The Global Villa: Local Greek

Monday, February 12, 2018

Local Greek

Much to my husband's pleasure (he is Greek), a very good Greek restaurant opened up in our hometown of Princeton. While the food is amazing and creatively presented with a modern twist, I of course, noticed the interior design. It has a very cool modern vibe. The owner, Tony Kanterakis, purposely wanted to stay away from the traditional, and expected, blue and white Santorini-esque decor. He rather, focused on a scaled-back, modern, minimalist interior. The interior design consists of bright white subway tile, natural woods, Greek sayings casually written on walls and brown newsprint, and modern industrial light fixtures and stools. Because opening up a new bistro in Princeton is a very expensive endeavor, Tony cut some corners by designing the interior himself with the help of a friend who is an architect, building his own tables and buying chairs from a local restaurant's liquidation sale. The restaurant is such a success that he recently had to close his doors for a few days in order to expand the eating space.

While the Greek flavor is definitely present (especially in the delicious food), the ambiance is relaxed and edgy. The interior style is an interesting mix of raw with refined: earthy woods with sleek white tiles. The sleek and modern with the traditional and classic are a wonderful combination that successfully celebrates what Local Greek's food is all about: ΦΙΛΟΤΙΜΟ (Filotimo), receiving honor by giving.