The appetizing scents of fresh herbs and homemade dough waft through the doors as you enter Local Greek at 44 Leigh Street in Princeton.
The light blue and white facade of the restaurant captures its authentic Greek roots. Its interior features communal tables, twinkling string lights, and Greek sayings along the walls.
Local Greek owner Tony Kanterakis says, “We had 3 weeks to design it…I wanted to go more of a rustic, Cretan feel because the island we’re from is Crete. It’s a very kind of rustic, wooden, you know, old school style. It kind of fits the style of Princeton, I think also.”
Occasionally, the restaurant has a Greek Night, which includes an upscale dinner and live music performed by Nikitas Tampakis and Manolis Skoullos.
Kanterakis says, “We’ve been doing Greek Nights on and off for months. It’s just something that’s nice for the community and for everybody.”
The Greek music performed comes from a range of categories including traditional, wedding, dance, Greek film, and modern hits as well.
As the Greek tunes and harmonies fill up the room, many who are seated will stand to clap or sing along with the music.
Tampakis, who has been performing at the restaurant’s Greek nights for a while now, says, “It feels like you go in there and you’re able to, kind of, be in Greece, taking a little departure from New Jersey.”
Ruth Bardales, a Mercer County resident who was visiting Local Greek for the first time at the most recent Greek Night on February 17, said, “I feel quite happy due to the welcoming atmosphere and kind service from the waiters. The prices are reasonable and I really to hope to return as soon as possible.”
Everyday menu items are priced from the cheese kourou (a Greek style empanada) for $7.95 to a large Greek Horiatiki tomato and cucumber salad for $13.95. A typical gyro with choice of meat, tomato, tzatziki (yogurt sauce), onions and fresh herbs is $9.95. Prices are higher for the special menu on Greek Nights and reservations are needed.
The food is the restaurant’s centerpiece. Whether someone wants to order small platters through the meze menu or opt for a larger plate, a piece of Greece is served in each one.
The chicken souvlaki includes tender chicken kebabs served with rice, horta, and lemon potatoes. The golden perfection of the perfectly roasted lemon potatoes, complement the grilled taste of the kebab.
A sweet pastry, like the baklava, has the right amount of crunch and chew. The Fillo dough, which is filled with crushed almonds and walnuts, is topped by syrupy greek honey.
Local Greek, however, does not just excel in serving great Greek cuisine, but combining the food experience with an authentic sense of Greek culture.
Tampakis says, “Through the food and through the culture, whether it be music or dancing, the people are really well connected. They have, overall, this spirit of hospitality and sharing, that you go into a place like the Local Greek and you feel really welcomed and that you’re part of a fun community.”
For those who may want to get a quicker bite of authentic Greek food on the run, Small Bites, an outpost of Local Greek, will be opening soon closer to downtown Princeton’s main street. The spot will offer Local Greek’s usual breakfast menu, kebabs, gyros, salads, and more.
Kanterakis explains, “It’s going to be an extension of what we have here, almost like a similar look. It’ll be a little different, you want to have a twist to it, but the number one thing we’re going to be doing is the Greek doughnuts, which is going to like shock everyone. We’re going to be making those in the window with homemade Greek ice cream.”
Kanterakis plans for Small Bites to be open to the public by the end of March and no later than April 1 but the final date has not been set.
