WINE CAFÉ | stafiliwinecafe.com
After opening in the West Village during the pandemic, owner and sommelier Christos Lampadaris has planted a flag in Tribeca. Stafili Wine Café boasts one of the city’s most extensive Greek wine lists, with sparkling, natural, orange, rose, and aged Amphora wines by the glass or bottle. Dessert wines and Greek beers—including Crazy Donkey IPA from Santorini and Vergina Black from Thrace—round out the menu. “In our West Village location, we have 150 Greek wines; in Tribeca, we plan to reach 600 or 700,” a rep tells Estiator.
Muskegon, Michigan | GREEKSHORE | greekshore.com
Promising “authentic Greek street food,” this quick-service spot opened in June. Staples like gyros, salads, spanakopita, saganaki, and loukanikos share the menu with sweets including baklava, bougatsa, and rice pudding. Daily specials might include moussaka or pastitsio. Picturesque Muskegon is on the shores of Lake Michigan, about 42 miles northeast of Grand Rapids.
Doylestown, Pennsylvania | OPA GRILLE | opa-grille.com
Chios natives Jimmy Giannoumis and Gus Mamounas opened this casual spot in early September, starring “recipes that have been passed down from generation to generation.” The menu leans traditional, with hearty mains like moussaka, pastitio, and brizola, along with salads, sandwiches, and pasta. Sweets include baklava, karithopita, and kataifi. “ΚΑΛΩΣ ΗΡΘΑΤΕ,” or “WELCOME,” its Facebook page proclaims. Doylestown is in Bucks County, about 25 miles north of Philadelphia.
Huntington, New York | SKORPIOS BY AVLI | order.toasttab.com/online/skorpiosbyavli
An iconic Long Island restaurant has new owners after 45 years—but the apple isn’t falling far from the tree. Theotokis “Dennis” Goussis has passed the torch to daughter Christina and her spouse, John Koukounas. After a brief hiatus, the couple has reopened Skorpios as Skorpios by Avli. Koukounas’ family also owns Avli: The Little Greek Tavern in Bayside and Avli: The Little Greek Kitchen in West Hempstead.
Cleveland, Ohio | OPA.GR | instagram.com/opa.gr.cle
Paul Papas’ takeout-only joint opened in June in a former church building. “I’m authentic and original,” Greek-born Papas told a local news site of his cooking. “There’s no one like me.” His handwritten menu, which changes daily, might feature a Greek Village Salad, gyros, egg-salad sandwiches, pork souvlaki tzatziki sauce, and baklava sundae. Picnic tables provide seating for his growing base of customers.
New York City | ELENI’S GOODS MARKET & CAFÉ | elenisgoods.com
This café and market in Gramercy Park is an off-shoot of Eleni’s Divine Greek Cuisine, the nearby fine-dining spot owned by Eleni Gianapulos. Her new eatery offers coffee and espresso drinks, “Greek milkshakes” in flavors like chocolate and passion fruit, flavored “Greek freddoccino” beverages, baked goods, and a selection of Greek products. A sombrero-wearing donkey stands in the window, a nod to coffee’s key role here.
