Reviews of the Olive Tree
Reviews › Ethnikos Kyrix Review
Ethnikos Kyrix (National Herald), New
York City, Saturday-Sunday, August 29-30th, 1987
Restaurants
By Alkis Papademetriou
In North America, Greek cuisine is not as well-known as Italian,
French and Chinese which are represented in every city and medium-sized
town in this country. In New York City and in other major urban
centers, the number of Greek restaurants corresponds to the size
of the local Greek community. These restaurants are supported by
the local Greeks for the Greek items they offer.
It is therefore interesting to come across a Greek restaurant
whose customer base consists primarily of non-Greeks. We recently
had the opportunity to observe such a restaurant when we visited
The Olive Tree in Rochester, New York, a wonderful and well-run
establishment serving not only the small Greek-American community
there, but a largely American clientele. The New York Times restaurant
critic, Brian Miller, who covered the New York Greek restaurant
scene, said that as a rule Greek restaurants lack finesse. If he
ever had the chance to visit The Olive Tree, it is precisely this
finesse so sadly lacking in large Greek-American centers that he
would find. The Olive Tree exhibits distinctiveness, attention
to detail in all aspects of the food, good taste, care, friendly
atmosphere, professionalism, and joy in presentation.
The owner, Peter Gekas, hasn’t earned all the acclaim which
he proudly displays near the entrance unjustly. The reviews, honors
and awards he has received from various newspapers and organizations,
including the prestigious Gourmet Magazine are not only a positive
reflection on the restaurant, but on Greek cuisine as a whole.
The restaurant is housed on the first floor of an old, renovated
building in the heart of the city and is organized among three
separate rooms which impart a warmth and a friendly atmosphere
since each room contains no more than a half dozen tables. You
feel as though you are in your own home or in a small tavern.
The first room in which you enter houses the bar. This smart scheme
keeps the louder bar crowd isolated from the dining room. The other
two rooms are devoted to the diners. The décor is distinctive
and tastefully done. Some of the original walls of the building
are exposed to reveal red bricks underneath. The others are painted
a soft white which is made softer by the lighting scheme. The overall
impression is of a quiet, romantic evening in Greece.
The same artistic ingenuity in the décor highlighting the
ethnic character of the restaurant is also expressed in the food.
There are of course classic Greek dishes that have undergone a
few moderations to keep pace with current eating trends, i.e. the
food is much lighter with less of the oil and fat in which Greek
dishes are typically drenched. A similar adaptation was made a
few years ago in Italian and French cuisine. Although the “Nouvelle
Cuisine” trend (as it was named) has currently abated, its
influence can still be seen in lighter and healthier entrees. It
is safe to label the food at The Olive Tree as “Nouvelle
Greek Cuisine”. This categorization immediately came to our
minds as we were sampling our entrees.
For appetizers there were all the typical Greek mezedes including
saganaki, dolmades, kalamari, roasted red peppers and a variety
of others. We tried the pita platter, which had two tiropita and
one spanakopita, and the saganaki flambé. Unfortunately,
in an effort to make an impressive display, the flambé resulted
in the saganaki smelling strongly of alcohol.
Our main courses were superb. The Psari Ithaki consisted of filets
of sole layered with spinach baked in a light white sauce. The
dish reminded me of Greece even though I had never had anything
like it before. The same goes for the incredibly tasty Psaropita (fish
pie).
There were also entrees worthy of awards for their authenticity.
I am referring to the Moussaka, the signature Greek entrée,
served in individual casserole dishes. It was light, but authentic
and very tasty. The Kokinisto-style chicken, renamed Chicken Spetsiota
was also very tasty and authentic.
Other entrees have names such as Shrimp King Menelaos, Poseidon’s
Delight, and Chicken Ionian which we hope to try on our next visit.
The entrees were served with green beans in tomato sauce (just
like my mother’s), rice, bread and a fresh, green salad.
We congratulate the talented Peter Gekas for his professionalism
and his outstanding restaurant which gives a good name to Greek
cuisine. We invite our readers in Rochester to visit The Olive
Tree. Other readers visiting the area shouldn’t miss the
opportunity to try this exceptional restaurant.
The Olive Tree
165 Monroe Avenue
Rochester, NY 14607
Rating: three out of four stars.
Translated by Alex Gekas (2003)
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