An Agora On Your Plate
St. Petersburg, Florida USA
Dined in: January 2016
By Sean Overpeck (CFE)
Executive Chef:
Sam Waez
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| Picture Courtesy of the Tampa Business Chronicle |
In the city of St. Petersburg nestled against the Tampa Bay, I am discovering a unique and exciting food scene that is impressing the hell out of me, and reminding me of Austin, Texas or Charleston, South Carolina. A great and diverse offering along with comfort foods, traditional to fusion international. Head west on Central Avenue away from the skyscrapers and you will pass two or three-story buildings, with unique shops and restaurants. Just past 5th Street north you will see Acropolis Greek Taverna, along with other shops like an eccentric and overpriced tchotchke collectors heaven called ZaZoo’d, a Brian James Photo Gallery and several others. Acropolis is two stories with a patio and balcony. Parking may be difficult to find during the lunch and dinner hours, and it is all metered, so don’t cut the money short or you will be paying the city a nice $25.00 fine. The beauty is that Acropolis offers valet during their dinner hours.
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| Picture Courtesy of Acropolis |
There are five locations run by Chef/Owner Sam Waez. With a solid restaurant background plus other business ventures, Acropolis has grown around the Tampa Bay, so though almost considered a chain, it still has a nice family and private business feel to it. Like the famous Columbia Restaurant which has about the same amount of locations, and is a Central Florida icon, there are Acropolis restaurants in Ybor City, Riverview, New Tampa, and South Tampa. Besides the normal lunch and dinner schedule, the St. Petersburg location also offers a champagne brunch on Saturday and Sunday from 11-3. The Ybor location brought a much-needed change to the area from the bar and club scene to a more food-friendly family scene as it is explained in the St. Pete Times from a 2003 article. There are also future locations for the restaurant in the works for Sarasota and Lakeland according to the Tampa Bay Business Journal. Their overall mission statement and future plans are to expand throughout the Southeast region, opening more franchise locations, and a recent opening of a commissary-style kitchen.
When you think about Central Florida, Saint Petersburg, Tampa, or Clearwater you thing about the beaches, classic American fair or Spanish influenced cuisine like Columbia Restaurant or a hand full of others, not Greek. Yet they have been voted in the top ten best restaurants in Tampa Bay by USA Today; voted as having the best hummus in the Best of Tampa Bay 2015.
Just north of Clearwater on a thirty-minute drive or so depending on traffic which is always horrible is the city of Tarpon Springs. There is a historic riverfront community with Greek sponge dive farmers. Collecting sponges is a 2,500-year-old business that began in the Mediterranean. Sponges are technically an animal, and they’re used for cleaning, crafts, and medicine. The Sponge Docks along the Anclote River is the main attraction. The Greeks began immigrating to the area in the late 1800’s, built a home for themselves in central Florida and it has flourished ever since, making restaurants like Acropolis extremely popular, as you can see from the accolades in the local and national newspapers.
There is a flair that goes beyond the Greek and plunges into the deeper Mediterranean at Acropolis, with a hint of the Crete and Levant cultures offering of hookah’s, belly dancing and classical bouzouki performances. The bouzouki is a Greek musical instrument that was brought to Greece in the 1900s by Greek immigrants from Asia Minor and quickly became the central instrument to the rebetika genre and its music branches. One of their more memorable experiences according to Mr. Waez was that the “grand opening events are completely open to the public, with open buffet and open bar, and no charge! Lines are out the door, dancing everywhere, music, plate breaking and a lot of loud noises!” One thing that can be said when it comes to other restaurants around them, what makes Acropolis different? “Entertainment, Energy, Value, an abundance of food for the price.”
My wife and I visited for a lunch meal in mid-January. I had just come home on leave from Iraq and was ready to eat food other than what I had prepared, being the Executive Chef for the Embassy. My wife had been to Acropolis several times and raved about it, so it was the first of many restaurant stops during the one month break before I had to return overseas. The main menu is broken down into sections offering:
- Appetizers
- Salads
- Soups
- Sandwiches
- Entrees
- Platters
- Seafood Entrees
- Wraps
- Sides
- Desserts
The appetizer selection was extremely large, with nearly twenty offerings from classic spinach and feta Spanakopita, Tzatziki, Stuffed Mushrooms, Hummus, and Bābā Ghannūj just to name a few. We began with the classic Greek Saganaki, a feta cheese dish rubbed in flour cooked in oil, topped with some alcohol, then served at the table flambé style. Their menu has a regular cheese, and a shrimp Saganaki as well. For those with gluten allergies, there are three items on the appetizer menu that will not send you into shock or have you break out with rashes. Next time I go, I wouldn’t mind trying their Falafel Appetizer, showing yet again that there is a Levant influence to the Greek Cuisine. If your vegetarian or vegan, then don’t worry, there are many options for you to choose from as well. They also use local markets for produce although not organic, plus a local supplier for seafood, but it is not sourced locally.
The wines from Greece are new to me as in the past I may have had a tasting once or twice but don’t really know enough about them to speak of them in greater detail. One thing I enjoyed about the Acropolis menu is that it has a very good selection of Greek wine which helped raise its wine selection rating which you will see below. Their bar has your basic offering of liquor and beer, with four Greek style beers which include Alfa, from Washington State, Blue Island, from Illinois, Mythos, and Zeos Black which are both from Greece. Besides your domestic and imports, there are some local premiums like Ybor Gold.
There is also a two for one special on their sangrias on most nights. Their bar staff is outgoing and do the Zobra dance from the 1964 movie “Zobra The Greek” along with the service staff as well. Acropolis participates in several bars related festivals such as the Margarita Wars and the Tampa Bay Bloody Mary Festival.
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| Picture Courtesy of Acropolis |
The wine list at Acropolis circumnavigates the entire country of Greece, to include the islands that go with them. Most of the selections on their list are Onomasia Proelefsis Eleghomeni (O.P.E.), Controlled Appellation of Origin or Topikos Oinos, Vin de pays in the Greek Government Regulatory system for wines with a few French selections of the Appellation d'Origine Vin De Qualité Supérieure. From the Red wine section you have the Nemea which is a 100% Greek Variety of Agiorgitko that grows mainly in the Peloponnese area, producing a soft, fruity red in many styles; A Grand Cave from Kalavryta in the mountainous east-central part of the regional unit of Achaea, Greece; A fruity Halkidiki from Chalkidiki, a peninsula and regional unit of Greece, part of the Region of Central Macedonia in Northern Greece; A sweet red Mavrodaphne indigenous to the Achaea region in Northern Peloponnese; A Naousa brand named after the town of the same name which is a 100% variety of Xinomavro ("sour black") is the predominant grape variety in Macedonia, and finally a glass of red wine that I enjoyed called the Makedonikos most likely from the Tsantali family which has been cultivating vineyards, making wines and distilling ouzo and tsipouro since 1890.
The white wine selections include a Santorini from the breathtaking island of Santorini, the predominant grape is Assyrtiko a superb dry and dessert Appellation which maintains its acidity as it ripens. It is similar in character to Riesling, whose old vines have been resistant to Phylloxera. Limnos; a medium sweet Island wine; Samos style named after another island; Moschifilero Mantinia, a grape variety of Blanc de Gris grown primarily in Mantinia (Mantineia), Peloponnese, and the Restina produced in Greece since ancient times and called the Greek wine of the Gods. My fiancé had the house white wine.
On the restaurant patio which is separated from the building by the main sidewalk thoroughfare of Central Avenue is a smoking patio, to where Acropolis also offers another Levant after dinner delicacy, the hookah. We sat inside at a hightop table near the bar section.
As we were there for lunch we were eating liter, so my wife had the Ginger Chicken Salad, on the gluten-free list for those with allergens over a spring mix and romaine lettuce blend, wedged orange, avocado, minced ginger, tomatoes, onions, cucumbers, and red pepper candied walnut, served with mango dressing. This was one of twelve entree-style salads on their menu including a traditional Greek village Horiatiki salad, Acropolis, Tabbouleh, Karpathos Chicken salad, and Aegean Shrimp to name a few. The Ginger Salad had a wonderful sweet aroma added to it with the mango dressing.
I skipped over the entree section which was separated by three parts and included a seafood section, platter section, and traditional Greek and Balkan favorites like Moussaka, Chicken Manitari and Santorini, a Levant style mixed grill, Greek meatballs, and a Dolmades entree. Their fish selections include Snapper, Mahi Mahi, Salmon, and other assorted shellfish.
I stuck to the sandwich and wrap sections of the menu having the Crete Burger, prepared medium so my fiancé could share it with me, as she will steer away from my rare and medium rare preferences to meat. It was a seasoned char-grilled Black Angus burger, topped with feta cheese, sautéed mushrooms and onions, and served with a garlic dill aioli, tomatoes, onions, and lettuce.
Other selections included salmon or Mahi Mahi fish sandwiches, a chicken Korfu sandwich, and several wraps including a falafel, Athenian chicken, pork souvlaki, and the favorite by the Acropolis crowd of regulars the Thessaloniki. As a side, we both shared some Greek fries topped with crumbled feta cheese. There was also a soup of the day selection, and if you bring along you're screaming kids, a menu for them as well.
Acropolis also caters to outside events if you have something that you're planning down the line, so just contact the catering department. As far as regular specials, Acropolis also offers a dinner special on Veterans Day, to honor those who have served. One thing I can say about the Tampa and Central Florida area, they cater to and respect the veterans who serve much more than other states across the union do. As far as philanthropy each year Acropolis support Make-A-Wish Foundation with their Annual Fundraiser through donations.
Wine Tasting Notes:
Wine and Grape:
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Nose (Bouquet):
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Palette Experience:
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Makedon Red
Onomasia Proelefsis Eleghomeni (O.P.E.), Controlled Appellation of Origin
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Winemaker: Cedar, tobacco and mint aromas My Tasting: Strong Oak, lite tobacco hints with aromas of berry and cilantro. |
Winemaker: Vibrant flavors of violet, red berry and black pepper in the elegant blend of Syrah and Xinomavro. Dry and spicy but rounded by softer fruit. My Tasting: Very soft on the pallet, and lite finish with hints of spice like nutmeg and mint |
Dessert:
With the lunch coming to a close, it was a difficult choice to skip over their dessert menu which included Mediterranean favorites like baklava, cheesecake, and rice pudding. It was time to pay so that way we could come back another day. Let's see how Acropolis rates overall shall we….
Overall Star rating by Wine, Dine, & Play:
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3 of 5
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Ambiance:
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5 of 10
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Quality of the Food:
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7 of 10
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Plate Presentation:
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5 of 10
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Customer Service:
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6 of 10
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Wow Factor:
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6 of 10
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Wine Selection:
(See the full list under the review basics section below)
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3 of 10
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This Restaurant reminds me of:
I have been to Acropolis once but can tell you that I do intend on returning again.
I rate ambiance on several factors from the most important being the cleanliness of the dining room and restrooms, to organization and flow. I look at the atmosphere, character, the tones, artwork, and the design styles to see if they match the themes of the food. During the daylight hours natural lighting versus electric is also a strong enhancer of enjoying a meal, and of course the styles of furniture, or if it is inviting and comfortable. I put Acropolis at the midway point of five out of ten as the bar area were very clean, but nothing really stood out that made me raise that a point or two. There was a good amount of natural lighting which was nice and the ceiling did have an interesting design. Now when I go back and see the breaking of the plates or the Zobra dance, and see the crowd react, then the numbers can go up.
The quality rating I base on essential or distinctive characteristics that the food offers, or if I see that it is of a high grade, superiority, or excellence. Also important is the taste. Did the chef pair or match distinctive ingredients together, and did he send my palette on an adventure? For this, I give higher marks as the taste and quality were right on point. The score would have been higher if they would have used organic or non-GMO fresh fruits and vegetables. The fact that they source locally raised them several points.
The plate presentation is also at the midway point. I base this rating on the art of how the food is put together and displayed as it is brought to the table. Does it look unique, or have interesting garnishments, or built right at the table? Does it make you look twice and go “wow”? All of these attributes help add to the rating. When we ordered the Saganaki, it was lit in the kitchen and walked through the dining room on fire not only for the effect of having people look at it, but adding quality to the food taste. This presentation kept the score from being at four.
Customer service can make or break a restaurant. You can have the best quality of foods, plate presentations that put Escoffier to shame, the most beautiful of ambiance, and a fantastic wine or bar list. However, if you have a service staff that is not attentive to the needs of the guest, or has an unclean uniform, smells like a cigarette after returning from a break, does not act professionally, or lacks knowledge on the menu, food, and restaurant then you have a major problem. On the other hand, a great server can bring a customer back over and over again even if the food is mediocre. People go to restaurants for the show of food thinking they are experts because they watched a reality tv show on the Food Network, but what needs to be understood is that as amazing as a kitchen staff and Chef’s may be, the front of the house is just as great. I rated our server and the overall service staff at Acropolis with a six out of ten. He was professional, clean cut, with a good attitude, and gave wonderful recommendations, to include items he didn’t like, which I find even better as far as quality because he is not afraid to speak his mind without the management punishing him for it. Though it does not reflect on the serving staff. The rating would have been higher for me to rate if the uniform was less casual and not a t-shirt with the company logo.
The “wow” factor as I like to call it is a quality or feature that is extremely impressive, or it can be something that is seen or done that is funky, surprising, or pleasing. It is something that just makes me go “wow”. This rating is also the hardest to get high marks for. The wow factor is a combination of what ambiance, quality, plate presentation, customer service, and wine or mixology. For Acropolis, I gave a rating of six. The Saganaki presentation helped push the wow factor up, and if I was there for dinner to see the breaking of the plates or the Zobra dance, then the rating would go even higher.
The wine selection can vary from restaurant to restaurant, and I base the ratings not just on the quality of the wines offered but also the selections. Wine is grown everywhere around the world these days and the demand for it has increased tenfold. Distributors in every major city whether they work for a large named company like Empire or a small boutique company can provide services to any restaurant if that restaurant wants it. Some restaurants will choose to have very basic wines and that to me will lower a rating faster than a plane nose diving. If they make an effort to have even a small selection with variety such as wines from Napa, Willamette, Bordeaux, Stellenbosch, Yarra Valley, or the Piemonte, then that rating will shoot up higher on my review list. I gave Acropolis a rating of three out of ten. The reason for this was that they had offered from only four countries. I was very impressed with their Greek selections as you don’t normally see that on a wine menu from even the finer restaurants out there. Besides the Greek wines, there was a limited selection of wines from France, all being Champaign, an Argentinean, and a Sonoma County wine.
Food Prices
(excluding, alcohol, taxes & gratuity)
$£€¥ - Under 50.00
$£€¥ x 2 - 51.00- 99.00
$£€¥ x 3 - Over 100.00
$£€¥ x 4 - Over 200.00
$£€¥ x 5 - Over 400.00
**Currencies chosen reflect the world’s major travelers and restaurant connoisseur’s**
My food bill:
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Currency:
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Price chart:
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$47.00
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United States Dollar (USD)
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$
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£33.00
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Great Britain Pound Sterling (GBP)
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£
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42.00
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European Union (EUR)
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€
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$60.00
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Canadian Dollar (CAN)
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$$
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$61.00
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Australian Dollar (AUS)
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$$
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¥305.00
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Chinese Yuan (CNY)
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¥¥¥¥¥
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Review basics:
Wine selections by region:
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3 of 10
Old world:
New World:
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Corkage fee’s:
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American Restaurant standard is $25.00 per bottle
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Restaurant style:
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Casual
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Reservations:
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Not Required
Walk-Ins:
Accepted
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Dress code:
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Smart casual, Casual, or Conservative attire
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Child policy:
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The Restaurants reviewed on this site may have a child’s menu or cater to them; however, for full enjoyment of food and wine, it is recommended for children not to be in attendance, unless they have been trained in proper etiquette.
Hire a Babysitter.
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Cuisine style:
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Contemporary, Bistro, Modern, Seafood, Greek, Levant, Mediterranean, Balkan, & Vegetarian
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Experiences:
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Place for foodies, Business parties, Great outdoor dining, Good for special occasions, Tourist grabber, and a Neighborhood Gem.
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Payments:
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Visa, MasterCard, Discover, American Express
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Parking:
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Street Parking or Valet
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Wifi
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The restaurants reviewed on this site may have Wi-Fi, but do not require you to go online, because the excitement of the food and wine alone will keep you too entertained instead of checking your social media and emails.
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Noise level:
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Medium
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Smoking:
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Nonsmoking restaurant, but a smoking patio with hookah
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Patio:
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Yes
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Restaurant address:
515 Central Ave
St. Petersburg, Florida
33701
Contact Information:
Maître d, Reservations:
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+1 727 823 1010
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Restaurant Website:
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Serving Hours:
Eastern Standard Time (GMT - 5:00)
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11:00 am - 11:00 pm Sun-Thur 11:00 am - 1:00 am Fri-Sat |
Email:
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Contact Restaurant
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Groupon:
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Social Media
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Accolades:
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“Culinary perfection consists not in doing extraordinary things,
But in doing ordinary things extraordinarily well.”
-Angelique Arnauld (1591-1661)
TTFN
