NEW YORK – Greek restaurants have gone beyond souvlaki places, diners, and small shops to more upscale ventures and now Paros – named after the Aegean island – has made its mark with a 140-seat restaurant in New York’s TriBeCa.

Owners George and Nicholas Pagonis, said Forbes magazine in a review, took a clue from the famous and big Milos Estiatorios with soaring ceilings and white Cycladic architecture to set the scene.

They began their hospitality training while working at their family’s diner in Alexandria, Virginia. George worked as culinary director of Kyma Hudson Yards and Kyma Flatiron in New York, where Nicholas was General Manager.

“Now together, with George in the kitchen, they have taken the favorite dishes of Greek food culture and given them a sharp edge and presentation,” said the review of dishes.

The review said:“While prices are higher than most of the competition’s (except the ultra-expensive Milos), its grandeur and stylistic appeal prove the Greek saying, “Boukia kai syghorio”: “One bite and all is forgiven.”