New Arrivals – February 2021
Posted by estiator at 11 February, at 07 : 24 AM Print
A coast-to coast glance at some of the industry’s newest additions
Aventura, FL
ORNOS ESTIATORIO
michaelmina.net/restaurants/ornos-estiatorio
Chef Michael Mina, whose résumé includes James Beard Awards and a Michelin star, has opened his first Greek concept at South Florida’s Aventura Mall. Ornos Estiatorio was apparently inspired by a trip to Ornos Beach in Mykonos. “We sat in this quaint little restaurant located in front of a small fishing village and quickly saw how it brought the community together. This is what Greece is about,” managing partner Girair Goumroian told one interviewer. “We knew we had to bring this experience to the States.” On the menu at the 160-seat eatery: starters like avgolemono, saganaki, and spanakopita; mains like phyllo-crusted Dover sole and grouper Spetsiota; and desserts including baklava and “Yia Yia’s rice pudding.” Longtime Mina associate Chef Nikolaos Georgousis runs the kitchen.
Clinton, MS
ATLAS GREEK DOWN SOUTH
atlasgreek.com
Born as a stall in a food hall in nearby Jackson, Atlas Greek Down South opened its first stand-alone location in November in Clinton, Mississippi. According to the Mississippi Business Journal, the restaurant has earned a loyal local following for a blend of Greek and Southern dishes including gyros, hummus plates, and salads, “each with a Southern twist.” Among them: signature Atlas fries, or spiral spiced potato skewers; Greek quesadillas with spicy feta spread; traditional dolmas, gyros, and Greek salads; and Mediterranean offerings like falafel and hummus. Owner Chad Segrest describes the approach as “American Greek Down South.”
Bronx, NY
AVENUE GYRO
avenuegyro.com
Loukaniko dominates the menu of this new Greek/Mediterranean spot on the Bronx’s famed Arthur Avenue, home to the borough’s Little Italy. The restaurant is offering a hearty menu of gyros, kebabs, grilled chicken, fries, feta spreads, and a heaping Greek salad. But early reports have been that the bright little eatery is facing headwinds. WABC-TV visited the restaurant in December; it was “deserted” on a Monday at lunchtime, the station reported. “Usually I work in the kitchen,” owner Rimi Cerriko told WABC. “I am a chef. I am a chef at this place here. But now, I am just doing the job of somebody else because he’s at home now. We cannot pay him.” There’s a glimmer of hope for Arthur Avenue, though; the strip “has become a shopping oasis for cooped-up metropolitan area residents with money to spend,” the New York Post reported recently.
