This Modern Seafood Restaurant Hopes to Reignite Greektown

The contemporary Greek seafood restaurant is more than just another opening for founder and partner Kosti Demos. His family once operated Costa’s, a beloved Greektown mainstay that was destroyed by a fire in 2010. Watching the neighborhood’s businesses slowly disappear has been sad for Demos, but he’s thrilled for the opportunity to bring back some of the lost energy and honor his family’s legacy.

To capture the spirit, the team has brought in executive chef Konstantinos Ntalianis, who has relocated from Greece to lead the kitchen alongside Forte Hospitality culinary director Saul Ramos. Ntalianis, a former MasterChef Greece contestant, blends traditional Greek flavors with Japanese influences. Whole fish will be flown in weekly from Greece and Spain, and diners have the chance to select their catch from a seafood display before it’s roasted over the kitchen’s wood-fired hearth and grill. The menu won’t be 10 pages long like other neighborhood spots, but expect familiar staples such as octopus, pork souvlaki, lamb chops, pasticcio, and lobster and branzino by the pound. Naturally, flaming saganaki will also be on the menu — a nod to Ithaki’s home in the old Parthenon space, where the iconic Chicago dish was first invented. And on Sundays, the kitchen will roast a whole lamb on a spit, evoking the communal feasts that define Greek celebrations.

“I think what we’re trying to do here is revitalize Greektown a bit and modernize what it’s offering in terms of food. It’s been the same for 50 or 60 years, and we wanted to bring in some of the cool techniques and new styles they’re doing in Greece today,” Demos says.

The bar program is promising the largest Greek wine collection in Chicago, presenting bottles from Santorini, Crete, Rapsani, and Nemea. About 85 percent of the list is Greek, while cocktails lean heavily on native spirits, like mastiha, ouzo, and tsipouro, which are incorporated into classic recipes. A speakeasy lounge is slated to open later this year in the restaurant’s lower level, with a separate entrance and focus on cocktails and small bites.

The 5,500-square-foot interior channels the airy feel of Mykonos, with clear sight lines from front to back. The restaurant accommodates 180 guests, including 30 at the wraparound bar, with an open kitchen that gives diners a glimpse of the action. Instead of the stereotypical blue-and-white palette of old-school Greek restaurants, Forte opted for more earthy and beach-style tones. Although there’s no outdoor seating, two massive 20-foot windows open onto Halsted Street to bring in the breeze on warm nights. And in keeping with Greektown tradition, valet parking will be complimentary.

For Demos and the team, Ithaki isn’t just about good food and drinks. It’s about sparking momentum for one of America’s last remaining Greektowns.

“We’ve been working on this for almost four years, trying to find the right spot and the right concept and the timing,” Demos says. “We’re excited to revitalize and bring people back to this area.”

Ithaki Estiatorio, 314 S. Halsted Street. Open 4 p.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Thursday; 4 p.m. to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday; and 3 p.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday.