The Greek Pie Factory

GREECE 🇬🇷

[COVID-19 UPDATE: Without much space to sit inside to begin with, not much has changed here and most business is takeout. They do have a couple tables with an umbrella set up on nice days as seen above.]

If you are cruising east down the Sunrise Highway just outside of New York City, it is not hard to find simple Greek fare. Plug that into Google Maps and an array of options are presented. But there is one small gem that stands out from the diners and gyro spots, located on a corner just one block south of the thoroughfare.

What also stands out is the story of its owners, more recent arrivals than many Greeks in New York. The husband and wife who own the shop left Greece during the economic crisis that began ten years ago, leaving behind their restaurant in the north of the country that they had run for 25 years.

After a few years in their new country, the couple decided to use their skills again and The Greek Pie Factory was born in June 2015. Although everything here is fresh and made daily, thankfully they put the reference at what they are best at right in the name.

Depending on ingredients, these come in many names in Greece but are simply "hand made Greek pies" here, priced at an unbelievably economical $3/each and made round and bulging. A most classic version of spanakopita can be seen in front with hints of green from the spinach it is filled with. Also in there is feta, onion, and egg, combining to create one of the best you can find in the area.

The other pies were filled with leeks and cheese and another spinach and feta which also added chicken. All of them were insanely good.

Another section of the menu is filled with "Chef's Daily Traditional Meals," and should not be missed for more great deals. The lamb gyro platter ($9.50, below) comes with thinly sliced strips of gyro, buttery rice, lemon potatoes, salad, some of there freshly made bread and pita, and tzatziki sauce.

Other options are favorites like souvlaki and comfort foods like mousaka. It seems they cover just about all the bases, and if these first tastes are reproduced across the menu there is a lot here to be excited about.

Valley Stream residents sure do have a gem.

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VALLEY STREAM Long Island
83a Roosevelt Avenue

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Aliada

CYPRUS 🇨🇾
GREECE 🇬🇷

For its first 15 years of existence, Aliada blended into its Astoria block with a facade and color scheme that was much like the building it lived in: brown and subdued. Then in 2017 a fresh coat of Mediterranean white was splashed on both sides of the corner and somehow the restaurant showed more life. Of course for the Greek and Cypriot regulars who have been coming here since it opened in 2002, none of that mattered like the trusted food on the plates.

Stepping into the modern, clean dining room feels right with slow Mediterranean vibes and calming Greek music, but touches of rustic make the place appealing and comfortable. Pottery, wood furniture and accents, baskets and framed island arts hung on the walls are enough to leave behind the rattling of the subway a block away.

In the front of the space is the kitchen, designed with a terracotta-tiled "roof" that works well on a nice day with the doors open to make you feel outside. In fact, the weather was nice enough on this visit for the first time in 2019 that a couple tables were even set up on the sidewalk.

Aliada, like the water-surrounded countries of Greek and Cyprus tend to do, has food that is focused on the sea. For this meal I had come in search of a specifically Cypriot meat dish though. Regardless of your order, a basket of warm pita arrives with their freshly made hummus, helping pass the time it takes for the kitchen to prepare meals from scratch.

In Cyprus they also eat their fare share of the well-known souvlaki, charred skewers of meat that have always felt right at home in Astoria, but on top of their charcoal grills you are more likely to find larger cuts of meat that require lower heat and longer cooking times. These are referred to as souvla, and can be many types of meat.

The most interesting of any souvla is the shieftalia ($21, above and below), a link wrapped with caul fat, the thin membrane found surrounding some internal organs. A few spices are thrown into the simple dish of minced pork, onions, and parsley.

Caul fat has nowhere near the strength of a more traditional sausage wrapper and grilling is a delicate and skilled task. It will start to break apart even if you look at it too intensely, something hard to avoid as the plate arrives smelling delicious. Choice of side is offered with any plate, but the slight zing from the lemon potatoes pairs very nicely with the fatty links.

A plastic shaker of Greek salt and bottle of olive oil are on each table, but for this meal at least, completely unnecessary as everything is dashed and drizzled to perfection when it arrives.

The first sections of the menu are grilled whole fish sold at market rates and other seafood dishes you would expect from a reputable establishment with "Greek" on the front. A family-style meal would be recommended here.

When you come as a group, a good variety of Greek, Cypriot, and other wines are available, but on this day alone I washed down the meal with a Keo ($6, below), Cyprus's most recognizable beer around since 1951.

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ASTORIA Queens
29-19 Broadway

Map of Eat the World NYC:

Taverna Kos

GREECE 🇬🇷

All photos by Sasha Maslov for The Queens Tribune.

This article originally appeared in the 01 November 2018 edition of The Queens Tribune:

For the first 12 years of its existence, the dining hall and kitchen at Pancoan Society Hippocrates was used exclusively by its members, who had started the social club back in 1996. “Coan” is someone from Cos, or Kos, the third-largest and second–most-populated island in the Dodecanese chain that sits only four kilometers off the coast of Turkey and another continent. As the name of the club may suggest, Hippocrates was thought to be from Kos, along with the founding members of this Astoria group that still meets in the building to this day.

When I first met Kostas Karagiorgis at the restaurant he started renting from the club 10 years ago, he was halfway down the block blowing fallen autumn leaves from the sidewalks of his neighbors. He was also a member of the club back then, but told me the space did not see that much use and saw good possibilities. Despite being open to the public since the very beginning a decade ago, most residents of Astoria were not aware of this and the restaurant’s customers were limited to the friends and family who heard about it through word of mouth.

The families who do come to eat are usually big and boisterous. Already-large tables are moved next to each other in the restaurant’s climate-controlled patio area so groups of more than a dozen can sit together for their meal. Conversations in Greek (and sometimes Italian due to its popularity with them as well) are enjoyable to other tables even if unintelligible because they are often punctuated with bursts of laughter.

Kostas, who goes by “Dino” to the other staff and regulars, may be around during the day hanging out and talking to customers, but when things get busy he jumps into the kitchen to help. On the occasion of one important sports match, fans of Greek’s most successful football club, Olympiacos, all arrived right at kickoff and filled up the interior space. This got the kitchen very busy, with Dino making sure it all ran smoothly until everyone was content and fed. He excused himself when his wife called a little later and needed his help at home, apologizing but making sure his patrons had what they needed. On certain days, his wife can also be found in the kitchen.

The menu runs the gamut of general Greek cuisine, but suggested orders keep you close to the sea. A big tray of xtapodi, or octopus (above), is visible inside on any given day, delivered fresh and ready for the restaurant’s most popular appetizer order. As with most Greek seafood, the grilled version is given a simple bath of oil and herbs but allowed to stand on its own freshness, and does not need more. I prefer the calamari (below) cooked similarly, but Dino will push towards the fried version, telling me, “Anything fried always tastes better.”

It is not uncommon (at least for non-Greeks) for an entire meal to consist of appetizers and salads, all of which are incredible and fresh here. A cold pikilia plate ($15) gets you a dish of each of its three meze: skordalia, a garlic dip; tzatziki; and spicy feta. Add in the Greek salad ($9) and a plate of fried cheese saganaki ($15, not shown) and your stomach might start pushing back before main courses are even imagined.

But take your cues from those rambunctious groups and round up as many friends as you can find so you can go further and sample the back of the menu, a collection of market-price seafood and a few meat dishes. Many types of fish are served whole and expertly cooked to your preference, such as the grilled porgy ($20 on one occasion, below). Big shrimp can also be cooked three ways, and a range of seasonal seafoods are on offer depending on the time of year. All entrees come with a side, the perfect opportunity to enjoy the lemon potatoes, although most tables stick with fries. If you can fit a meat into your order, the lamb chops ($28) are a bit pricey but excellent.

Leave a sliver of room in your belly for a slice of galaktoboureko (below), also made fresh and delivered daily. If you have eaten a full meal, a complimentary serving will arrive at the table, a token of goodwill. A large triangular piece of this custard-filled phyllo-dough “milk burek” will seem insurmountable at first, but goes down easily despite being so thick and dense.

Come back a few times and you start to notice that others are doing the same. Dino tells me that the customers are almost all regulars, and this is evident in the way the staff interacts with most of them as if they are old friends.

In the restaurant’s 10 years of operation, Astoria has changed as much as or more than any other neighborhood in the city, with rents skyrocketing and demographics changing. Many restaurants and businesses have closed or moved on, but a recent new wave of Greek immigration due to the country’s debt crisis is keeping the old Greek character of the neighborhood alive and flourishing.

Our original article from June 2018 is available here.

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ASTORIA Queens

41-19 23rd Avenue

Map of Eat the World NYC:

Pancoan Society Hippocrates Taverna Kos

GREECE 🇬🇷

Along with others that are remaking the neighborhood of Astoria in recent years, a new wave of Greek immigration has also taken place since the worst years of Greece's recent debt crisis. Certainly there are less establishments than one time, but it does not take too much looking around to find many points of Greek interest, especially towards the north end. One long-time private club and restaurant has opened its doors to the public in last couple years, possibly a result of changing demographics, but still caters almost exclusively to big loud Greek families sharing a meal together.

The menu, which simply reads "Taverna Kos," is now pinned up in the window, enticing passersby with big plates of seafood and grilled meats. The interior is split into two parts, an interior bare bones room, and a covered (and temperature controlled) patio where most people choose to eat and drink. The Greek flag and the color blue are everywhere, a big print of the Greek national football team adorns one wall.

Tzatziki ($6) and spicy feta ($6) are good meze choices

Some chippy things can be found on Yelp (as always), but I was greeted with kindness and found the service to be very pleasant throughout the evening. Tackle the appetizer list, or even better come with a huge group and get to sample lots of the fish and meat.

Small Greek salad ($9)

Saganaki ($15)

Grilled porgy ($20)

Lemon potatoes (side)

Peas and artichokes ($9)

The dish above is not on the menu and was the special of the day. Combining what it seems to say on the receipt and what I can Google, this dish may have the name arakas anginares.

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ASTORIA Queens

22-80 42nd Street

Map of Eat the World NYC:

SVL Souvlaki Bar

GREECE 🇬🇷

When you walk into SVL, the feeling is much like walking into a Chipotle. It does lack all the meaningless assembly line interaction, but you order at the counter from a nice group that takes your money immediately and gives a receipt. I would not call the preparation thereafter fast, but that is probably the first sign that the product will actually be worth eating.

The kitchen is open to the room but separated by the counter and far from any viruses its customers might cough onto the food. The space is clean and has a welcomed easy in easy out feel.

The tables are bright red, as is much of the highlighting here, and each top comes with an array of condiments to use when your order comes. As you wait, an old-fashioned "order up" bell rings for each order, priming hopes that the meal ready is yours.

It turns out the condiments are unnecessary as the food is terrific and the tzatziki and a squeeze of lemon is all that is needed. I came here alone and made two simple orders, the chicken and pork souvlaki, both priced at $4. Orders here are served on skewer and each piece came in a metal scoop with plenty of pita bread, still warm and quite good. Both my cups of tzatziki were completely depleted by the end as well, as all the bread and meat kept wanting to go down for more. I found the chicken better than than the pork, which lacked a kick from its marinade.

Souvlaki tends to be best when prepared by the good street vendors, but this was nice to sit down and have all the fix-ins. It might seem odd to eat Greek in a fast food setting, but the product is good enough to last.

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ASTORIA Queens

30-18 Astoria Boulevard

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Souvlaki Lady Elpida

GREECE 🇬🇷

For over 25 years, Ms. Elpida has grown in significance and character in Astoria, serving her beloved souvlaki. On Facebook, a review pronounces boldly "She's been feeding me for my entire life!" History is a big part of the reason to go here, and can probably be viewed with each visit. Neighbors seem to gather and greet here, argue, and laugh together.

The bare bones of souvlaki is grilled meat on a stick. She offers this as chicken and pork for $3. You can have your meat put into a pita ($4.50, below) as well, and this option also opens up the gyro (beef) meat.

The meats have obviously been marinating for a good long time, the smells are simply mouthwatering. They all seem to be a bit chewy, but in a good way. The platter ($6, below) gives you the option of your choice of all three meats served with rice or fries, accompanied with pita and salad. After comparing the options, I think filling up with rice is not my recommendation and would stick to the lesser items. One man continuously ordered simple sticks over and over as we ate, downing at least four.

She also advertises a few non-traditional recipes as "pita creations", but these are all achieved with sauces rather than marinades, and did not look as appetizing. Smothering a chicken souvlaki stick with caesar dressing just did not seem appealing to me after enjoying her real talent for the meat.

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ASTORIA Queens

Ditmars Blvd and 33rd Street

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Taverna Kyclades

GREECE 🇬🇷

Even though it plays a prominent part of the exterior logo, do not expect dolphin to be on the menu here. Thankfully it is omitted from the wide range of seafood on offer. Since everything is so fresh, there are limited portions of each, and do not be surprised if your first choice has sold out by 20:30 or 21:00 on a Tuesday.

On any night of the week, there will be a wait, but the place has such an efficiency that they know their wait times and won't give you phony numbers. Leave your number on the list and have a drink nearby.

It may seem boring, but the cold antipasto plate ($9.95, below) is an absolute must. The tzatziki (far left) and taramosalata (middle) are absolutely excellent with the skordalia (right) coming in a distant third. The breads that are served with dinner are very good, and you can order pitas if you prefer.

Also essential is a large Greek salad ($10.95, below). Large is no joke either, as the bowl below is bigger than your head and very good. They are not stingy with the delicious feta, and all of the vegetables are so crisp and fresh.

After the appetizers, it is good to remember that you come here for seafood, not land food. If you have a group of four or less and cannot order so many dishes, why not start with the Kyclades special ($33.95, below). On the large plate, you get to try stuffed clams, stuffed shrimp, lobster tail, scallops, and a fillet of sole. The stand outs in our group were the stuffed shrimp, clams, and scallops, but lobster can never really be bad and was also scarfed down.

With most entrees, you are to choose an accompanying side dish, and one recommendation for that is the roasted lemon potatoes (below), which have an excellent texture and are surprisingly (or unsurprisingly?) full of intense lemon flavor.

When the sardines ran out, we turned instead to the Greek style shrimp ($21.95, below), which cook the shellfish in a tomato and pepper sauce. The whole dish has ample feta drizzled over it, and the tastes are very complimentary. This dish was completely clean when it was removed from the table.

Our last side was the horta (below), steamed greens supposedly with olive oil and fresh lemon juice. Besides the slice of lemon on the plate, there really was nothing besides the limp, tasteless greens. No matter, we were focused on the rest of the meal anyways.

The service does have a rushed quality to it, but these guys are running here and there and a bit understaffed for the amount of customers they have, especially when the restaurant is serving outside. It still feels welcoming, and the meals are enough to speak completely for themselves. Bring a date, some friends, and your whole family to enjoy as much as you can.

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ASTORIA Queens

33-07 Ditmars Boulevard

EAST VILLAGE Manhattan

228 1st Avenue

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BZ Grill

GREECE 🇬🇷

I do not know the history of the building, but I have always found the little yellow extension that is BZ Grill to be somewhat amusing, sticking its nose out onto Astoria Boulevard offering simple and quick Greek fare. The place is mostly workaday, couples with thick New York accents and a long history in Astoria seem to like it here more than the neighborhood's newer dwellers.

My only complaint is that the space is a touch on the dirty side. Entire meals seem to have been wiped off onto the floor, and the fly population is very appreciative of this. One couple had to switch tables to avoid the insects.

But the food, the reason we came in the first place, was good. It is not elaborate or ornate, it just aims to please. The Greek salad ($9.41, below) is very good looking and a bit more saucy than usual. I found the vegetables less crisp than you usually tend to see. The feta on top is great, and the oils they overuse are quite tasty though, so this dish immediately disappeared when it arrived.

The platters here are all enormous, so we decided to just get one and an extra sandwich, knowing we could never eat everything on two large plates. The chicken fillet platter ($13.32, below) comes with puffy yellow rice, some sliced vegetables, pita bread, tzatziki, and an eggy lemony dressing that comes off a bit like mayonnaise (in a positive sense). I spread this creamy sauce on every bite of the chicken, as well as the lamb from our other dish.

The chicken has a beautiful and tasty char to the skin, and the combination of flavors on this plate is really a triumph for how seemingly simple it looks. The white meat is just a touch dry.

The pork gyro ($6.66, below) meat however, is actually amazing. The nicely crispy pita also has some tzatziki in it, but lends itself well to the lemony sauce as mentioned. Obviously fresh off the spits up front, this has that great texture combination of soft and crispy that you get from a spit that is turned up high and sees a lot of orders.

The textures inside the pita.

If you wondering about all those funny prices, it seems they enjoy their final bills to add up to even numbers once tax is included, and sure enough, that was the case.

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ASTORIA Queens

27-02 Astoria Boulevard

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Eat the World NYC is and always has been free. No advertisements block the content or pop over what you read. If this website has helped you explore your city and its wonderful cultures a little better and you have the means to contribute, please consider doing so. Eat the World NYC is a labor of love, but also takes a lot of money and time everyday to keep running.

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