Not too long ago many of the most popular restaurants in the South were owned by first or second generation Greek families. Remember Gus’, Nick’s, George’s (usually followed by “Steakhouse” or “Fine Dining”)? Most likely the owner’s real name would be Augustus, Nikos or Giorgios. The subject was brought to my attention last year when I visited Birmingham, AL, to interview Frank Stitts, James Beard Award-winning owner/chef of Highland Grill — himself the son of a WASP doctor. Reflecting on the city’s culinary history, he observed, “The best restaurants in Birmingham used to be Greek/ American steakhouses.”
The next day at breakfast, I chatted with the coffee shop’s owner, an elderly Greek lady who was happy to elaborate. “A generation ago, 70 percent of the congregation of our church [Greek Orthodox] used to be in the food business,” she told me. “Now it’s probably less than 20 percent.” What happened to the children of the restaurateurs? “They became accountants, lawyers and doctors … restaurant work is just too hard.”
Before you conclude that this month’s column is about European immigration patterns throughout the South, let’s turn our attention to our own back yard. With the exception of Giorgios (George) Bakatsias, whose culinary repertoire covers the globe, Greek restaurants in the Triangle have been able to stay focused on classic cuisine of the old country. I like to attribute this to the multicultural and well-traveled population here in the Triangle — we are an experimental lot, willing to try and embrace unfamiliar flavors. As far back as half a century ago, the Mariakakis family found an audience for their mousaka and stuffed grape leaves and lamb shanks in Chapel Hill, even though the most popular menu item was a gargantuan pizza targeted at UNC students with voracious appetites.
Now in the 21st century, there are a handful of opportunities for Hellenic dining in various corners of the Triangle. Xios in Apex, Taverna Agora in Raleigh, the new Mythos Mediterranean Café in Cary, and Papa‘s in Durham (serving Greek and Mediterranean rim) appear to be attracting a new generation of foodies more interested in authenticity than familiarity.
Last April, Greek food enthusiasts in Durham were distraught when Taverna Nikos closed its doors. A mainstay of Durham’s Brightleaf Square for 17 years, it folded after owner Bill Bakis’ partner became ill. Bakis tried retirement for a few months, but he missed the business and sought a new partner. He spotted Chef Giorgios Kastanios, recruited from Athens by Taverna Agora owner Lou Moshakos. A graduate of Le Monde, the prestigious Athenenian culinary school, Kastanios had worked in fine restaurants all over Europe. His passion has always been his own regional cuisine and the food his mother cooked at home. Bakis recognized Kastanios’ talent and enthusiasm and made him an offer he couldn’t refuse — a partnership — to help open a taverna in Morrisville.
Nikos Taverna’s colorful, contemporary new dining room in McCrimmons Shopping Center offers all the familiar standards — such as “patstitsio” (called “Greek lasagna”) and “mousaka” (layers of eggplant, béchamel sauce and ground meat in casserole), as well as the unexpected — “octapodi” (grilled marinated octopus) and “saganaki” (pan-seared kefalograviera cheese flambéed with brandy). A tempting selection of vegetarian entrées includes artichoke, eggplant and spinach dishes. Everything we tried was delicious, cooked with skill and care. Our favorites were “kokkinisto,” the most tender imaginable lamb shank braised for hours in a tomato and wine sauce with hints of cinnamon and rosemary, and “stifado,” a chicken stew made with whole shallots and tomatoes, seasoned with oregano. We fought over the delectable “garides bacon,” grilled shrimp stuffed with crabmeat and wrapped in bacon. “Kolokythokeftedes” (zucchini and cheese cakes) were ethereal, with a subtle tang of feta and a sweet whiff of fresh dill.
Old fans of the original Nikos will soon be able to return to Brightleaf for their fixes of avgolemono soup, fried calamari, and spanakopita. This month, Bakis, Kastanios and third partner, Bakis’ son James, will re-open the restaurant in its original space, the menu similar to Morrisville’s.
“We want to serve real Greek food, not Americanized versions of the old recipes,” Kastanios declares. “We import our olive oil, cheeses, yoghurt and even our pasta from Greece.”
Since the quality of food at the new Nikos is so obviously due to the chef’s close attention to detail, I voiced my concern that Kastanios may spread himself too thin in a second venue. But he is confident in his well-trained staff and promises to bring the same delicate touch, fresh produce, and heart and soul to the re-opened Brightleaf.
“My passion is cooking, and the best paycheck is just hearing a customer say, ‘this is delicious,’” he says.
Clearly, this talented chef and his new partners are in their element serving the food of their homeland — and show no fear of old-fashioned hard work.
NIBBLES
The long-anticipated Mint Restaurant just opened at 219 Fayetteville Street Mall in downtown Raleigh. This upscale dining destination features the contemporary Southern cuisine of Chef Jeremy Clayman whose experience includes cooking at Charleston’s highly rated Peninsula Grill. The Mint is open for dinner Tuesday through Saturday and plans to open for lunch soon. To see the menu and photos of the Mint’s beautiful decor, see www.themintrestaurant.com. Call 919-821-0011 for reservations.
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Piedmont North Carolina may soon become the truffle growing center of North America! Susan Rice, founder of Black Diamond French Truffles, is the newest of only a few truffle cultivators in the United States. This group includes the oldest truffle growing enterprise in America, Hillsborough’s Garland Gourmet Mushrooms and Truffles. BDFT plans to cultivate truffles on 200 acres of land near Pinehurst. The ambitious Rice aims to reinvent North Carolina as the Napa Valley of truffle cultivation. “As Napa is to wine, so North Carolina can be to truffles,” she claims. “This crop could replace tobacco and single-handedly revitalize our farming industry.”
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For fans of our state’s wine country, RagApple Lassie Vineyards in Booneville will offer a chance to taste its award-winning wines at a dinner Feb. 9 prepared by gourmet Chef Sheri Castle of Chapel Hill. Castle, featured in the November issue of Southern Living magazine, not only shares her outstanding knowledge, but royally entertains you, as well. The $30 per person charge includes recipes, ample samples for a light supper and paired wines. Reservations are available at www.ragapplelassie.com or phone 1-866-RagApple.
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“Sweet Arts,” a benefit for the Durham Arts Council, has become a Valentine tradition in the Triangle. Bring your sweetheart to the Council’s building at 120 Morris St. for this annual fundraiser on Saturday, Feb. 9, 8 p.m.-11 p.m. Enjoy decadent desserts from area restaurants and caterers, art by some of the area’s most prominent artists, and entertainment featuring Brother Yusef on piano. Cost is just $25 for tickets available at the door or through www.durhamartguild.org.
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For more sweet treats for your sweetie, check out Sugarland, downtown Chapel Hill’s newest bakery on Franklin Street. Also be sure to visit the newly opened Matthew’s Chocolates in downtown Hillsborough, La Farm Bakery in Cary, and A Southern Season, boasting the biggest selection of chocolates in America (including Raleigh’s own incredible Azurelise chocolates) at University Mall in Chapel Hill.
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Feb. 5 is Mardi Gras, and Blu Seafood and Bar in Durham will be bringing the Big Easy to the Triangle. Chef Tim Lyons will prepare a special Cajun menu, featuring étouffée, boudin, red beans and rice, his famous seafood gumbo, and whole crawfish. Blue Diablo, one of the Triangle’s premier blues bands, will provide live music. Laissez les bon temps roulez!
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Metro Gourmet has been hearing great things about Lopaus Point Market, recognized in The Daily Reflector and Greenville Times as Best Café, Best Dessert, Best Sandwiches and Best Take Out in the Greenville area. Lopaus is a fine prepared foods market focusing on delicious, healthy food. Learn more at www.lopauspointmarket.com.
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For those of us who resolved to eat healthier this winter, Chef Phil Evans now offers a spa-inspired menu at Herons at The Umstead Hotel to complement the hotel’s impressive spa. The three-course menu, focused on extracting wonderful flavor without using fats, will change weekly and be available at lunch for $35 ($25 for those who have spa appointments that day).
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Frazier’s announces a new chef de cuisine, Jeffrey Satterly, formerly sous chef at Herons and chef de cuisine of Carolina CrossRoads. Satterly’s experience includes training at two of America’s finest kitchens — the French Laundry and Lespinasse.
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On Friday, March 7, Siglinda Scarpa, internationally known potter and cooking teacher, will be in the kitchen with Chef Adam Rose at Il Palio cooking an Italian meal in special terracotta cookware she has made just for this event. The restaurant will serve four courses of food “never seen before in this state,” claims Scarpa, hinting at a secret goose recipe. Some of Scarpa’s pottery work will be on display for silent auction. A percentage of the evening’s proceeds will go to benefit the Goathouse Animal Refuge.
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It’s not too early to look ahead and make plans for any or all of these Eastern North Carolina food festivals, each supporting worthy causes:
March 6-9
Celebrate “Taste of the Beach,” a food festival sponsored by the Dare County Restaurant Association at Kill Devil Hills. For reservations and information, link to www.obxtasteofthebeach.com.
April 12
“The Crab Ball Gala & Auction” in Washington features food from 20 popular Eastern NC restaurants and crabby art for sale, as well. For reservations, call the Washington Visitors Center at 1-800-546-0162 or 252-948-9415. More info about the event is available at www.originalwashington.com.
April 23-29
Once more, Beaufort hosts its fourth annual “Beaufort Wine & Food Weekend.” Find out more at www.beaufortwineandfood.com.
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Last month’s Gourmet column featured a photo and recipe of Bill Friday. Metro wishes to thank Catherine Carter for the photograph taken for a project of the Chapel Hill Historic Society. Val Lauder interviewed Mr. Friday as he demonstrated his technique. A more detailed recipe for Mr. Friday’s famous brittle appears in Jean Anderson’s A Love Affair with Southern Cooking.
Nikos Taverna’s “Kolokythokeftedes”
I was so taken with Chef Giorgios Kastanios’ delicate zucchini cakes that I persuaded him to share the recipe. These delightful fritters are easier to make than to pronounce.
Ingredients:
6 zucchinis, grated
¼ red onion, chopped
2 large cloves garlic, minced
¼ cup fresh dill, finely chopped
¼ cup fresh parsley, finely chopped
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
1 egg, lightly beaten
2 teaspoons dried oregano
¾ teaspoon salt
¾ teaspoon black pepper
1 cup fine bread crumbs
½ cup flour
4 ounces feta cheese
½ cup grated kefalograviera cheese (or parmesan)
Mix all ingredients in a large bowl and pat into 2-inch balls.
Deep fry in medium hot olive oil until light brown.
Serve immediately.