food

By Emeri Krawczyk
B
uffalo Magazine loves clas-
sic Greek-American diners.
The encyclopedic menus.
The bottomless cups of coffee.
There is something special
about eating pancakes for dinner or chicken
souvlaki with your eggs for breakfast.
Yet, as much as we enjoy these traditional eat-
eries, weve discovered a trend that we like even
more the transformation of some of these places
from ordinary to extraordinary in both food and
dcor. The old stark diner, in many cases, has been
reinvented to become something warmer or more
elegant with traditional favorites offered along-
side more ambitious (but still affordable) entres.
Is this a Buffalo phenomenon? We
think so, and we are smitten with it.
We caught up with a few of these Greek
trailblazers to discover the reason for their
decisions to break out of the mold.
Milos: A twist on tradition
In February 2010, Ray Kollidas pur-
chased the former Marinaccios/Little White
House on Main Street in Williamsville.
Kollidas has spent his entire
life in the kitchen at The Family
Tree in Amherst his familys
other restaurant a mecca for
traditional diner and Greek food.
Ive been in the business my
whole life. I grew up in the kitchen.
We go to Greece every summer to visit
family. I had a clear vision of what I
wanted for this place, said Kollidas.
That vision included a beautiful
space that was modern yet com-
fortable. And in keeping with the
tradition of the Greek diner, serving
great food at reasonable prices.
We wanted it to be family-
friendly. We didnt want to omit any
clientele. We wanted 20-somethings
to be able to come in for a dinner and
drinks, couples to come in for a night
out or a family to celebrate the grand-
parents anniversary, said Kollidas.
The result is dcor that is sleek,
modern and beautiful. A fireplace
enhances the front dining space.
There is a full bar and wine sold by
the bottle, another departure from
Continued on page 40
Local Greek diners are
reinventing themselves,
often in dramatic ways
A
Greek
Odyssey
Special of the day:
Greek Fishermans Stew
is an example of one of
the gourmet menu addi-
tions you can expect
when dining at Milos.
May / June 2013 | buffalom a g a z i n e | 39 38 | buffalom a g a z i n e | May / June 2013
Worlds apart: The next generation of Greek dining is taking things up a notch. Sleek and stylish, Milos has a
different vibe than its counterpart, the Family Tree Restaurant, which is also owned by the Kollidas family.
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391 Washington St.
Downtown Buffalo
716-652-0131
www.butterwoodsweetandsavory.com
a traditional Greek diner.
We are developing a
drink menu because of the
trend of better cocktails.
We wanted Milos to be cur-
rent but comfortable, said
Kollidas, who credits his
wife Rosanna with the atten-
tion to detail, including the
fun plates and glassware.
It makes a huge
impression and gets every
sense going for the custom-
er, said Kollidas. The first
thing is they smell the food,
so when the plate comes it
needs to look appealing. If
you take that extra step, the
customer appreciates it.
Kollidas spent about
eight months develop-
ing his menu when cook-
ing at the Family Tree.
It was my test kitchen.
I had a lot of ideas in my
mind, said Kollidas.
Interestingly, Milos
menu isnt huge. There is
a mix of Greek specialties
and other items. Kollidas
runs daily features, too.
We do everything home-
made. Im in the kitchen five
days a week. Everything is
made from scratch. Here I
have a little more room to be
flexible with more upscale
things, said Kollidas, who
noted that despite being only
eight miles away from the
Family Tree, Milos clientele
expects food thats more
upscale, but the same value.
And yes, breakfast is
served all day along with
fresh-squeezed orange
juice from a swanky
Zumex machine that
Kollidas discovered while
on a beach in Greece.
Nothing is better than
fresh orange juice. I took
down the information and
bought it for my father. I
remember him being mad
trying to fix the old machine
at the Family Tree. There
would be a line out the door
and hed be fighting the
machine, laughed Kollidas.
Will his modern ver-
sion of the Greek diner
help the bottom line?
Its to be determined,
said Kollidas. We have the
old model to go against,
the traditional diner model,
but I think it will go.
We do too.
Milos 5877 Main
St., Williamsville
www.milosonmain.com.
Milos is open 7 days
a week at 7 a.m.
A Greek Odyssey, continued from page 39
Acropolis: The next generation
Now in its 31st year, Acropolis has long been a
mainstay on the ever-changing Elmwood Avenue.
In January 2010, son Paul Tsouflidis took over
the traditional, one-floor Greek diner from his parents,
Effe and John.
Renovations began immediately. The result is a gor-
geous restaurant that now spans two floors and includes
a beautiful bar area with high ceilings and flat screen
TVs a completely redefined space. Tsouflidis upstairs
childhood bedroom is now part of the dining area.
My vision was to be a truly Greek restaurant, said
Tsouflidis. Unlike other Greek places that renovated and
expanded their menus to include more upscale entrees
alongside its tried-and-true diner food, Tsouflidis
moved away from the all-day-breakfast model.
Ive created what Ive seen in Thessaloniki. After
5 p.m., we are strictly dinner. Its one of the things I
wanted to get away from. Its difficult to justify a $24
entre when someone is eating pancakes next to them,
said Tsouflidis, who is also the executive chef.
Now, about 95 percent of the dinner selections are
Greek or Greek influenced.
Our place has two totally different feels and vibes
between breakfast/lunch and dinner, said Tsouflidis.
Its really a dual personality. Even the staff is different.
The food was revised for both dining times, though.
I revamped the entire menu. I wanted more raw and
fresh food. Everything is made from scratch. We wanted
We do everything homemade.
Im in the kitchen five days a week.
Everything is made from scratch.
Ray Kollidas, owner and chef of Milos
Above. Milos Horiotiki is a
traditional rustic Greek salad
of cucumber, tomatoes, green
peppers, onion, kalamata
olives, pepperoncini and feta.
Right. Milos serves what it calls
Fabulous Four Classic Greek
Meze of tzatziki (cucumber,
garlic, dill yogurt), melitzano-
salata (roasted eggplant spread),
taramosalata (carp roe caviar
mousse with lemon and olive
oil) and tirokeftiri (Greek cheese
and roasted red pepper dip).
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No need to call the fire department. In the chic Acropolis on Elmwood Avenue, Michelle Tomasello, left, awaits her appetizer
Saganaki, flaming Greek cheese (often feta) to arrive from server Nada Jamil. This dish is eaten with pita and lemon
(after the fire goes out, of course!). Opa!
Continued on page 42
TasteTempters
42 | buffalom a g a z i n e | May / June 2013 May / June 2013 | buffalom a g a z i n e | 43

Walden Galleria Buffalo

716.683.5986
Eastern Hills Mall Williamsville
716.633.3580

to be healthier too. Well serve fresh fruit

instead of home fries for free, said Tsouflidis.
The change is welcome by customers
and is more in line with what they are look-
ing for, he said. Yet it was difficult for his
father, who retired from the restaurant.
A Greek Odyssey, continued from page 41
Greek to me
Here are a few other local temples
of Greek dining, many of which have
redefined themselves in recent years
with new cuisine and/or a new look:
Buffalo
Panos, 1081 Elmwood Ave.,
www.panosonelmwood.com
Mythos, 510 Elmwood Ave.,
www.mythosbuffalo.com
Kostas, 1561 Hertel Ave.,
www.kostasfamilyrestaurant.com
The Towne Restaurant, 186 Allen
St., thetowne.net
Burbs
Zoe, 5711 Transit Road, East Amherst,
www.thezoerestaurant.com
Olive Tree, 5240 Broadway, Depew,
www.theolivetrees.com
Hillview, 6135 Transit Road, Depew
Forestview, 4781 Transit Road,
Depew, www.forestviewrestaurant.com
Pegasus, 5748 S. Park Ave.,
Hamburg, pegasusrestaurant.net
Ambrosia-Nektar: Time for a taverna
Stavros Malliaris left
Greece in 1977 and moved to
Toronto to live with family.
On weekends hed come to
Buffalo to visit cousins, and
eventually got a job at Panos.
In 1984 he bought the
former Takis Texas Hots
on Elmwood and opened
Ambrosia. In 2001, he opened
Nektar just down the street.
This year marks a new
chapter for both Elmwood res-
taurants. Ambrosia will close at
the end of May, while Nektar
will be expanded and redeco-
rated. The two will become one
by June. He is still debating the
name in lieu of state require-
ments, but is hoping to call it
Ambrosia Taverna and Lounge
(in Greek, taverna is the word
for a restaurant).
Nektars patio will be
enclosed to create extra space.
While plans are still in the
works for the food, Malliaris
definitely wants to create
something fresh.
I decided to go with a
more limited Greek menu. I
am going to bring in a chef
consultant from Greece. We
are going to serve authentic
Greek, like when you go to
Greece, said Malliaris.
Malliaris believes
Buffalonians are ready for this
type of dining experience.
In Greece, we dont order
like we do here. You know, like
a steak. The Greeks say wed
like to have tzatziki, some
potatoes, some dandelions.
Its family style. Everyone
gets a plate and helps them-
selves. Then you ask for,
say, a kilo of lamb chops or
say give us two kilos of fish
and more dandelions, said
Malliaris, who will encour-
age this type of dining in his
new version of Ambrosia.
Greek food focuses
on letting the food speak
for itself, he explained.
In Greece, you get a
nice piece of fish and you
dont want to ruin it. It only
needs virgin olive oil and
lemon, said Malliaris.
He also plans to put new
twists on old Greek favor-
ites. For example, Malliaris
described a moussaka dish
he tried with the twist of a
gorgonzola bchamel sauce.
(Mousakka is a layered egg-
plant and ground meat dish.)
It was spectacular,
he said.
The new interior design
sounds spectacular as well.
Customers will enjoy a
casual space with subtle color
changes, and warm wood
tables and wicker furniture
from Greece. The full bar will
remain, as well as the night-
life with a DJ on weekends.
But what about loyal
Ambrosia customers seeking
breakfast and lunch?
There are a few new
features coming, like made-
to-order crpes and breakfast
smoothies, plus the usual fare.
Like Acropolis, the
new place will stop serving
breakfast/lunch and switch
to dinner at 4 p.m.
Instead of keeping the
whole menu and confusing
people, well still offer a few
sandwiches and then all dinner.
This way we can provide higher
quality food, said Malliaris.
Chef Matt Flores will con-
tinue to cook in the kitchen
while creating a new menu
with his Greek chef consultant.
Hes not egotistical
or crazy. This kid listens.
Hell learn the Greek way,
laughed Malliaris.
Were just as eager to
learn the Greek way of eating.
Nektar 451 Elmwood
Ave., Buffalo
Emeri Krawczyk, a content writer in
The Buffalo News marketing
department, reports on food and
restaurants for Buffalo Magazine.
Presentation is important,
especially the plates.
Even our hash plates
in the morning
are special.
Paul Tsouflidis, owner
and executive chef,
Acropolis Restaurant
It was a struggle for my dad. He put a lot
of heart and energy in this place. But after a
year he was full speed ahead, said Tsouflidis.
His mother still works the early shift,
and is on board with the changes now, too.
I couldnt do it without my mom, said
Tsouflidis, who still uses her recipes.
Like Kollidas, Tsouflidis concentrates on
serving delicious, beautiful food.
Presentation is important, especially
the plates. Even our hash plates in the
morning are special, he said.
Yet with all the changes and more upscale
touches, the prices remain reasonable.
Our price points are around $20 or
below for dinner. That is our comfort zone
for our success. I like seeing my customers
here two or three times a week, he said.
Tsouflidis said the changes are also
helping the bottom line.
My number one decision was to
install a bar. Economically and financially
its needed to sustain my investment. The
money you put in has to be maximized
throughout the day, including a nightlife
after the kitchen closes.
Acropolis is a good example of a
new Greek-American restaurant. Its got
everything you want.
Acropolis 708 Elmwood Ave.
acropolisopa.com
Acropolis kitchen is open every day
from 8 a.m. to 11 p.m. Bar is open later.
Left: Chef Paul Tsouflidis plates the Saganaki.
Above: Is there anything better than hot, flaming
Greek cheese? Get us some pita, ASAP.
Milos Caramel Custard Creme tastes as good as it looks.
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