When George Maximos got here to america, he set his coronary heart on a life’s aim: He needed to open a restaurant. It took him 18 years, however Maximos is now the proprietor of a new Southwood venue, Yasou Cafe, which makes a speciality of Mediterranean delicacies.
“I used to be dreaming about opening a restaurant for a very long time,” mentioned Maximos, who had a software program firm in his homeland of Cairo, Egypt earlier than shifting to America.
When he arrived in Destin, he obtained a job in a restaurant for a few years, then he moved to Tallahassee. He labored for the state for about a dozen years earlier than deciding to make the leap and go into enterprise. However then there have been different challenges.
“I had already signed the contract earlier than the virus hit,” he mentioned. “They allowed me to delay three months.”
George was initially going to launch throughout the summer time however waited till Nov. 3 for his grand opening within the former Starbucks website.
“I’ve a connection to this location,” mentioned George. “My spouse and I might come and eat at Starbucks.”
The title of the cafe, “Yasou” additionally has which means to the restaurateur.
“It’s like a greeting in Greece which means Good day or Welcome,” mentioned George.
Having a pleasant environment is vital to George. Whereas many purchasers are actually doing takeout, the inside of the informal restaurant is bright and cheery, with a few outside tables, ready for the day when there could be a extra communal environment. On our cellphone calls for togo orders, servers had been courteous and useful.
The menu options dishes impressed by the Mediterranean area. Intrinsic to those flavors are garlic, lemons, olive oil and fragrant herbs and spices. Desserts make use of a dynamic duo of honey and nuts.
“Thank God we have now a good enterprise,” he mentioned. “We’re not making a living but however we’ve been blessed by the response of our prospects.”
“All the things we serve, we eat at residence,” mentioned George. ”It’s meals that I grew up with and love.”
Dig in
We’ve been to Yasou twice for takeout and we’ve been impressed.
Considered one of our favourite objects right here is the normal Greek soup, avgolemono. George tweaks the recipe a bit, leaving out rice, so it’s silkier than the standard model, a sublime consolation creation. The soup is made contemporary day by day with rooster inventory, egg yolk and lemon, which provides a Spring brightness. We had been hesitant to order it for a togo meal, however the soup traveled properly and we simply zapped it briefly within the microwave when residence.
We’ve been desirous to attempt the spanakopita or spinach pie nevertheless it hasn’t been accessible on our visits. It’s on our must-have record for subsequent time.
For different starters, think about baba ghanoush (an eggplant purèe), a lemony whipped feta or grape leaves. Yasou’s hummus is superb, a do-it-yourself purèe of chickpeas, contemporary garlic and tahini, topped with simply the correct quantity of olive oil and paprika. All are served with heat pita bread.
It’s really easy to graze right here, particularly with dishes like salads and Greek fries, that are a winner. I’ve to confess I’m a fries fan and these are terrific, nonetheless crisp even when laden with feta, mozzarella, inexperienced onion and a little bit of garlic butter along with your alternative of sauce — tzatziki, tahini, a spicy lemon unfold, sizzling sauce or the Yasou Magic Sauce, a savory, garlic-based concoction with yogurt and spices. It’s also possible to get Yasou fries along with your alternative of gyro meat, rooster shawarma, beef shawarma or falafel and also you choose the sauce.
The majority of the menu options pita sandwiches served with fries, plates (with sides), a Fattah rice bowl, salads and burgers.
On our latest go to, my husband was blissful along with his juicy Grace burger, made with a mixture of grilled beef and lamb, garnished with lettuce, tomatoes, purple onions, feta cheese and tzatziki sauce, a scrumptious mixture, served with fries.
Yasou affords a good collection of entrees with grilled shrimp kebabs and salmon in addition to choices with beef, rooster, gyro and falafel.
Different highlights on our visits had been the gyro with tzatziki sauce and rooster shawarma, the meat cooked on a vertical broiler, served with pita bread, a aromatic yellow rice and a small Greek salad. You might have a alternative of sides, like hummus, fries or baba ghanoush or you’ll be able to add extra elaborate decisions like an additional kebab, tabbouleh or soup for a small additional charge.
Yasou additionally affords a couple vegan objects together with a vegan kofta, Mediterranean salad and hummus together with a number of vegetarian dishes.
We don’t typically get desserts for takeout however we couldn’t resist a candy slice of flaky baklava — the baklava ice cream additionally sounded tempting for one other journey.
Drinks
Yasou serves Stella beer with a frozen head (like a slushy topping) in addition to native beers together with Proof’s 850 and Mango Wit and Deep Brewing Firm’s Reef Dweller and Shallow Finish. The restaurant additionally serves wine on faucet and by the bottle, with picks from Farmer’s Daughter Vineyards in Thomasville.
Costs
Starters are $4.95 to $11.95, fries are $2.99 to $8.99, soup and salads $4.49 to $8.99, pita sandwiches $8.59 to $9.99 and burgers are $8.95 to $9.95, plates $11.49 to $15.99, desserts $3.95 to $5.95 and youngsters’ meals $3.99 to $5.99.
Backside line
Yasou Cafe is a welcome addition, serving freshly made, inexpensive dishes that work properly whether or not you’re doing takeout or eating in or open air. George’s backside line: “We spend money on the highest quality components. We love our meals and I feel it reveals within the product.”
It does.
If you happen to go …
Yasou Cafe, 3551 Blairstone Rd. Suite 101; 850-692-3415
Hours: 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday to Saturday. Closed Sunday.
