Pathos, Organic Greek in Berkeley

Pathos Organic Greek Kitchen
2430 Shattuck Ave., Berkeley
Phone: (510) 981-8339
Web: pathosrestaurant.com
Status: Open

After a year and a half in the works, Martinez native Nicholas Eftimiou has unveiled his East Bay passion project: an upscale Greek restaurant with a focus on organic, seasonal fare. Located on Shattuck Avenue, the new spot is a stylish addition to the area, as Eftimiou seeks to dispel the lowbrow, homestyle associations of Greek cuisine with a sleek, modern interior and elevated ingredients.

A wood-fired oven will turn out much of the restaurant's dishes, like the roasted half-chicken and whole Mediterranean wild white sea bass. Small plates fulfill Mediterranean cravings for keftedes (lamb meatballs), grilled octopus, dolmades and spanakopita, as well as a classic trio of melitzanosalata, tzatziki, and tirokafteri served with housemade pita bread. Classic treats like baklava and honey-soaked loukoumades round out the dessert offering.

Development of the restaurant was a family affair, with Eftimiou's mother overseeing much of the interior design and menu details (making sure they were up to grandma's standards) and his father helping with the interior build-out. White chairs and patterned banquettes make up the restaurant's 55 seats, and a oval lamps overhanging the full bar give a modern, classy vibe to the space.

Pathos is now open for dinner from 5:30pm to 10pm, and plans are in the works for lunch service to begin starting December 10th.

· Organic Greek restaurant Pathos opens in Berkeley [Berkeleyside]
· At Pathos, Greek Goes Organic [EBX]