Novah to open in troubled Great Neck spot

Here’s hoping the third time’s the charm. The Pashalis family, operators of about two dozen Mediterranean restaurants, have taken over the old Seven Seas Diner location in Great Neck. And, according to Nick Pashalis, they believe their plan will succeed where two others — Paros Grill and Americana Eatery & Bar — have failed.

Born and raised in Douglaston Manor, Queens, Pashalis is familiar with the area. "Great Neck is a strong neighborhood," he said. "And we are doing a full cosmetic change — raising the ceiling by 2 feet — you’re not even going to recognize it." He is hoping to open by November.

Among the family’s venues are the Greek Anassa Taverna (in midtown and downtown Manhattan, and Astoria, Queens) and Dear Margo, which opened in March on the Upper East Side. Pashalis said that the menu at Novah would be very similar to that of Dear Margo, focusing on the Levantine traditions of the Eastern Mediterranean. Chef Efraim Naon, who will oversee both restaurants, has an impressive resume that includes Taboon, a trailblazing Israeli restaurant that opened in the Theater District in 2004, as well as Motek and Barbounia. (With beloved Lola closing this Friday, Great Neck certainly has an opening for elevated Levantine cooking.)

From 1979 to 2023, the corner of Middle Neck Road and Northern Boulevard was occupied by the Seven Seas Diner. When it closed, owners Jimmy and Peter Tsolis renovated the space and relaunched it as an upscale Greek fish restaurant, Paros Grill — which lasted less than a year. In April 2025, chef Gregory Zapantis and Stephanos Frangos opened Americana, which repurposed most of the decor but had a new concept which, Zapantis explained, was "not a diner, not a Greek restaurant, not fine dining, not the neighborhood place on the corner. We are a family restaurant serving breakfast, lunch, dinner and brunch." It closed in November.

Seven Seas was one of many Long Island diners to close in recent years. But a happier trend is that some of them are now hosting entirely new types of eateries. This year we’ve seen a halal eatery, Lava Diner, take over the old New Hyde Park Diner, Hercules Churrasqueria Brazilian grill take over Bay Shore’s Forum Diner, and Cherry Amber Asian fusion take over the Plainview Diner.