An authentic Greek dining and cultural experience has come to 1814 Western Avenue in the form of Athos, a new restaurant that opened Friday, Aug. 1.
Athos occupies the former CafE Cabernet building, which has been completely renovated to reflect an authentic Greek establishment.
The owners added a private dining area for large parties and furnished it with a big-screen television, in addition to other upgrades.
Co-owner George Danes said Athos allows patrons to experience authentic Greek dining and offers easy access from throughout the Capital District.
Athos’ menu features fresh fish, lamb and beef, Danes said. It also offers a choice of healthy salads, and all the traditional Greek desserts.
The restaurant is owned by Harry Hatziparaskevas, Danes and Stratton Sokaris. Hatziparaskevas and Danes are cousins, and Sokaris is Danes’ nephew.
Danes said he believes he has found a winning team, combining youth and experience and a motivation to provide and authentic Greek experience.
Each member of the team brings something different to the table, he said.
Sokaris brings culinary experience from Jack’s Oyster House, Longfellows in Saratoga, and Arlington Steak House in West Sand Lake. He is a recent graduate of Schenectady County Community College with a degree in Culinary Arts and Management.
He said his line of work can often be stressful, and now that they have opened up a new restaurant that has seen some sizable crowds, it is a real rush.
You’ve got to love it, otherwise you’re in the wrong line of work, Sokaris said.
Hatziparaskevas is the executive chef and brings 45 years of cooking experience, co-owner George Danes said. Hatziparaskevas was busy preparing for lunch, which Athos now serves, and was unable to comment.
He was a chef in Manhattan at the Greek restaurant Ithaka, which he has now left in the charge of his son.
He has cooked all around the world, Danes said, and has had success in restaurant management as well as food preparation.
Danes said he wants Athos to be able to capture the Greek culture and the experience of a Greek meal.
He said Greek culture has had resurgence in the area, and the Greek festival at St. Sophia’s Greek Orthodox Church in Albany draws between 12,000 and 15,000 people, and this restaurant will allow people to continue to
experience the Greek tradition.
`The idea of a Greek restaurant has been a dream of mine and my wife, Sophia, for a number of years,` Danes said.
`Eating and having a meal is a happening. It’s a time for people to relax, reconnect, to share, to talk and to laugh; basically a time to refresh your soul.`
He said he wants to capture the essence of Greek life, and allows patrons to order everything from Greek entrees like souvlaki, to `meze,` a much smaller order that usually involves a drink of wine and small plate to share with a companion.
Athos is also featuring a number of red and white Greek wines that are usually not found in the area.
He said a very long time ago Greece was plagued by wines that tasted of pine, because the storage areas in slave-driven rowboats allowed it to seep into the drink.
They have come a long way from that, Danes said, and now Greece has a formidable emerging fine-wine market.
`It’s underappreciated, but they’re really starting to market it. Greece has come a long, long way in the quality of its products,` he said.
Danes said that as Albany moves toward a more cosmopolitan environment, with SUNY Albany and its nanotechnology research building and other nearby schools like RPI, that it is ready for diverse and exciting dining. He said Athos fits well into the emerging area.
Danes cited restaurants like Mezza Notte, Provence, Hana Japanese Steak House and Ichiban, as leaders for regional fine dining, and the beginning of a dining `corridor` on Western Avenue.
`Guilderland is experiencing an increase in restaurants from one end to the other, with an entertainment factor, specific ethnic cuisine or both. The variety of new and established places to eat translates into something for everyone; from Sutter’s or Mike’s Diner to Athos and the Melting Pot. Residents love that,` said Kathy Burbank, executive director of the Guilderland Chamber of Commerce.
Danes said Athos plans on joining the Guilderland Chamber of Commerce shortly.
`It’s not a matter of if, it’s when,` Danes said. `It’s our intention to be a good neighbor. The people who live in the town have been very supportive.`
“