New Arrivals – March 2022
Posted by estiator at 10 March, at 16 : 32 PM Print
A coast-to coast glance at some of the industry’s newest additions
Chicago, IL | LYRA | lyrarestaurant.com
A pair of Mykonos food stars moved to Chicago to open this upscale Greek spot in Chicago’s Fulton Market, Eater reports. Athinagoras Kostakos and Alexis Zopas ran Scorpios, a popular beachside restaurant; Kostakos also won the Greek edition of Top Chef. They met Chicago restaurateur David Rekhson, who was visiting his wife’s family in Nafpaktos, and the rest is history. Instead of blue and white, the decor trends rustic, with swirling murals in earth tones. Olive oil, olives, capers, and salt will be imported from Greece, as will roughly 60 percent of the wine cellar.
Charlotte, NC | SISTER | sisterclt.com
Andy and Lesa Kastanas, who own local hot spot Soul Gastrolounge, opened this “European all-day café” in January. It replaces Kiki, a hip Greek eatery the pair closed last year. According to Eater, Sister will serve Greek specialties from Kiki’s menu, like spanakopita, baklava, moussaka, salads, gyros, and more. The Kastanas are also importing items from Soul Gastrolounge, like the pork belly tacos and anchovy fries. The Greek beer Mythos is among drink offerings.
Schererville, IN | NISI GREEK TAVERNA | nisitaverna.com
Dean and Katerina Frangos, who own a popular steakhouse down the street, opened this sit-down Greek eatery last month. According to a local website, they teamed with Dean’s father, Stamatios Frangos, who owned a local diner. Nisi adorns its walls with sea sponges imported from Kalymnos, Dean Frangos’ family home. Appetizers include tzatziki, tarama, melitzano salata, tirokafteri, and skordalia; shared plates include feta and honey, manouri, saganaki, dolmades, spanakopita sticks, calamari, shrimp saganaki, and keftedes. A full bar serves craft cocktails, Greek liquors like ouzo, Greek wines, and imported beers.
Dallas, TX | GREEK ISLES GRILLE & TAVERNA | greekislesgrille.com
One door closes, another opens, the saying goes. In December, this beloved Dallas Greek spot closed its location in suburban Plano after 28 years. In an interview with a local newspaper, owner Chris Kostas blamed lease issues. The same month, however, Greek Isles reopened a restaurant in northwest Dallas that closed two years ago after a tornado destroyed its roof. “They had to come in and reassess the building, and it turned into a much bigger job,” said Kostas, whose partners are his wife, Amanda, and father, Gus. “The pandemic also slowed down the pace of the rebuild.” Traditional favorites define the menu here; white and blue dominate the dining room.
Indian Land, SC | THE GREEK GRILL | greekgrillsc.com
The Pahountis family opened the second location of its popular fast-casual spot in January. This is unabashed comfort food, from dolmades and spanakopita to gyros, souvlaki, and kefte to rice pudding, loukmades, galaktompoureko, and kataifi. “Everything on our menu is made to order and homemade,” owner Nick Pahountis told a local website. “We import our feta cheese, olive oil, and oregano from Greece. Even our pita bread is from a large Greek community in Astoria, N.Y.”
Washington, D.C. | PHILOTIMO | philotimodc.com
We’ll let Philotimo’s manifesto do the talking: “Rooted in Greece’s storied foodways, Philotimo is an exploration of the country’s cherished traditions and culinary beauty through the lens of Michelin-starred chef Nicholas Stefanelli.” The menu pays homage to Stefanelli’s Greek heritage, spanning “mountainsides of the Greek isles scented with wild rosemary and lavender, Macedonian vineyards led by smallbatch Greek winemakers, seaside Peloponnesian villages where farmstand producers create world-class olive oil and raw honey.” The menu updates traditional faves like pitsouni magiritsa and sinagride plaki. Likewise, the wine menu roams all over Greece.
