Kalamaki Greek opens in Hauppauge

It’s been 14 years since Chris Giorgou and his partners closed their quick-serve Greek eatery Kalamaki in Roslyn, but he recently saw an opportunity in Hauppauge and couldn’t pass it up. In June, he took over the 4-year-old Pete the Greek in Motor Parkway Plaza and, last month, unveiled the new sign.

"Kalamaki" refers to the skewers of grilled meat that, in the United States, are more commonly called souvlaki. You’ll find skewers of chicken and pork ($7 for a single skewer in pita) and vertically roasted gyros of beef-lamb, chicken and pork. The beef-lamb is of the usual prefabricated minced-meat variety but both the chicken and pork are made from stacked slices of meat.

Along with grilled chicken, falafel and salmon, proteins of all forms can be ordered in full-blown pita sandwiches ($11.95 to $14.95), small or large platters ($16.95 to $24.95). Platters come with one side, soup or salad, pita and sauce. There are also plenty of classic Greek starters, soups, salads and desserts.

At the original Kalamaki, Giorgou adapted Chipotle-style ordering to Greek cuisine; that tradition lives on with build-your-own bowls ($16.95) that start with rice, quinoa, fries, lemon potatoes or lettuce and go upward from there with up to two proteins, up to four toppings and sauce.

He’s also adding another menu twist by launching "limited time offers," buzzy items such as the current LTOs skepasti — a Hellenic take on quesadilla that sandwiches gyro meat, tomato, sauteed peppers and onions, "Kalamaki" sauce cheese-pull friendly Gouda, Cheddar and mozzarella cheeses in between two grilled pitas ($19.95) — and fried halloumi sticks (halloumi, like mozzarella but squeakier in the eating) that you dip in tomato jam ($12.95).

A little Ancient Greek history: Giorgou was part of the team that launched Trata in Roslyn in 2009. The chic spot closed in 2011 when Kyma took over the space. Since then, Giorgou bounced between fine-dining Greek, consulting and selling restaurant-technology products for online ordering and point-of-sale systems. He said he’d never go back into fine dining: "It’s gotten too difficult, too expensive, too many moving parts — and it’s increasingly impossible to deliver the quality of execution that people expect at that price."

Nevertheless, "I love making a good plate of food and making people happy," he said. "That stays with you."

Kalamaki, 694 Motor Pkwy., Hauppauge, 631-387-4976, kalamakigreek.com Open 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Friday and 1 p.m. to 9 p.m. Saturday.