Restaurants

Where people tend to convene, they also tend to eat. Perhaps created as an ode to this distinctly human characteristic, the restaurant is a social institution that combines humanity’s love for food and for each other’s company under one roof.

“PACKED house!!” photograph depicting Stamatis restaurant on a busy night. “Athey G.’s Reviews | New York | Yelp.” Athey G. Yelp Inc., 7 May. 2015 Web. 8 May. 2015.

Astoria, Queens is a community located in the heart of the most diverse borough of America  and is home to various ethnic populations. As Jeff Vandam aptly puts it in his New York Times article “Everyone’s Invited to this Block Party”, Astoria has “close to every kind of food that civilization has put forth” (Vandam)⁸. A quick Yelp search verifies this statement. Astoria has eateries that serve cuisines ranging from Chinese to Italian to Middle Eastern and, of course, Greek.

HISTORY OF GREEK FOOD IN AMERICA:

 Although the Greek population in Astoria is not as big as it once was, remnants of its strong presence can be found everywhere, particularly in the community’s culinary life. Greeks have a long history in American restaurants. Starting in the 20th century, when Greek immigration to America really kicked off, Greeks made their mark on the food landscape of the country (Whitaker)⁹. The immigrants, who were overwhelmingly men, had to rely on themselves for food despite coming from a culture in which cooking was mainly reserved for the women. This led to the advent of Greek owned food businesses. And, as it turned out, they had a knack for it. When asked about what allowed Greeks to be so successful in the industry, a local Greek businessman answered, “Most of the immigrants were independent farmers,…[s]o they knew how to run a small business. And many came from the Ottoman Empire, where they learned to do business with different kinds of people” (Lewine)¹⁰. Throughout the years, many Greek restaurants have evolved to be appealing to various types of people, while still maintaining a true Mediterranean flavor.

GREEK-OWNED RESTAURANTS IN ASTORIA:

Macaulay-Honor students with Mr. Stamatis, owner of Stamatis restaurant. Photograph taken by Sarah Franco on March 27, 2014.

Stamatis is a family owned business that has been open for forty years. They pride themselves on being a restaurant that “even Yiayia would approve of” (Athey G.)¹¹. Anna Bililis, the owner of the restaurant prides herself on the restaurants fresh and authentic food. The restaurant has a loyal clientele from the Greek community and offers traditional Greek food such as souvlakis and authentically prepared seafood (The National Herald Videos)¹².

On the other hand, The Strand Smokehouse, located on 25-27 Broadway strays from the traditional Greek cuisine. Although it is more of an American barbecue place, it does take into account its demographic. Nick Kipper, the executive chef says “We’re definitely trying to put some Mediterranean infusion into our food because that’s what our neighborhood is.” Owned by a Greek businessman, the restaurant offers a variety of different seafood and typical beef barbecue. Although they are not the most traditional Greek restaurant, they still try to remain true to their roots (NYCFoodGuyDotCom)¹³.

Although Greek restaurants have evolved and changed with the times and circumstances,  they have always been a constant factor of life in Astoria.

-Sadia Hasan