Thymari is the kind of restaurant where guests forget the
sense of time and continue talking at their tables long after the food is gone.
We personally had this experience during our recent visit to the newly opened Astoria
eatery. Owner Konstantinos Batalamas along with business partner Alvin
Lin have managed to create a special place conducive
to evenings filled with extravagant food, extraordinary wines and never ending conversations.

As Batalamas says, “I want people to come to our place to have a good
time. It’s my priority. I like to treat customers like they’re at my home.”  Lin echoes the sentiment adding, “We want guests
to relax with friends and family and enjoy the entire experience – for an hour,
two hours, three hours whatever it is!”

The thriving
entrepreneurs have no prior restaurant experience and this may prove to be an asset. They have no preconceived notions and are
developing the restaurant’s direction based on their desire
for innovation.

Batalamas continues, “I always wanted to do something with
food. I was disappointed with the existing Greek food; all Greek restaurants
are the same, and the menus are the same. What sets us apart are our recipes and
our ingredients which are all made from scratch. We take traditional food and
give it our own interpretation. The dishes
we have remind me of my childhood. But we are in Astoria and people expect
certain dishes. However we stay away from a cookie cutter menu. Our menu is
much fresher.” Lin adds, “Our inspiration is from Greece and the way they truly
cook there. The idea was to have a place that’s authentic and traditional but with
a twist informed by a history that’s centuries old. We are creating something
new that is actually very old.”

Batalamas, the visionary behind Thymari, has a photography
background and had a very successful career working at HBO in different
capacities. His Greek heritage, creativity and obvious talent is evident all
over the restaurant; from concept, to décor, to menu, to food.

The design is inviting with brick walls that give
a sense of warmth and elegance but
without attitude. The wine-red curtains and partly red wall details
bring up the passion; the candles and fireplace bring out the intimacy while
the green and sky-blue vases add a touch of fresh air.  As he says, “The design is contemporary and
earthy.”

Paying homage to his background Batalamas has decorated
the restaurant with works by his Greek photography teacher. Lin points out, “The
photographs portray Greek religious ceremonies centered around food and
celebrations. These tie into what we’re trying to do here, showing that there’s
no need for a special event to celebrate. We want to show that a special occasion
can be an everyday kind of thing.”

Selecting from the menu is no easy task since it’s
somewhat extensive with several tantalizing dishes. Many of the selections can’t
be found in other Greek restaurants, which is a good reason to venture from the
safe confines of Manhattan. You’ll be hard
pressed to find Agrio Stifado (braised wild boar stewed in a tomato sauce with
baby onions, cinnamon and nutmeg, and served with potato and celery root mash)
or Tigania (lamb offal – kidney, liver, lungs, heart, spleen – sautéed with mushrooms,
scallions and fresh oregano, served with bread) anywhere else. Batalamas
says, “People either love it or hate it. If we had more experience we probably
wouldn’t have such exotic dishes on the menu but it’s just great that guests
have a chance to try it!”

It’s a cool rainy evening and we start the meal with Fakes
Soupa, a warm broth with lentils, tomatoes, celery, carrots, red wine vinegar
and extra virgin olive oil. It has a delightful flavor and the only thing that prevents
me from finishing the bowl is its big size and the expectation of so much more savory
food yet to come!

Following Batalamas’ suggestions we opt for some classic
appetizers which while not as adventurous as wild boar still have the very unique
Thymari stamp. We start with Pikilia which is the chef’s daily trio of homemade
traditional spreads served with grilled pita bread. All three spreads have their
own “mood” including Tyrokafteri (spicy feta), Melitzanosalata (eggplant) and
Taramosalata (fish caviar).

This is followed by Feta Saganaki which is pan-fried
Greek Arachova Feta cheese with crispy sesame crust and berry compote on a top.
Appetizers continue with the very Greek Dolmades which are tender grape leaves
stuffed with seasoned bulgur wheat, pine nuts, and mint and diced dried
apricots.

Other appetizers include Soutzoukakia (miniature meatballs
of minced lamb with black olives scented with cumin and braised in tomato sauce,
served with feta yogurt sauce);

and for seafood lovers there’s Octapodi (a tender
grilled marinated octopus with yellow split pea puree, micro greens and red
wine confit) and the very traditional Garides (shrimp sautéed with masticha
oil, vine-ripened tomatoes, scallions, and garlic and feta cheese). They are
all delicious and just the right portion leaving plenty of room for the main
course.

“We
are trying to be as seasonal as possible. During the winter we have heavier dishes.
In the spring and summer we will have more fish and lighter fare on our menu,” says Batalamas.

For me the highlight among meat entrees is Arni Kleftiko which is succulent pieces of leg of lamb roasted in
parchment with potatoes, onions, garlic and honey wine sauce. It is served in a
little clay pot with a lid letting it stay warm so you can enjoy every bite.
It’s amazing – not only the lamb but those potatoes have such an unforgettable
flavor that I remembered it for a couple days!

A house specialty is Giouvetsi Moschari, beef fillet tips stewed
with cinnamon, tomato and onions, served with orzo pasta and topped with
mizithra cheese. Again both beef tips and orzo pasta wonderfully complement
each other which increased my desire to finish the whole thing. If you like
orzo, you should know that there is also Giouvetsi Thalassinon, (seafood orzo
with shrimp, mussels, feta cheese, tomato and fresh thyme called); and
Giouvetsi Spanaki which is vegetarian orzo with spinach, sun dried tomatoes and
feta cheese. If you’re vegetarian Batalamas strongly recommends Vegetarian
Moussaka which contains layers of potato slices, eggplant and stewed brown lentils,
topped with gratinated bechamel sauce.

For seafood lovers there’s Lavrakei, a baked Mediterranean Sea bass with
roasted new potatoes, sautéed arugula, anchovies, cherry tomatoes, capers,
olives, shallots and garlic.

Another reason making the trek across the bridge
justified is Thymari’s extensive wine list. There are wines from France, Spain,
Argentina and South Africa but it’s safe to say they have perhaps the largest
selection of Greek wines in the city. As the head bartender tell us, “The Greek
wines we have you can’t usually find in any other restaurants of New York or
even liquor stores.” Standouts include Agios Onoufrios from Cyprus, unique
because it contains four types of grapes Cabernet Sauvignon, Mavro, Ofthalmo
and Mataro; perfect for any meat course. You may want to start with something
lighter like Asprolithi Rouvalis. Apart from wine Thyrami has its own unique Greek
cocktail versions of a Martini or Mojito and there’s always Greek beer.

Among desserts there is one which became the most popular
after it was presented on Valentine’s Day. Giaourti Meli Panakota is creamy
custard of Greek yogurt, honey and crème fraiche topped with amaretto walnut
sauce. It’s tasty, healthy and smooth, and as Batalamas reminds us, “It
doesn’t even have chocolate!”

For now Thymari is only open for dinner six nights a week
but future plans include the addition of a weekend brunch. And next on the agenda
is their Easter celebration for which they are preparing a huge surprise for
all guests and the entire neighborhood. The plan is to spit roast an entire
lamb!

Asked why HOMBRE readers should visit Thymari, Batalamas
humbly says, “To meet the owner!” After laughing he adds, “We hope people enjoy
the food, see what our message is and understand our message.”

As a Greek philosopher once said, “You can discover
more about a person in an hour of play than in a year of conversation.” Follow Plato’s
advice and don’t take too long to visit Thymari yourself – and bring some friends!

Thymari 32-07 34th Ave  Astoria, NY 11106 (718) 204-2880 www.thymari.com