Williston Park has a new Greek spot.
Skara Taverna opened its doors last week, and owner Dino Philippou is excited to bring his Greek culture and cuisine to the community.
“I think it’s got a real comfortable feel,” Philippou said. “We just hope people embrace the food with our Greek hospitality.”
He said Skara’s menu is inspired by a desire to serve high-quality, fresh food at fair prices as well as his favorite restaurants in Greece, which he visits yearly. He has prepared a primarily meat-centric menu, focusing on crafting Greek barbecue on a charcoal grill, alongside seafood, like salmon, grilled octopus, calamari and crab cakes, and vegetarian appetizers, like honey baked feta, eggplant chips, spanakopita and spreads, like hummus and tzatziki.
“My wife and kids and I go to Greece every year,” Philippou said. “Most restaurants in [Greece] focus on seafood. I wanted to be something different…and concentrate a little bit more on meats rather than seafood. We have a charcoal grill, which you don’t see too much. We’re doing a rotisserie-style, Greek barbecue on the charcoal grill. That’s where my vision was.”
“We have pig, we have pork, we have lamb, and we have chicken, any one of those, I think you’ll be very happy with,” he added. “The charcoal always gives it a little more flavor than a regular grill.”
There’s also a ribeye for two, filet mignon and grilled shrimp souvlaki sticks, skirt steak, wild boar pancetta and lamp chops.
If you’re not in the mood for meat, you can try out Philippou’s vegetarian moussaka, lemon potatoes, grilled vegetables, salmon, grilled lobster or lobster pappardelle.
“We have a good, different selection,” Philippou said. “It goes across the board, and we hope people can really find something that they like.”
Skara’s drinks are also inspired by Greece, flavorful cocktails and a Greek-inspired beer crafted by Philippou and his team, called the Skara Lager, on tap, brewed at a local brewery down the block. They also keep a seasonal brew on tap and offer Blue Moon to their guests.
Philippou said he’s also focused on keeping prices down for guests. In an effort to offer affordable options, Philippou has a list of lunch deals for the village that include $12 pita wraps and Greek salads.
“We’re trying to keep the prices as reasonable as we can and still give that quality. So we hope people appreciate that,” he said. “We have sticks of souvlaki, with pork steak, beef steak, shrimp steak and a chicken stick. They’re all reasonably priced. Pork is $5. $5 is a price you could find on a food truck, so for a restaurant it’s very, very reasonable.”
An Astoria native, Philippou moved to the Mineola-East Williston border in 2006 with his wife, who’s from Long Island. Skara isn’t his first venture: He previously owned Cavo, a Greek restaurant-club in Astoria from 1999 to 2017 and a couple of Mexican restaurants, including Las Catrinas, which continues to serve Astorians on Broadway today.
He said it’s his passion – both for Greece and for serving – that’s kept him in the restaurant business for decades.
“I was more American, playing sports and stuff like that, when I was younger. I was never really into the Greek thing,” Philippou said. “It took just one trip to Greece in my early 20s, and I fell in love with the culture, the music, the food.”
After that, he said, he was motivated to share his love for his country with his neighbors and hasn’t looked back since opening his first restaurant over 25 years ago.
“I love seeing people happy,” Philippou said. “I love when people appreciate the hard work that goes behind the scenes, and they tell me they love the food, they love the drinks, the ambiance, the music. When it all comes together, it’s rewarding.”
Skara Taverna is open daily at 75 Hillside Ave. at 11:30 a.m. The restaurant closes at 9 p.m. on Sunday and Monday, 10 p.m. on Tuesday through Thursday and 11 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays.
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