Alexis Restaurant

Last updated
Alexis Restaurant
Alexis Restaurant logo.png
Alexis Restaurant
Restaurant information
Established1981 (1981)
ClosedNovember 7, 2016 (2016-11-07)
Previous owner(s)
  • Gerry Tsirimiagos
  • Alexis Bakouros [1]
Food type Greek
Street address215 West Burnside Street
City Portland
County Multnomah
StateOregon
Postal/ZIP Code97209
CountryUnited States
Coordinates 45°31′24″N122°40′22″W / 45.52345°N 122.67290°W / 45.52345; -122.67290
Website www.alexisfoods.com

Alexis Restaurant (sometimes Alexis Greek Restaurant) [2] [3] was a Greek restaurant in Portland, Oregon's Old Town Chinatown neighborhood, in the United States. It was established in 1981 and closed on November 7, 2016. [4] [5]

Contents

Description

The family-operated [6] and "family oriented" [7] Greek restaurant operated on West Burnside Street in Portland's Old Town Chinatown neighborhood. The business was housed in a streetcar era commercial style building designed by Harold Marsh and completed in 1926. [8] Fodor's said the interior had white walls and "basic" furnishings. [9] The menu included souvlaki, spanakopita, moussaka, [10] saganaki, [11] braised lamb shanks, fried calamari, saganaki, [12] [13] dolmathes, and pastitsio. [14]

History

Gerry Tsirimiagos opened Alexis Restaurant in 1981, [15] a few years after immigrating from Greece. [4] [16] The business was the city's first to serve fried calamari. [16]

In 2013, Tsirmiagos said business declined following the establishment of the Right 2 Dream Too encampment. [17] Jim Huffman also commented on how Alexis and nearby businesses were impacted by homeless camps. [18]

In 2015, Matthew Korfhage of Willamette Week said the restaurant's co-owner Alexis Bakouros [19] was among "multiple Greek families who helped keep the center of town vital in the lean Portland '80s and '90s", along with Ted Papaioannou of Berbati's Pan, Ted Papas of Greek Cusina, and George Touhouliotis of Satyricon. [20]

In 2015, Tsirimiagos bought out Bakouros, who continued ownership of Alexis, Inc., a grocery store and catering business that had been affiliated with the restaurant. [4] On November 7, 2016, after operating for 36 years, Alexis Restaurant closed. [21] Tsirimiagos said he was closing the restaurant to focus on his family and traveling. [4] Alexis was replaced with, Nyx, a two-story nightclub that planned to include elements of Greek mythology in its décor as a tribute to the restaurant, [22] [23] and later a strip club. [24] Alexis, Inc. remained open for importing and distributing foods as well as catering. [4] [21]

Reception

According to the Portland Mercury , the magazine Portland Downtowner said Alexis was among the city's best restaurants in 1986. [25] Portland Best Places (1990) called Alexis "a temple of good times that has evolved ... into something far beyond a little Greek eatery". [26] Moon Oregon (2007) said the restaurant offered Oregon's best traditional Greek food. [27]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Acadia: A New Orleans Bistro</span> Defunct restaurant in Portland, Oregon, U.S.

Acadia: A New Orleans Bistro, or simply Acadia, was a Cajun-, Louisiana Creole-, and Southern-style restaurant in northeast Portland, Oregon, in the United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wildwood (restaurant)</span> Defunct restaurant in Portland, Oregon, U.S.

Wildwood Restaurant and Bar, or simply Wildwood, was a Pacific Northwest and New American restaurant in Portland, Oregon, in the United States. Operating from 1994 to 2014, the restaurant earned owner and founding chef Cory Schreiber a James Beard Foundation Award nomination in the Best Chef: Northwest category. Wendy Culverwell of Portland Business Journal described Wildwood as "a pioneer in the farm-to-table food movement".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bluehour</span> Defunct restaurant and bar in Portland, Oregon, U.S.

Bluehour was a Mediterranean restaurant and bar located in the Pearl District of Portland, Oregon, United States. The business began operating in September 2000. Bruce Carey and Joe Rogers co-owned the business with Kenny Giambalvo, who also served as an executive chef until 2011.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Swank and Swine</span> Restaurant and bar in Portland, Oregon, U.S.

Swank and Swine is the collective name of the former restaurant Swank and the bar Swine, located in Portland, Oregon's Paramount Hotel, in the United States. Swank was rebranded as Taylor Street Tavern in 2022.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Altabira City Tavern</span> Defunct restaurant in Portland, Oregon, U.S.

Altabira City Tavern, or simply Altabira, was an American restaurant on the top of Hotel Eastlund in Portland, Oregon's Lloyd District. The restaurant opened in 2015 and closed in 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hotel Rose</span> Hotel in Portland, Oregon, U.S.

Hotel Rose, sometimes referred to as Staypineapple at Hotel Rose, is a 140-room boutique hotel in southwest Portland, Oregon, United States. Located in downtown Portland across from Tom McCall Waterfront Park, the hotel opened as Riverside West Motor Hotel in 1964 and later operated as a Four Points by Sheraton property and as Hotel Fifty.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bijou Cafe</span> Restaurant in Portland, Oregon, U.S.

Bijou Cafe was a restaurant in Portland, Oregon's Old Town Chinatown, in the United States. The restaurant closed in 2020.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Portland Penny Diner</span> Defunct restaurant in Portland, Oregon, U.S.

Portland Penny Diner was a restaurant in Portland, Oregon's Hotel Lucia, in the United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ataula</span> Restaurant in Portland, Oregon, U.S.

Ataula was a Spanish and Catalan restaurant in Portland, Oregon, in the United States. The restaurant earned Jose Chesa a James Beard Foundation Award nomination in the Best Chef: Northwest category.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Genoa (restaurant)</span> Defunct Italian restaurant in Portland, Oregon, U.S.

Genoa was an Italian restaurant in Portland, Oregon, in the United States. Housed in the Genoa Building, the restaurant closed permanently in 2014. Laurie Wolf said Genoa "was at the forefront of Portland's changing food scene".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ate-Oh-Ate</span> Hawaiian restaurant in Portland, Oregon, U.S.

Ate-Oh-Ate is a Hawaiian restaurant with two locations in Portland, Oregon, in the United States. Named after the area code 808 in Hawaii, the restaurant's logo depicts a "happy, well-fed" pig. Ben Dyer, David Kreifels, and Jason Owens are co-chefs and co-owners.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shift Drinks</span> Defunct cocktail bar in Portland, Oregon, U.S.

Shift Drinks was a cocktail bar in Portland, Oregon. The bar opened in 2015 and closed in 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Berbati's Pan was a Greek restaurant, bar and music nightclub in Portland, Oregon, United States. It was located at 231 Southwest Ankeny Street and operated from 1985 to 2010.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Beast (restaurant)</span> Defunct restaurant in Portland, Oregon, U.S.

Beast was a restaurant in Portland, Oregon. The business earned chef and owner Naomi Pomeroy a James Beard Foundation Award for Best Chef: Northwest in 2014.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tilt (restaurant)</span> Defunct restaurant in Portland, Oregon, U.S.

Tilt was a hamburger restaurant with multiple locations in Portland, Oregon, United States.

Zefiro was an Italian and Mediterranean restaurant in Portland, Oregon, United States. The business operated from 1990 to 2000.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bombay Cricket Club</span> Defunct Indian restaurant in Portland, Oregon, U.S.

Bombay Cricket Club was an Indian and Middle Eastern restaurant in Portland, Oregon's Buckman neighborhood, in the United States. Karim and Sherri Ahmad owned and operated the business from 1995 to 2016. The popular restaurant screened cricket matches and garnered a positive reception. It was named the city's best Indian restaurant by Portland Monthly in 2004.

Fenouil was a French and Pacific Northwest restaurant in Portland, Oregon. The business operated from 2005 to 2011.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Seastar Bakery</span> Defunct bakery in Portland, Oregon, U.S.

Seastar Bakery was a bakery in Portland, Oregon, United States. Annie Moss and Katia Bezerra-Clark owned and operated the business, which shared a space with Handsome Pizza in northeast Portland's Vernon neighborhood starting in 2015. Seastar served breads, cookies, pastries, and toast, among other baked goods. Despite garnering a positive reception and being deemed one of the city's best bakeries by Eater Portland and Portland Monthly, Seastar closed in August 2022.

Aviary was a restaurant on Alberta Street in northeast Portland, Oregon's Vernon neighborhood, in the United States. Sarah Pliner was a co-owner and head chef.

References

  1. ↑ Greenwald, Michelle (2020). The Magical Melting Pot. Archived from the original on January 18, 2023. Retrieved December 20, 2022.
  2. ↑ Butler, Grant (2017-01-17). "84 more closed Portland restaurants we're missing". The Oregonian. Archived from the original on 2020-10-21. Retrieved 2022-12-20.
  3. ↑ Butler, Grant (2018-04-04). "28 long-gone Portland bars we wish were still around". The Oregonian. Archived from the original on 2021-05-20. Retrieved 2022-12-20.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 Harbarger, Molly (September 30, 2016). "Alexis Restaurant to close, adding another long-time fixture to downtown dining departures". The Oregonian . Advance Publications. Archived from the original on April 3, 2017. Retrieved February 25, 2017.
  5. ↑ Bailey, Crystal (September 28, 2016). "Alexis Restaurant closing after 36 years". KGW. Archived from the original on February 26, 2017. Retrieved February 25, 2017.
  6. ↑ Hall, Lisa Shara; Porter, Roger J. (1996). The Food Lover's Companion to Portland. Chronicle Books. ISBN   978-0-8118-1192-7. Archived from the original on 2022-12-20. Retrieved 2023-07-10.
  7. ↑ Stevenson, George (2009). Veg Out: Seattle and Portland. Gibbs Smith. ISBN   978-1-4236-1148-6. Archived from the original on 2022-12-22. Retrieved 2023-07-10.
  8. ↑ Vickers, Marques (2020-03-28). Portland Historical Architecture: Downtown, Pearl District, Old Town. Marquis Publishing. Archived from the original on 2023-07-10. Retrieved 2023-07-10.
  9. ↑ Fodor's:
  10. ↑ Gottberg, John; Lopeman, Elizabeth (2010-06-01). Best Places: Portland, 8th Edition. Sasquatch Books. ISBN   978-1-57061-699-0. Archived from the original on 2023-07-10. Retrieved 2023-07-10.
  11. ↑ Carlson, Kim (1998). Portland Best Places: The Most Discriminating Guide to Portland's Restaurants, Lodgings, Shopping, Nightlife, Arts, Sights, and Outings. Sasquatch Books. ISBN   978-1-57061-123-0. Archived from the original on 2023-07-10. Retrieved 2023-07-10.
  12. ↑ Butler, Grant (2017-01-01). "Tasty memories: 97 long-gone Portland restaurants we wish were still around". The Oregonian. Archived from the original on 2020-12-28. Retrieved 2022-12-20.
  13. ↑ Butler, Grant (2017-05-06). "13 cool features of old Portland restaurants you won't find anymore". The Oregonian. Archived from the original on 2021-10-22. Retrieved 2022-12-20.
  14. ↑ Little Big Town. Orange Coast Magazine. Vol. 21. October 1995. ISSN   0279-0483. Archived from the original on 2022-12-22. Retrieved 2023-07-10.
  15. ↑ "Portland's Greek classic, the Alexis, turns 30". The Oregonian. 2011-01-25. Archived from the original on 2022-12-20. Retrieved 2022-12-20.
  16. 1 2 Lannamann, Ned (May 2, 2017). "Go Greek: An Odyssey of Eats". Portland Mercury . Archived from the original on 9 May 2021. Retrieved 9 May 2021.
  17. ↑ Theen, Andrew (2013-11-16). "Michael Wright: Right 2 Dream Too landlord and Portland adult bookstore owner awaits city payout". The Oregonian. Archived from the original on 2023-05-19. Retrieved 2023-07-10.
  18. ↑ Theriault, Denis C. "It's Not Because of the Homeless. It's Because of the Restaurant Business". Portland Mercury. Retrieved 2023-07-10.
  19. ↑ Greenwald, Michelle (2020-09-06). The Magical Melting Pot. Archived from the original on 2023-07-10. Retrieved 2023-07-10.
  20. ↑ "Berbati Being Sold to Owners of Dante's and XV". Willamette Week. 2015-06-05. Archived from the original on 2021-04-19. Retrieved 2023-07-10.
  21. 1 2 Bamman, Mattie John (October 4, 2016). "Alexis Greek Restaurant to Close After 36 Years". Eater Portland . Vox Media. Archived from the original on 10 May 2021. Retrieved 9 May 2021.
  22. ↑ Korfhage, Matthew (December 18, 2016). "Old Town's Alexis Greek Restaurant Will Become a Two-Story Nightclub". Willamette Week . Archived from the original on February 26, 2017. Retrieved February 25, 2017.
  23. ↑ "An Old Town Bar Crawl for People Who Rarely Use the Word "Bro"". Willamette Week. 2017-09-15. Archived from the original on 2019-10-17. Retrieved 2023-07-10.
  24. ↑ "A Strip Club Mini-Renaissance Is Happening Downtown. We Went to Two New Clubs to See If They're Worth Your Hard-Earned Singles". Willamette Week. 2019-10-30. Archived from the original on 2023-05-12. Retrieved 2023-07-10.
  25. ↑ Leschen, Paul. "Ancient Greek". Portland Mercury. Archived from the original on 2023-01-27. Retrieved 2023-07-10.
  26. ↑ Irving, Stephanie (1990). Portland Best Places: A Discriminating Guide to Portland's Restaurants, Lodgings, Shopping, Nightlife, Arts, Sights, Outings, and Annual Events. Sasquatch Books. ISBN   978-0-912365-28-2. Archived from the original on 2023-07-10. Retrieved 2023-07-10.
  27. ↑ Morris, Elizabeth; Morris, Mark; Jewell, Judy; McRae, W. C. (2007-02-26). Moon Oregon. Avalon Publishing. ISBN   978-1-56691-930-2. Archived from the original on 2022-12-22. Retrieved 2023-07-10.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.