Skorpios Keeps Aegean Tradition Alive

By The Foodies./ foodie@longislandernews.com

To trace the full history of Huntington’s Skorpios Restaurant, take a look about 4,500 miles east to the rocky shores of the Aegean Sea.

That’s where owner Theotokis Goussis hails from – the locals here know him as Dennis. He and his family came to America from Corfu, Greece in 1969 in search of a better life. Before long, they pooled their resources to open a restaurant in Bayville, where they brought traditional Greek recipes to Long Island for the first time and passed out samples of a tasty new dish – gyro – to the locals.

After they found success, they moved east, opening Skorpios Restaurant on New York Avenue in 1979. And after 43 years of bringing homemade, fresh Greek favorites to their customers across Long Island, gyro remains front and center – literally. In the storefront, you’ll see the fresh, savory, never frozen lamb and beef slowly turning before an open fire. Tender and full of zest, the juicy lamb morsels really hit the spot, whether on a dinner platter ($16.95) or over Greek salad for lunch ($10.15).

During a recent visit, Dennis started us off with warm pita bread and creamy, peppy tzatziki sauce for dipping, before bringing out a sampler plate of delicious gyro and a Greek Pizza ($8.95,) a filling, sharable starter of spinach and feta on a flat pita, topped with marinara sauce and mozzarella.

We were also especially lucky when we moved on to our entrees. Dennis had Spanakopita ($6.50 appetizer/ $9.15 meal) coming out of the oven and sent a plate our way. If you like the classic Greek spinach pie, you’ll love it here – layers of light, flaky Phyllo dough paired with flavorful spinach and crumpled feta, all of which Skorpios knocks out of the park by keeping it simple and emphasizing freshness.

Any entrée served Athenian style – we had Shrimp Athenian ($22.95), and Chicken Cutlet Athenian ($16.95) pairs the main dish with generous servings of spinach and feta. And their fall-off-the bone Baked Lamb Shank ($17.95) is sautéed in a mild red onion sauce.

Many of our favorites, including Humos ($7.85, $5.95 half-order), classic lentil, lobster bisque and chicken lemon soups ($3 cup, $3.90 bowl) remain on the menu, along with must-have staples like Moussaka and Pastichio ($18.95 each).

Check their trademark chalkboard for specials, and be sure to give Dennis a wave if you see him in the window. He’ll be happy to serve you, and you’ll be happy you helped continue a tradition Skorpios helped bring to these shores.

Skorpios Restaurant
340 New York Ave., Huntington
(631) 549-8887
www.skorpioslongisland.com
Atmosphere – Neighborhood bistro
Cuisine – Classic Greek
Price – Moderate
Hours – Mon.-Thurs. 11 a.m. – 11 p.m.
Fri.-Sun. 11 a.m. -midnight