CT restaurant wants all to enjoy 'full variety of Greek food'

It’s a restaurant known as a place where diners seeking “authentic” Greek food say they find their happy place.

It’s tucked in the corner of a well-known shopping plaza in New Milford and the owner and his staff delight in sharing everything Greece, including news recipes and ideas.

Greca Mediterranean Restaurant, which owner Constantine “Dino” Kolitsas opened in 2019, serves everything from tzatziki and hummus to whole baked fish, from spanakopita to roasted shallots with honey. There are traditional soups like Greek lentil and avgolemono, a lemony chicken soup with egg; and salads with golden beets or apples and gorgonzola.

“We’re a scratch kitchen here,” he said. “We make rustic, reimagined Greek cuisine, using grandma’s recipes. If you need gluten free, if you’re vegan, just ask. We can accommodate.”

The revisited recipes include Rigatoni Karroto with a carrot-based cream sauce, a slow-roasted eggplant with a rich tomato sauce; lollipop lamb chops with vegetables and potatoes; and Greca Bolognese, a Greek version of the classic Mediterranean dish. Chicken Santorini, a gyro carvings plate, and a burger with cheese, honey, carmelized shallots and a side of fries are also available.

“People who’ve only had moussaka or spanakopita, they haven’t experienced the variety of Greek food at all,” Kolitsas said. “Our menu gives people a chance to taste the freshest that uses new ideas, new flavors.”

Kolitsas, who began working in restaurants at the age of 11, decided to open Greca when the restaurant space, formerly the Holiday Restaurant for many years, became available. He has built a following of loyal customers and is always looking for ways to bring more people through the door.

Kolitsas this year began offering a Chef’s Table experience for diners, where he curates a collection of menu items that are served family style, giving everyone a chance to try everything. He asks the table guests questions about their likes and dislikes, and plans the menu for them.

“I went on a group trip to Greece, and (after a few nights of everyone ordering separately), the group had me order for all 14 people,” he said. “Everybody raved every time. So here at Greca, the Chef’s Table dinner is representative of how we eat in Greece. It’s a community experience, so everyone can experience the food together.”

Enjoying their dinner at Greca are Stuart Wurtzel and Patrizia Von Brandenstein of Kent and Pat and Sam Cohen of Brookfield. (Emily M. Olson)

On a recent Friday night, Pat and Sam Cohen of Brookfield and Stuart Wurtzel and Patrizia Von Brandenstein of Kent were enjoying the Chef’s Table, with foods chosen by their friend, Kolitsas.

“The lamb chops were brilliant,” Wurtzel said. “We also had leek spanakopita, which was delicious.”

“We had the mezza dips (varieties of hummus) and they were just delicious,” Pat Cohen said.

“The food is A-plus,” said Von Brandenstein. “The owner makes us feel at home.”

That’s always been Kolitsas’ goal: to share Greece and its traditions through food. A year after he opened Greca, the COVID-19 pandemic hit, shuttering eateries across the country. If not for his faithful customers, Kalitsas said, he wouldn’t have survived.

“There was a point during the pandemic where we weren’t sure, but we made it through, and people kept coming for food,” he said with a smile. “I appreciate the people who have been so supportive, and who continue to come here. Many have been coming here since we opened.”

While he can be found in the kitchen at Greca most nights, he’s also expanding his reach to the New Milford community. Two years ago, the Silo Cooking School/ Greca Center of Culinary Excellence reopened on Upland Road.

The cooking school, which opened in the 1970s, drew chefs and cooks including Jacques Pepin, Martha Stewart and Julia Child, according to the website.

Kolitsas is enjoying this new opportunity.

“I’m the director of the cooking school and also the caterer for the Silo,” Kolitsas said. “There are 10 chefs that come to the Silo now through the year and do classes. It’s had a wonderful response since the cooking classes started up again.”

He’s also started a podcast, where he “talks about everything” from food to sustainable farming, he said. It can be found on Spotify and YouTube, he said.

And because he loves to travel, Kolitsas led two trips to Greece in 2025. “I’m working on the itinerary for this year’s trips; the first one is in September,” he said. “We’ll visit historic sites, like the Acropolis, Athens … but it’s about the food.

“We’ll visit restaurants, street food, wineries, farms, olive oil farms,” he said. “Greece is an amazing place to visit. We will spend three days in Meteora, which has a stunning gorge and monasteries, and outrageous food.”

For information on the Silo and Greca Center for Culinary Excellence, visit thesilo.org.

To reach Greca, call 860-799-6586 or visit www.grecamed.com/new-milford.