Not many Arizonans know about the St Anthony’s Monastery in
Florence. But in 1995 six monks arrived
in the southern Arizona desert to establish this beautiful retreat bringing
with them this sacred, millennial heritage of the Holy Mountain, Athos. Is
there a connection to when Mt Athos Restaurant opened about 10 years ago? You'll have to ask the congenial host Pete Koulouris who continues the family
tradition brought to Florence from New York City from his father George. Pete
is no stranger to the food business having started at the early age of 10. With
him comes a legacy of traditions and recipes not found in these parts.
Florence is fortunate to have both the Monastery and Mt
Athos Restaurant call this home. We lucked out.
My journey starts out at lunch one day in the heat of this
summer. My wife Diane and I are big fans of Greek food coming from Chicago and
having “Greektown” conveniently close. Greek foods are not an acquired taste in
my opinion as many other ethnic foods are. Greek food to me is the essence of
great flavors, smells and textures combined to please the palate. Mediterranean
to be sure but the spices and subtlety’s can vary from different regions in Greece
much like in Italy, India, or Asia in general.
What’s unique about Pete’s menu is although they have
mastered the Greek foods they serve, they offer typical American and Italian
dishes that I've heard are top-notch. But, today is Greek day for us. Jenn was our friendly server who is a teacher
in Florence and comes from the Bronx close to where Pete and his family were
from. Her accent is obvious but she said so was mine from the Midwest. We were
treated like royalty and I suspect that’s the way everyone else gets treated.
Got to start off with Saganaki (Flaming Cheese)
traditionally made with sheep’s milk cheese melted in a small frying pan until it's bubbly and ignited when doused with liquor to form this fireball. The Parthenon
in Chicago lays claim to inventing this which is where we traditionally go when
back home. Served with pita bread it’s a great start to a meal especially with
some Roditys wine.
Can’t have the main course until you have a real Greek salad
and some Avgolemono soup. Mt Athos offers different kinds of Greek salads.
In order to try different things, Diane ordered the Gyros Platter which comes with a generous portion of Gyros meat, rice, pita bread,
Tzatziki sauce and a side of cinnamon glazed carrots. All excellent. Tzatziki
can be quite different from place to place. I love to make this at home with
yogurt, garlic and cucumbers but Pete makes his with a blend of sour cream and
yogurt which we both loved. That’s how I’ll make mine in the future.
With so many great looking things on the menu I asked Pete to make me a platter of mixed meats. He was happy to oblige with this
tremendous plate of Baked Lamb shank, Pork and Chicken Souvlaki (kabobs), and
Gyro’s. Everything was outstanding. Perfectly seasoned, not overcooked. The
Lamb Shank was the bomb. Braised with vegetables in a red wine and tomato sauce
infused with allspice.
As if that weren't enough ... Pete said you're not leaving
without some Galak. I said “say
All in all it was a very delightful meal and we're looking
forward to trying many other dishes on the menu but not all at one time.
Even though many names on the menu are long and hard to pronounce,
Pete’s hospitality and passion for serving great food shines through. Not sure
what to order? Just ask Pete or one of the helpful servers and you can't go
wrong.
Mt Athos Restaurant
444 N. Pinal PKWY.
Florence AZ. 85132
(520)868-0735
OPEN MON-SAT 9AM-9PM
