BOSTON, MA – Greek restaurants are popping up all over Boston, not least of which DORETTA TAVERNA & RAW BAR, the Boston Globe reported. Other new restaurants in the past year, the Globe wrote, include COMMITTEE, PELEKASIS, SALONIKI, and coming soon is KAVA NEO-TAVERNA.

This phenomenon is not limited to Boston, the Globe reported, said GREEK FOOD AND WINE INSTITUTE President ERIC MOSCAHLAIDIS, who said he noticed several new restaurants opening in New York City and San Francisco over the past few years. “The food is the basis of the Mediterranean diet, which has been recognized as probably the most healthful on the planet. And it tastes great.”

Another important factor, notes the Globe, is that “young entrepreneurs from Greece, or of Greek ancestry, who are launching businesses that reflect their roots. As an example, Moscahlaidis cites ERIC PAPACHRISTOS, who teamed with chef JODY ADAMS and JONATHAN MENDEZ on Saloniki. The restaurant is named after Thessaloniki, where Papachristos lived as a young child. Along with modernized gyros, the menu includes Yiayia’s soup, made with white beans, preserved lemon, and herbs. ‘It’s a big personal project for him,’ said Moscahlaidis.”

Committee General Manager and partner DEMETRI TSOLAKIS called it a “rebirth” of Greek cuisine in the city of Boston. “I think people saw a lack of cuisine in the city,” he told the Globe. “Greece is all over the news now. The food is fresh, and can be enjoyed by pretty much anyone.”

Committee, which opened in June, offers a menu designed around meze, small, shareable dishes such as spanakopitakia, grilled octopus, olive salad, and dolmades (grape leaves stuffed with rice and pine nuts. This puts the focus on social enjoyment, “bringing people together over food and drink,” says Tsolakis. “Being a son of Greece, that’s our culture. We’re trying to bring Greece to you.”