North Central News, November 2012 – Page 45
FOOD FOR THOUGHT
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Tomas Soro, owner of Athens Gyros, carves a hunk of gyro meat that is slow roasted on a skewer and then sliced and pan finished when ordered (photo by Patty Talahongva).
Café Chat Hearty gyros served with a hearty attitude By Patty Talahongva “Hey, I missed you bro,” calls out Tomas Soro as he greets a customer who has been traveling recently. “That is how I talk to my customers,” he says. “I went to his house and watched a football game. I was for one team, he was for another.” Then Soro lets loose with a great big laugh in his booming voice. He’s been greeting his customersturned regulars-turned friends at his quaint restaurant, Athens Gyros at 830 E. Indian School Road, for three years. Soro is Lebanese and embraces all Mediterranean food but he also has a Chicago-style hotdog on his menu and it’s a pretty good seller. Served with atomic green relish, mustard, celery salt, onions and tomato, he jokes that it’s the extent of his kid’s menu ... but adults like it, too. Soro purchases his gyro meat, a mixture of 85 percent beef and 15 percent lamb, on a skewer and slow cooks it in an open rotisserie. As orders come in, he slices off a portion and sautés it in a pan, each gyro cooked to order. “I make everything fresh,” he says, explaining why it might take a little more time to prepare. Among his specialties are beef or chicken shish kabobs that come with regular or spicy sauce. He makes all of his tahini sauces, too,
which are sesame-seed based. “I come from the garlic part of the world,” Soro points out, so much of his food is flavored with garlic along with lemon juice. Athens Gyros also serves several vegetarian dishes. There are five salads, including fattoush, a Lebanese cucumber salad made with diced tomatoes, parsley and pita chips rather than croutons. You also can get a tabouli, Greek, Caesar or house salad. Two types of hummus also are served: traditional or roasted red peppers. The house dressing is so popular that Soro consents to selling it to a few regular customers who bring in their own bottle. Prices range from $4 for a gyro up to a $14 for some shish kabobs. You can get a plate of food, a combo or just a gyro ala carte. The Chicago hotdog is $5.99. Each day Soro will pick one or two items to feature and the price will be reduced for the day. Dessert is baklava for just $2. Housed in a small 500-square-foot space, it’s easy to shout your order into the kitchen when things get busy and customers come in hungry. That’s how Lynsey and David Bellis placed their order. They happened to be driving by and looking for a place to eat. A short search for local restaurants on their smart phone led them to the highly rated Athens Gyros. “I love the falafel, please see ATHENS on page 46
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Page 46 – North Central News, November 2012
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ATHENS continued from page 45
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it’s very fresh,” Lynsey proclaims. David got the chicken souvlaki. “Everything is really good,” he says, adding, “I like how we can just yell our order back there, I think it’s fun.” Marcus Bailey recently came in for the fourth time. He likes the gyros. “It’s got a good flavor,” he says of the food, “lots of spices, always fresh too.” The competitive prices are also a draw for this customer. All this noshing takes place with a variety of music in the background ranging from rock to Latin, Arabic, Turkish and holiday tunes. Soro likes to mix it up. Like many restaurant owners, Soro does it all. As he cleans tables he carefully places aluminum cans in a bag. He saves them for a customer who recycles them. It’s that kind of consideration that keeps customers like Sergio Perez. “I stayed in the neighborhood because of Tom. His food has soul!” Perez is from Chicago and likes the authenticity of Athens Gyros; he eats there two to three times a week. Shawn Carpenter, also from Chicago, is now a regular at the neighborhood eatery. “I’ve been coming here forever. I helped with the remodel,” he says proudly. Regulars will see the new murals that grace the walls, and the floor now all tiled. The Greek chicken salad is Carpenter’s favorite but he also enjoys the gyro plate. All this praise makes Soro smile. He wants people to enjoy his food and be
comfortable, to not feel rushed. Now that cool evening weather is here, diners can enjoy their meal al fresco at one of the few tables that are set up on the sidewalk in front. No alcohol is served; however, bring your own wine or beer and pay a $5 corkage fee per group. Athens Gyros is open Monday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Closed on Sundays. Call 602-2656606 to place to-go orders.
Dining Briefs Duck and Decanter celebrates 40 years The Duck and Decanter will celebrate its 40th anniversary on Saturday, Nov. 24, at its Camelback location, 1641 E. Camelback Road. The celebration will feature food, beverages, live music and time with friends. The fourth generation is embracing the challenges and prospects of continuing to grow the family business. “Back in 1972, when we first purchased the ‘Duck,’ we weren’t considering longevity,” remembers Dort Mettler, who cofounded Duck and Decanter with her husband, Early. “[We] were too busy figuring out how to run a gourmet shop.” It was the creative partnership of the husband-wife team, with the financial and physical support of their parents, that created a unique concept in selling handcrafted sandwiches. The Duck also became known as an innovative retail pioneer, offering fresh roasted coffee beans, espresso drinks, wine by the glass, imported delicacies,
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North Central News, November 2012 – Page 47 FOOD FOR THOUGHT
unique kitchen gadgets and exotic produce while earning many local and national awards. For more information, call Karen Mettler-Mason at the Downtown Duck and Decanter at 602-266-6637.
Brunch options added at eateries With temperatures dropping and football invading the airwaves, it must be fall, which means that dining al fresco isn’t just for late night anymore. Del Frisco’s Grille, known for its two breezy patios, is firing up the kitchen early on the weekends for brunch. Offered every Saturday and Sunday from 11 a.m.-4 p.m., the menu includes items such as banana-mascarpone-stuffed French toast with thickcut hickory smoked bacon, and a crabcake benedict with asparagus and poached eggs in a Cajun lobster sauce on toasted focaccia. Other brunch items include chilaquiles—tortillas layered with salsa, shaved lettuce, tomato, queso cojita and crema—and chicken-fried steak and eggs doused in chorizo gravy and served with a jumbo biscuit. Morning cocktails, including a build-your-own Bloody Mary also will liven up the weekend morning. Del Frisco’s Grille is located at 2425 E. Camelback Road. For more information, call 602-466-2890 or visit www.delfriscosgrille.com. The Grind at 3691 E. Camelback Road also recently added weekend breakfast. The restaurant will open at 9 a.m. on Saturdays and Sundays, offering all the NCAA and NFL games. New breakfast menu items include a “Grind Burger Scramble” with scrambled eggs, chopped cheeseburger patty, cheese, sautéed onions and diced tomato and served with hash browns and toast, and “Breakfast Grind Style,” a cheeseburger topped with hash browns, fried egg and bacon. The kids will be happy with chocolate chip pancakes with a choice of juice or milk for $6. To view the full breakfast menu, visit: http://www.thegrindaz.com/themenu. For more information, call 602.95.GRIND.
Gypsy Bar opens at CityScape The owner of Lucky Strike Lanes has opened a new nightclub next to the popular bowling lounge. Gypsy Bar,
located at 50 W. Jefferson in CityScape, is physically connected to Lucky Strike but boasts a hip look and feel of its own. Among the club’s focal points is a raised stage and DJ booth flanked by massive state-of-the-art video screens. Gypsy Bar also has a fully loaded game lounge featuring 40 arcade games in an adult-oriented environment. Games will be accessible through an electronic rechargeable game card that accumulates reward points that can be redeemed for prizes. Cards can be purchased with a credit card or cash. Gypsy Bar will offer a full dinner menu featuring everything from tacos and hamburgers to lobster and prime rib. For more information, visit www.gypsybarphoenix.com.
Two new eateries join CenPho selections Upward Projects, a group of locally focused restaurateurs headed by Craig and Kris DeMarco and Lauren and Wyatt Bailey, opened its latest restaurant concept in the North Central Phoenix on Oct. 9. Federal Pizza is housed in the old please see EATERIES on page 48
COME
US!
Membership is available to all - you don’t need to be Italian to join.
Bingo Mondays and Fridays at 6 p.m., Sundays at 1 p.m. Over $3,000 in payouts each session. Newly remodeled air conditioned room, snack bar and smoking patio.
Events Friday Night Buffet: Come enjoy our buffet, live entertainment and dancing every Friday night. Buffet opens at 5:30 p.m. and music starts at 7:30 p.m; $11 per person. Saturday, Nov. 10: Rare Fine Art Exhibit & Offering from the “Barr Collection” 1 p.m. to 6 p.m Come meet the artist, Gary Barr and enjoy light h’ordeuvres. $5 donation to charity.
New Year’s Eve Party Monday, Dec. 31: Join now for 2013 and reserve your place for the BEST NEW YEAR’S EVE PARTY IN TOWN. Music and dancing in two different rooms featuring ROCKING BLUES BY “THE ROCKET 88s” in one and Adult Contemporary band (TBA) in the other. Spectacular Dinner Buffet, Choice of 2 Live bands, Champagne and Breakfast at midnight. $55 per person includes 4 drink tickets. Advance tickets and reservations required. Call 602-944-3090 for information. Membership required for one member of your party.
7509 N. 12th St. 602-944-3090 • www.azaiclub.org
TACO
TUESDAYS $2 Specialty Tacos Half Off Sangria Half Off Dos Equis Amber Ale $2 Off House Margaritas EVERY TUESDAY ALL DAY!
Page 48 – North Central News, November 2012
EATERIES continued from page 47
First Federal Savings & Loan Bank at 5210 N. Central Ave., designed by architect Al Beadle. Diners can expect a menu of big salads, sharable appetizers, and wood-fired pizzas designed by master baker MJ Coe. The wine list is seasonal and progressive, and beers are local and regional with an emphasis on small-batch craft selections. Federal also offers custom Growlers, large reusable glass jugs that can be filled with any of the local and regional craft beers on tap, taken to go. The bank’s old teller lane has been converted into a pickup window for those dining on the go. Federal Pizza is open for lunch and dinner service seven days a week. Hours
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are 11a.m.-11 p.m. Sunday through Thursday, and 11 a.m.-12 p.m. Friday and Saturday. For more information, visit www.upwardprojects.com. Central Bistro, a concept from German Osio and Chef Andrea Volpi, opened on Oct. 14 serving lunch and dinner. The space that once housed Zen32, located at 3160 E. Camelback Road, has been rebuilt from the ground up and expanded to nearly twice the size. Osio and Volpi bring flavors of Italy and France to the Biltmore neighborhood. All items at the bistro are made from scratch daily, including the handmade pasta, sauces and salad dressings. A large portion of the ingredients will be sourced from local purveyors and farmers. At lunch, freshly made soups, salads
and sandwiches take precedence. As the day transitions to evening, hearty flavors reign with handmade pastas, Neapolitan style pizza, and substantial entrées. Meals are complemented with more than 250 wine selections. Central Bistro also offers a Champagne Sunday brunch. The restaurant will serve variations of the classic Benedict, a selection of gourmet omelets, sweet morning morsels, and more. For more information, call 480646-8560 or visit the website at www.facebook.com/CentralBistroAZ.
Pie-tasting event set for Nov. 3 Chow Bella and Roosevelt Row present the Third-Annual Pie Social (and Croquet Tournament) 2-6 p.m.
Saturday, Nov. 3, at 2nd Street and Roosevelt. The annual Pie Social features the culinary masterpieces of celebrity chefs and community members alike. You can purchase five pie tastings for $10, or you can bake and bring two pies (no meat or dairy fillings) in exchange for five pie tasting. In addition to the pies, there will be a limited number of arts, craft, or vintage pop-up shops. A portion of the proceeds benefits Phoenix Union Bioscience High School art programs. For more information, email cindy@rooseveltrow.org or visit www.rooseveltrow.org. For local restaurant listings, visit our Dining Guide at www.northcentralnews.net
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