Winnipeg Free Press

Winnipeg Free Press (Newspaper) - June 24, 2004, Winnipeg, Manitoba A8 province Winnipeg free press thursday june 24, 2004 Sale ends Sund store wide floor to make room for our new introductions Palliser rooms must Clear out of our incredible pricing store wide on sofas sectionals fabric sofa was now a greek love Story with a Kenora flavour kids taking Over restaurant couple started k Enora ? once a month Tom Adamopoulos 19, serving in the greek Navy would sit Down and write a letter to a girl he did it know in a place he a never heard of called Thunder Bay ont. The letters took two weeks to arrive in a correspondence arranged by their parents. The reply from Maria 15, took two More weeks to come . That show Tom met Maria How they came to marry How they opened a greek restaurant in Kenora 37 years ago and How the Plaza restaurant became one of the finest eateries in Northwestern Ontario. Kenora has been very Good to us but it took awhile to introduce greek food recalled Maria who along with Tom will retire this september. Their son Dmitri and daughter Tina Are taking Over. When we arrived people were used to hot sandwiches and pouring Gravy Over everything said Maria. Customers preferred tossed salads marinated in thousand islands dressing Over greek salads with feta cheese and onions. And the reaction when Maria introduced Calamari people would say did you say i just ate squid of god i just ate squid the Quality of the food won people Over. Toms Mother Helene arrived from Greece and was a culinary savant. She was formerly the personal Cook for the president of Pirelli tire. The Guy said he wanted to kill me when i took my Mother to Canada recalled Tom. Helene who did to speak a word of English became known As mama Plaza along Kenora a main Street. The Plaza menu has Many delicious greek dishes. Just narrowing it Down to the desserts one highlight is Ekmekd. That was Helene a recipe. Not too Many people know about it because you had to put it in the fridge to Cool and not too Many people in Greece had fridges then said Maria. Ekmekd is cake underneath soaked in syrup and sprinkled with cloves and cinnamon with a Vanilla custard sprinkled with cinnamon and topped with whipped Cream. Neither have Many people tasted Baklava like they serve in the Plaza. That a Baklava not Bala Clava those knit masks worn by snowmobiles and Bank robbers the Adamopoulos Romance was almost As Rich. What Are you writing you Don to want to hear about that Maria protested. But then she got a dreamy look and her hand started to play with her necklace. Tom and Maria kept up correspondence for about two years then were brought together when her parents visited relatives in Greece. We went to my uncles House and i have three or four cousins and everyone said to me How Nice Tom was. I was 17, and had my hair up to make me look older said Maria. All the relatives said you two kids go on and talk. Go so we went for a walk. He was telling me All his meantime their parents were putting together the guest list for their wedding. I Don to think there was a formal proposal. It was just happen ing. I think the parents kind of proposed to them selves. They said we re getting them the couple took up residence in Kenora and worked in an uncles restaurant. They purchased the restaurant after a year and eventually made it a greek eatery. The Plaza has had Many celebrities Grace its tables like hockey players Wayne Gretzky Guy Lafleur and Frank Mahovlich and astronaut Wally Schirra. In addition to the greek food the Plaza oozes greek Charm. The food is part of How greeks socialize said Tom. To greeks life is Short. Din Ner takes two to three hours and the family All stay around the when Tom and Maria put the restaurant up for Sale in january Many Kenora residents were unhappy. One woman said to me i prayed for you and your whole family. I just could to Pray for you to sell the restaurant Maria recalled. Then the couples son Dimitri showed up from Greece where he was living. I said no you re not Selling said Dmitri 28. My whole life i be been trying to get out of Kenora he said. But he became emotional at the thought of Selling the restaurant. His sister Tina who was living in Montreal agreed to help Dmitri run the restaurant. Growing up in a restaurant we re All used to working hard and playing hard Dmitri said. We be realized through life experience that this is a Good now that customers Are finding out our kids Are taking Over everyone is Happy said Maria. Tom and Maria plan to live in Victoria b.c., with frequent stays in Kenora. includes frosted Glass table with six Parsons chairs includes leg table four Side chairs two Arm chairs Buffet & Hutch 1000 St. James St. At Ellice ave. 204.783.6400 monday to Friday 9am 9pm saturday 9am 6pm sunday noon 5pm ;