Upon taking a stroll in Astoria, it is virtually impossible to not pass a Greek eatery. Whether it be a bakery, diner, or souvlaki cart, the Greeks are everywhere in Astoria’s food industry. Despite the demographical changes in Astoria, the Greeks have cemented their place as entrepreneurial heavyweights in the food industry and the popularity of Greek food continues to grow.
History of Greek Eateries
The first recorded Greek restaurant opened in the 1880s on the Lower East Side of Manhattan where it served as a meeting place with a taste of home for Greek migrants. From these humble beginnings, Greek restaurants began springing up in Chicago and New York. The innovative Greeks gained popularity among American workingmen by driving a lunch wagon into the factory district and then opening restaurants on the fringes of it. Serving food at prices agreeable to the workers, the Greek restaurateur gained a good reputation. Earlier Greek restaurants advertised standard American cuisine sprinkled with Greek specialties. Over time, the clientele of Greek restaurants expanded far beyond the original crowd of Greek immigrants. Greek Orthodox communities used food fairs and festivals for fundraising purposes and brought Greek food to the typical American diet (Moskos 153-5)1.
Souvlaki Lady cart in Astoria. Picture taken by Rebekah Lopatto, 27 March 2015
Competition and Adaptation
In the 1990s, Greeks dominated the business world of Astoria. Such businesses that sold “ethnic entertainment” were in a particularly competitive field. The large Greek population afforded no advantages to Greek entrepreneurs. As a result of the limits on how much food quality and prices could be altered, a certain standard for Greek eateries emerged. Customers, however, were more concerned with how socially integrated a business was, and the more of a gathering place an eatery was, the more likely it was to succeed.
There were three main types of Greek eateries in Astoria: kafenias, tavernas, and cafeterias. Kafenias were cultural clubs and male hangouts, as opposed to official businesses. Kafenias were very closely tied to their regional roots and the clientele was predominantly men of the same village. In the early 1990s, kafenias were declining in their popularity and being replaced by family-friendly tavernas. Tavernas were official businesses and not cultural clubs so they attracted not only Greek families of many regions, but also non-Greeks. Though tavernas enjoyed a certain amount of success, they did not reach the same level of popularity that Greek cafeterias did. The cafeteria was a popular youth hangout and melting pot for different cultures. The cafeterias offered Greek and non-Greek pastries, coffees, snacks, and other goods. Cafeterias gained enormous success by being generic meeting places for several kinds of people to meet. Cafeterias held widespread appeal because they lacked a “regional connection.” The products sold in cafeterias were well liked by people from all parts of Greece and the cafeterias gradually became part of everyday life (Vouyouka-Sereti 246, 249, 251-2, 254)2.
Variety of pastries. Picture taken by Rebekah Lopatto, 27 March 2015
On our trip to Astoria, many of the Greek eateries we visited lacked any particularly “Greek-looking” décor. The MP Taverna, a relatively new Greek restaurant, was indistinguishable from any other high class bar or restaurant outside of its name. Most of the diners and restaurants in Astoria showed off their Greek origin by hanging a Greek flag in the window and serving some Greek fare alongside American classics.
The bar at MP Taverna. Picture taken by Rebekah Lopatto, 27 March 2015
Storefront of Tasty’s Diner. Picture taken by Rebekah Lopatto, 27 March 2015
The Mediterranean Diet
It is generally accepted that the countries bordering the Mediterranean Sea have lower percentages of people impacted by cancer and cardiovascular ailments. Part of this healthier lifestyle is contributed to a diet low in red meat, sugars, and saturated fats and emphasizes fruits, vegetables, whole grains, beans, nuts, olive oil, herbs, and fish. The Mediterranean diet does not ban entire food groups and is an eating pattern as opposed to a structured diet. The food is flavorful and red wine in moderation is allowed, so the diet has gained popularity for being easy to follow. The Mediterranean diet also boasts a variety of health benefits including reduction of blood pressure and bad cholesterol, prevention and reversal of heart disease, and prevention of diabetes development (Hiatt)3.
The first major clinical trial to measure the Mediterranean diet’s effects on heart risks found that 30% of heart attacks, strokes, and deaths could be prevented in high-risk people if they switched to a Mediterranean diet. The study’s results were so clear that it was ended early, after only five years. The study showed that people who had been overweight, smokers, diabetic, or in another way high-risk, could still eat a balanced diet with fruits, olive oil, and wine and still lower heart disease by thirty percent (Kolata)4.
Variety of olives found at Mediterranean Foods. Picture taken by Rebekah Lopatto, 27 March 2015
-Rebekah Lopatto
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