History of Ithaka

Chef Harry Hatziparaskevas stoked the savory fires of Ithaka during a successful seven-year stint on Barrow Street. After deciding that it was time for a change, he learned that the location of Estia, a venerable Greek restaurant/nightclub on East 86th Street, was available.

His new Ithaka is a deep and roomy restaurant with clean lines, exposed brick walls-painted white as you progress into the interior-and a stone floor whose white grout provides bold contrast on the surface. Recessed ceiling lighting at the rear of the room is filtered through white fabric.

The pleasures of Ithaka's table are so delightful that you will sit there for a while. It isn't that the menu is full of surprises, but rather that every dish has remarkably consistent quality. Chef Hatziparaskevas always coaxes maximum flavor from each facet of a dish.

(excerpt from Bob Lape's review in Crain's New York; January 12, 2004)