Pithari Taverna is a
Greek
Greek may refer to:
Greece
Anything of, from, or related to Greece, a country in Southern Europe:
*Greeks, an ethnic group.
*Greek language, a branch of the Indo-European language family.
**Proto-Greek language, the assumed last common ancestor ...
restaurant
A restaurant is a business that prepares and serves food and drinks to customers. Meals are generally served and eaten on the premises, but many restaurants also offer take-out and food delivery services. Restaurants vary greatly in appearan ...
located in
Highland Park, New Jersey
Highland Park is a borough in Middlesex County, New Jersey, United States in the New York City metropolitan area. The borough is located on the northern banks of the Raritan River, in the Raritan Valley region. As of the 2020 United States Cens ...
. The restaurant was founded by Tassos and Chrisanthe Stefanopoulo in 2006; the two had gained experience after operating a Greek foods store next door, New Athens Corner.
Reception of the restaurant included multiple favorable reviews in ''
The Star-Ledger
''The Star-Ledger'' is the largest circulated newspaper in the U.S. state of New Jersey and is based in Newark. It is a sister paper to ''The Jersey Journal'' of Jersey City, ''The Times'' of Trenton and the '' Staten Island Advance'', all of wh ...
'',
the New Jersey section of ''
The New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...
'',
and ''
New Jersey Monthly
''New Jersey Monthly'' is an American monthly magazine featuring issues of possible interest to residents of New Jersey. The magazine was started in 1976. It is based in Morristown. In addition to articles of general interest, the publication fe ...
''.
History
The restaurant was founded by Tassos and Chrisanthe Stefanopoulos.
They gained experience in the food industry by operating a Greek foods shop, called New Athens Corner,
and opened the establishment next door in September 2006.
The indoor dining room of the facility sat 60 people in 2007.
Tassos Stefanopoulos commented to ''
The Star-Ledger
''The Star-Ledger'' is the largest circulated newspaper in the U.S. state of New Jersey and is based in Newark. It is a sister paper to ''The Jersey Journal'' of Jersey City, ''The Times'' of Trenton and the '' Staten Island Advance'', all of wh ...
'' on the opening of the restaurant in 2006 that he wished to share the tradition of Greek cuisine with others.
Cuisine
The establishment is a neighborhood restaurant; Greek food is prepared in the form of an open kitchen.
Dishes include "grilled octopus in oil, vinegar and oregano ... lamb-and-orzo casserole sealed with Greek cheese and baked" and "yogurt with nuts and honey".
Eggplant
Eggplant ( US, Canada), aubergine ( UK, Ireland) or brinjal (Indian subcontinent, Singapore, Malaysia, South Africa) is a plant species in the nightshade family Solanaceae. ''Solanum melongena'' is grown worldwide for its edible fruit.
Mos ...
is a frequent
ingredient
An ingredient is a substance that forms part of a mixture (in a general sense). For example, in cooking, recipes specify which ingredients are used to prepare a specific dish. Many commercial product (business), products contain secret ingredie ...
on the menu at the restaurant. "Ultimate Greek Spread" dishes include "''
dolmades
Dolma (Turkish for “stuffed”) is a family of stuffed dishes associated with Ottoman cuisine, and common in modern national cuisines of regions and countries that once were part of the Ottoman Empire. Some types of dolma are made with who ...
'' (
grape leaves
Grape leaves, the leaves of the grapevine plant, are used in the cuisines of a number of cultures. They may be obtained fresh, or preserved in jars or cans. The leaves are commonly rolled or stuffed with mixtures of meat and rice to produce ...
), ''
tzatziki
Tzatziki ( el, τζατζίκι), also known as tarator or cacık (), is a dip, soup, or sauce found in the cuisines of Southeast Europe and the Middle East. It is made of salted strained yogurt or diluted yogurt mixed with cucumbers, garlic ...
'' (yogurt-based sauce), ''
taramosalata'' (
caviar
Caviar (also known as caviare; from fa, خاویار, khâvyâr, egg-bearing) is a food consisting of salt-cured roe of the family Acipenseridae. Caviar is considered a delicacy and is eaten as a garnish or a spread. Traditionally, the ter ...
dip), and ''
melitzanosalata
Many cuisines feature eggplant salads and appetizers.
Varieties
Middle East, Caucasus, Africa
''Baba ghanoush'' ( ar, بابا غنوج ''bābā ghanūj'') is a popular Levantine dish of eggplant (aubergine) mashed and mixed with various se ...
'' (eggplant)".
For the recommended
seafood
Seafood is any form of sea life regarded as food by humans, prominently including fish and shellfish. Shellfish include various species of molluscs (e.g. bivalve molluscs such as clams, oysters and mussels, and cephalopods such as octopus an ...
option, the restaurant displays the "catch of the day", on ice in the dining room.
Reception
In November 2006, ''
The Star-Ledger
''The Star-Ledger'' is the largest circulated newspaper in the U.S. state of New Jersey and is based in Newark. It is a sister paper to ''The Jersey Journal'' of Jersey City, ''The Times'' of Trenton and the '' Staten Island Advance'', all of wh ...
'' highlighted Pithari Taverna as a local Greek restaurant and among "favorite places to eat" in Highland Park, New Jersey.
In a December 2006 review of the restaurant for ''The Star-Ledger'', Peter Genovese commented, "The appearance of a Greek restaurant is welcome news enough; the fact that Pithari Taverna serves up top-notch food in a colorful, casual setting is cause for celebration, with or without a bouzouki."
A 2007 review in ''
The New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...
'' included the restaurant in a piece, "Standouts Among the Year's Best", giving the restaurant a rating of "very good".
''
Zagat Survey
The ''Zagat Survey'', commonly referred to as Zagat (stylized in all caps; , ) and established by Tim and Nina Zagat in 1979, is an organization which collects and correlates the ratings of restaurants by diners. For their first guide, covering ...
'' listed Pithari Taverna as "top listed" in "Greek Tops".
See also
*
Greek cuisine
Greek cuisine (Greek: Ελληνική Κουζίνα) is the cuisine of Greece and the Greek diaspora. In common with many other cuisines of the Mediterranean, it is founded on the triad of wheat, olive oil, and wine. It uses vegetables, oli ...
*
List of Greek restaurants
Following is a list of notable Greek restaurants, which typically specialize in Greek cuisine:
* Alexis Restaurant – Portland, Oregon, U.S.
* Berbati's Pan – Portland, Oregon
* Daphne's Greek Cafe – United States
* Greek Cusina – P ...
Notes
References
New Jersey culture
Restaurants in New Jersey
Greek restaurants in the United States
Restaurants established in 2006
2006 establishments in New Jersey
{{Restaurants in New Jersey