THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, September 19, 1996 TAG: 9609170127
SECTION: NORFOLK COMPASS PAGE: 12 EDITION: FINAL
COLUMN: On the Town
SOURCE: Sam Martinette
LENGTH: 89 lines
The Azalea Inn at Roosevelt Shopping Center will turn 40, a grand age for any restaurant, this coming February.
And if life begins at 40, as the saying goes, this family eatery has a jump on it with an offspring, the sprawling Time Out Sports Bar.
``It is a dream of mine come true,'' explained co-owner Takis Karangelen, who with his nephew and partner Vassilos Karagelen opened the massive sports bar during the spring. ``I saw the need for entertainment on this side of town, clean, family-oriented entertainment.
``I didn't want dancing, and I knew the sports events are very popular, and it took off like a firecracker.''
The partners knocked out a wall and spread into what was a hardware store, doubling the kitchen size, and relocating and enlarging rest-room facilities. They added a game room so kids could play while their food is prepared.
The room has booths along one wall and under the windows, some 20 tables, three pool tables, sports murals and three 10-foot TV screens, along with smaller screens throughout the room, and most impressively, a serpentine mahogany bar that seats 42.
``I designed it myself,'' Takis said proudly.
One mural captures the scene at Baltimore's Camden Yards the day Cal Ripken Jr., broke the consecutive-games-played record. But wait, isn't that Babe Ruth along the first-base line? And Hank Aaron at the plate? With Brooks Robinson playing third, the mural is full of Hall of Famers. Other murals celebrate football and basketball.
Most importantly, Time Out is connected to the kitchen of the Azalea Inn, the kitchen that has turned out thousands of Greek Salads ($3.95 for a small, $4.95 large), sausage pizzas ($6.25, $8.65 or $10.95), gyro sandwiches or souvlaki ($5.25), and the Greek specialties the place is famous for.
The menu offers pastitsio (seasoned ground sirloin and macaroni baked in a bechamel, or milk and butter-flour roux, sauce - $6.95). Pikilla for two ($19.95) offers a variety of chicken breast, chunks of pork loin, sliced gyro meat, spanakopita - the spinach and feta cheese pie - along with peperoncini, olives, red boiled potatoes and a Greek salad. The specialty entrees are served with a salad, rice pilaf or red boiled potatoes, along with a vegetable.
Italian entrees include spaghetti with tomato sauce ($5.25); with meatballs, sausage or mushrooms ($6.25); lasagna or veal parmesan ($6.95); linguini with shrimp ($9.95); and Fettuccini Alfredo ($5.95). Subs, burgers and some deli sandwiches are available, and there are daily specials (such as Friday's fried fish, $6.95 with fries and slaw) and luncheon specials (mostly less than $4).
The Azalea Inn is as famous for its pizza as its Greek entrees, and a lot of the pies have been finding their way over to the Time Out Sports Bar.
``We are set up to handle large groups,'' Vassilos Karangelen explained, ``and we get softball teams after their games, even seniors groups in for lunches.''
But nothing is like a football weekend, his uncle Takis exclaimed:
``You should see it, with everybody rooting for their own teams, shaking their fingers at each other, laughing. We have to bring additional tables over from the Azalea Inn.''
``On football days there are a lot of Navy guys here,'' Vassilos said, ``along with families with their kids. All kinds of people come in.''
Moving from sports to history, the Alliance Francaise is celebrating the 215th anniversary of the Battle Off the Capes - the sea fight that bottled up Cornwallis' army at Yorktown and led to his surrender to George Washington - with music, a cross-cultural menu featuring French wines, hors d'oeuvres, and docents dressed in period costumes, tonight on the Celebration Pavilion at Nauticus.
Co-sponsored by the Hampton Roads Naval Museum, the event may be sold out by now, but if you are interested in details, call Alliance vice president David Buzard at 625-1512. Reservations are required.
Speaking of sports and battles, I must correct a mistake in last week's column about the new Old Dominion Coffee Company on Hampton Boulevard. Co-owner Greg Lukas was a collegiate boxer, not a wrestler. If one errs, it's best not to rile a former Golden Gloves boxer. Sorry, Greg, now break clean and go back to your corner. MEMO: AT A GLANCE
Time Out Sports Bar: 2344 E. Little Creek Road; 587-4649, 488-9453.
Food: Greek, Italian specialties, subs, sandwiches and salads; full
ABC.
Prices: dinner entrees $5.25-$10.45; lunch specials, most under $4.
Hours: 10 a.m.-2 a.m. Monday-Saturday, 11 a.m.-1 a.m on Sunday. ILLUSTRATION: Photo by SAM MARTINETTE
Co-owner Takis Karangelen, left, who with his nephew and partner
Vassilos Karangelen opened the massive Time Out Sports Bar. The
establishment has three pool tables, sports murals and three 10-foot
TV screens. by CNB