SPECIAL EDITION JULY 2019 Greek Food and Restaurants The National Herald T H D E L N A AT ER IONAL H www.thenationalherald.com 2 SPECIAL EDITION JULY 2019 Greek Gastronomy THE NATIONAL HERALD ❙ Editorial sing only the fi - From simple to elaborate, Greek nest, freshest, dishes delight ‘foodies’ from all and most flavorful over the world. ingredients, Greek Today, our Greek restaurants cuisine is known in the United States, as well as Uas some of the best in the world. Greek food in Greece, preserve It spreads its culinary influence not the fundamentals of our cuisine: only throughout Europe, but has namely, using mainly fresh local become a mainstay in the Ameri - ingredients such as Mediterranean cas as well. vegetables, olive oil, lemon juice, Due to the geographical location grains, and various types of meat of the country, it fuses elements and seafood. from both eastern and western As I recently read on a travel cultures while maintaining its own blog, Greeks – and Greeks abroad traditions. – approach food with a combination “They don’t eat to live, but rather live to eat – and the meal is almost always a social, convivial occasion” of “seriousness and nostalgia, in - evitably thinking back on the dishes they were raised on. They don’t eat to live, but rather live to eat – and the meal is almost always a social, convivial occasion, which revives the original meaning of companionship – people who break bread together.” While Greek food has been ‘modernized’ to some extent (to keep itself on ‘trend’ with concepts such as street food), its foundation remains unchanged: come togeth - er, always bring your appetite, eat well, and never say “no” when of - fered food! Kali Orexi! Vanessa Diamataris We Delivery our Products Nationwide NOW AVAILABLE PARKING b Info a 27-02 Astoria Boulevard, NY 11102 T. (718) 932-7858 • E. [email protected] BZGRILL.COM ❙ THE NATIONAL HERALD Greek Gastronomy SPECIAL EDITION JULY 2019 3 PHOTOS : TNH/YANA KATSAGEORGIS Marguerite (Margie) Parlamis and Tim Vlahopoulos at Axia Taverna. The exterior of Axia Taverna in Tenafly, NJ. Axia Taverna: “Here, Where Greece Shines” By Yana Katsageorgis Vlahopoulos, Axia manager and partner, and told and with 70 dessert wines, the Axia wine cellar is And he learned so much, working as an assistant him, “I do not know how to run restaurants, I build probably the best wine cellar at a Greek restaurant. chef in some of New York's best restaurants, Le ith the phrase "Here, Greece restaurants. I have a Greek-American chef. He Alexander Gorant (Gorantis), the Executive Chef Bernardin, Town, and Windows on the World with shines,” Shivani Vora, the highly knows how to cook French food, but we sent him and also a partner in Axia, walked over to us with a the world-renowned chefs Eric Ripert and Geoffrey respected food critic summed up to Greece and he learned something about Greek glass of red, Pinot Noire Papaioannou, to cool me, Zakarian. Axia Taverna, 18 Piermont Road in cuisine. What do you say, will you come?” as he told me, before he starts serving some of I sat down for a while at the bar for a chat with Tenafly. The phrase which ap - As a smart head hunter, Parlamis found the the best Greek dishes I have eaten in the 18 years Rozboril Dousan, the star barman who was talking Wpeared in the New York Times restaurant review is most suitable person to organize Axia and equipped I have been in New York. The multi-talented chef about cocktails. I asked if I could photograph him suitable for the headline this article. it with an excellent staff that does not leave easily was full of surprises. Besides serving his roasted before telling him that I was a journalist and he re - Michael Frank Parlamis, the well-known restau - because he is a model professional and an extremely quails with mushrooms, zea, and many other sponded, "Why do you want to photograph me?" rant creator (Frank Parlamis Corporation), who had kind person. It is very difficult to find managers blessed spices that sprang from its flavor oasis, The people at Axia are all very dignified and built over 800 restaurants, opened his first in 2006 like Tim, who if needed, has no problem cleaning there was the Hercules salad with spinach, arugula, humble. They managed to create a family environ - with the name Axia and the desire to thank his the tables, serving food, talking to the clients and kale, and a dressing of baked quinoa with almonds ment dominated by authentic Greek hospitality, wife, Marguerite (Margie) Parlamis, for her value giving me an appointment during business hours and muscat wine, and the pie with artichokes that which is hard to find in the area. So it's no coinci - (axia in Greek) in his life, but also for their many to speak with me. made me dizzy with its deliciousness. dence that you will meet famous people, including years together, eventually, celebrating their 47th He is a juggler with a magical personality, a He played blues on the harmonica later on, Lori Stokes from Fox 5, the famous guitarist Al Di anniversary in 2013, the year he passed away. A connoisseur, and a lover of people and wine, who transporting us to the banks of the Mississippi. Meola, Hollywood actor Bill Murray, and many highly educated man, Parlamis was an MIT and came to America in late 1972 and has been in the Axia’s distinctiveness does not only appear in football players looking for fine cuisine, impeccable Stanford graduate, a humorist, a cosmopolitan, a restaurant business for nearly 50 years. food and service, but also in high-quality live music service, and an intimate atmosphere, in other descriptive narrator and one of the most remarkable Vlahopoulos said, “our success is based on the performed by the popular composer and guitarist words, precisely what Axia has to offer. members of the Greek community. self-sacrifice of all. We love our world. We have Spiros Exaras, who enchants the audience the I will not describe any more dishes I tasted and Axia is there, as Margie his wife, a beautiful become a family with our clients, who are people of days he plays there. saw like all the restaurant reviewers do. I will leave and aristocratic woman, told us, because of his high social and educational level and are very de - Gorant’s hobbies include darts and motorcycles you to discover them on your own...but just between support and love until his last breath, he was con - manding. This inspires us to become better and and he learned to cook. “Why do you think” he us…the Spartan chicken is unforgettable, the Kala - stantly disturbed by restaurants in the surrounding better. One of our strongest points is that we offer asked us. “Most chefs were inspired by their moth - mata salmon is disarming, and the Rhodes pastitsio areas and in Tenafly: "What will happen next? Will excellent cuisine, often much better in quality and at er's cooking. I was inspired by her lack of cooking is a colossus. All this is in a wonderful two-story we never eat a decent meal? I have to create a reasonable prices compared to the very good Greek skills. My mother cooked only a few things. She house that floods you with joy, courtesy, and the restaurant as I want it.” And it was realized just as restaurants in Manhattan. Something that saddens did not like cooking. We always ate spaghetti with need to return, "Here, where Greece shines.” he dreamed it. One of the finest Greek restaurants me is that we do not have many Greeks nearby, for Ragu sauce, and marinated chicken. She did not in the tri-state area was created with the architectural whom I have a particular weakness, although the like cheese or vegetables. I studied at Widener Axia Taverna is located and decorative supervision by the global, award- Metropolis of New Jersey is very close by.” University and then at the French Culinary Institute. at 18 Piermont Road in Tenafly, NJ. winning designer Tony Chi. With 370 labels of different wines, of which 48 I did not know anything about food and I wanted to More information is available by phone: The day he made the decision, he called Tim are offered by the glass and 20 are half-bottles, know so much!” 201-569-5999 and online: axiataverna.com. 4 SPECIAL EDITION JULY 2019 Greek Gastronomy THE NATIONAL HERALD ❙ Amali: Mediterranean Charm in Manhattan By Vasilis Voultsos lavraki. I think that if you are Greek in your heart, you eat what is local, where you live. That we at mali, 115 East 60th Street in Man - Amali always choose sustainability is something hattan, is one of the city's most au - that the public and the press have recognized. thentic and stylish Mediterranean restaurants, serving New Yorkers How would you characterize the clientele of for about eight years now. The Na - the restaurant? Ational Herald met with James Mallios, owner of the I always wanted to have strong ties with the restaurant, for a discussion about food, his life and neighborhood. We have many professionals who future plans, and, of course, about Amali. work around here but also permanent residents. Mallios was born in Flushing, Queens, and traces At weekends, we often have tourists. At Calissa, The tables are set for service his roots to Epirus and even further back to Con - of course, we serve more Greek than we do here, at Amali restaurant in Manhattan.