Select New Arrivals – September 2026

Posted by estiator at 10 September, at 21 : 14 PM Print

A coast-to-coast glance at some of the industry’s newest additions

This Boston-area chainlet has opened its seventh store in the city’s Cleveland Circle neighborhood. Pitas are the stars here, loaded with hearty fillings like barbecue chicken, lamb meatballs, or braised pork. Souvlaki, seasonal salads, and wraps round out the menu, along with spanakopita, lemon potatoes, and “yia yia’s soup,” with white beans, tomatoes, and herbs.

Named for the Greek goddess of dawn, this new Miami hot spot has opened in the Bay Shore Water Pump House, a restored 1923 home and designated historic site. Owner Ilyas Ortatepe and chef Halit Avuka have transformed the property “into an atmospheric garden,” a local news site reports, with a menu that reflects Greek, Turkish, Anatolian, and Levantine influences.

Bob Pilarinos, whose Pilarinos Hospitality Group operates two popular upstate New York diners, is behind this new upscale eatery in Guilderland, just outside Albany. According to a local news site, Pilarinos purchased the former Athos restaurant space in February, transforming it into his latest venture with wife Alaina. Zante is the nickname for Zakynthos, the Greek island.

At press time, this restaurant—modeled after tavernas in Greece—was in soft-open mode. It’s the brainchild of Chef Brendan Pelley, a third-generation Greek-American who helped run Boston hot spots like Krasi and Kaia for Estiator cover stars Xenia Hospitality. Here, the focus is on “slow roasted gyros, fresh house made pita, traditional Greek dishes, Greek beer and wine…and chill vibes,” according to Kri Kri Grill’s site.

When Savannah’s Olympia Café closed in May, locals feared it was the end of an era for Greek food in the picturesque Georgia city. But owner Vasili Varlagas and sons Constantine and Alexi have returned with this handsome new spot on Savannah’s riverfront. “Same amazing flavor, same everything,” head chef Blake Mabry told a local news site. “Just a few little tweaks.” The name, λιμάνι in Greek, means “harbor.”

Like all of the eateries at Tampa’s Sparkman Wharf Container Dining Garden, this fast-casual spot is housed in a repurposed shipping container. The tightly edited menu focuses on the classics—dips, salads, gyros, and loukoumades. “Ziki” is a nod to tzatziki, co-owner Tyler Cate told a local news site; the dip is house-made here, like almost everything on the menu. Cate and his father also own a seafood restaurant at the wharf.

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