THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, July 17, 1994 TAG: 9407190507
SECTION: FLAVOR PAGE: F6 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Restaurant review
SOURCE: BY DONNA REISS, RESTAURANT CRITIC
LENGTH: Long : 101 lines
LIKE THE STUFF of Greek legends, the restaurant owned by the Chiperas family occasionally disappears then reappears transformed.
Anthony's is back in business. It started in 1941 as a barbecue and watermelon purveyor called A.A. Chiperas. In the 1980s it was operated as Chappell's by Monroe Duncan. In 1991 it reopened as Anthony's but closed soon after for lack of a liquor license, according to current chef Chris Kevatos.
In its last incarnation the restaurant attempted elegance. Now, however, with Anthony Chiperas (son of A.A.) at the helm and Kevatos at the stove, the corner eatery features a casual atmosphere and the foods of the sunny lands that border the Mediterranean Sea.
Behind handsome etched glass doors is the informality of a well-lighted room with tall booths on an elevated platform along one wall and bright chrome chairs surrounding the central tables. Turquoise table covers suggest the seas surrounding the land that gave us Socrates, skordalia and spanakopita.
Among the wall decorations are scenes of Greece, a yellowing menu in Greek, and a poster with a recipe for moussaka. Polo-shirted servers skillfully explain unfamiliar menu items.
This adventure in Greek and southern Italian cuisine was a first for two in our trio. Even diners familiar with the various appetizers may want to share the hot and cold samplers to enjoy an assortment of flavors and textures.
Creamy skordalia, for example, is mostly cream cheese and garlic to spread on warm pita bread pieces. Cream cheese also is the base of taramasalata, mixed with enough red caviar to add a bit of fishy spice. Anthony's hummus is a thick version of this classic spread made from ground chickpeas and sesame paste.
The delights also include tiny grape leaves stuffed with seasoned rice, crumbles of feta cheese, fried smelt, fried calamari and a slice of spanakopita, the famous spinach pie with a phyllo crust.
Dinners are basic Greek and Italian dishes. Our favorite was the Mediterranean sampler with moussaka and pastitsio on the same plate. The former has layers of deliciously seasoned ground meat with eggplant slices and a half-inch-thick white sauce on top; the latter is layers of macaroni and seasoned meat.
Lamb stew was hearty, tinged with lemon and mixed with peppers and tomatoes, served over buttery rice. Its only fault: There was not enough lamb in the serving. Shrimp scampi with a light sauce of lemon, garlic and white wine was more generous, though a touch overcooked; the sauce blended well with linguine.
Other dinners are chicken in various preparations, sausage with peppers and onions, veal, mussels, flounder stuffed with spinach and cheeses, seafood kebabs, steak, pork chops and pizzas.
Sandwiches for lunch or dinner include burgers, barbecue, chicken or Greek specialties, gyro (sliced marinated meat) and souvlaki (seasoned ground meat).
The Greek salad included with all dinners was a routine serving of iceberg lettuce with cucumbers, onions, a couple of Greek olives and large chunks of feta cheese. Grecian bread was sprinkled with garlic and red pepper, perfect for sopping up sauces though not very garlicky.
For dessert, of course, there's baklava, that divine sugary-nutty pastry for which the Mediterranean is famous. New to us was the fatima nest, a circle of filo pastry baked to form a cup for a creamy vanilla custard. The contrasting textures were a refreshing treat.
Galatoboureko was a baked custard that was neither sweet like a creme caramel nor savory like a quiche; we found it bland and uninteresting. Various cakes also are available along with the most unlikely of offerings, jello.
A small wine list features several Greek wines, including the astringent-tasting retsina, which is flavored with pine resin.
Local diners will remember chef Kevatos from his days at Cafe 17 in Virginia Beach and later at Chris The Street Cook (which now belongs to somebody else). He is no a stranger to the Chiperas family.
``Anthony is my sister's godson,'' he explains. And Kevatos remembers beating the heat back in 1946 with late-night visits to A.A. Chiperas' store for ice-cold watermelon. MEMO: Reviews are based on a single, unannounced visit by a party of four,
unless otherwise noted. The Virginian-Pilot and The Ledger-Star pay for
the reviewer's meal and those of the guests.
ILLUSTRATION: Photo
ROY A. BAHLS
Torquoise table covers at Athony's suggest the seas surrounding the
land that gave us Socrates, skordalia and spanakopita.
Graphic
BILL OF FARE
Anthony's Restaurant, 2502 Colley Ave., Norfolk. 622-7411.
Cuisine: Mediterranean.
Atmosphere: Casual.
Prices: Lunches from $2.50 to $3.75; dinner starters, soups, and
salads from $1.50 to $7.75; main dishes from $8.75 to $$10.75;
desserts from $1.25 to $1.75; children's portions on request.
Hours: 11:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. Tuesdays through Fridays; 5 to 10
p.m. Saturdays.
Reservations: Recommended for weekends and large parties.
Smoking: None.
by CNB