Eatery serves Greek passion, flavor

Published 8:29 pm Tuesday, March 23, 2010

MOUNTLAKE TERRACE — The history of Time Out Greek &American Restaurant reads like the classic American tale.

Manos Flemetakis left Greece in the 1970s seeking the American dream. He knew he had to open a business to accomplish that. He landed in Seattle and worked in other Greek nationals’ restaurants until he could save enough to buy his own. All the while, he ran a construction company that bought failing eateries, upgraded them and sold them off.

Through this process Flemetakis returned to Greece to meet and marry Georgia. Together they have three children: Maria, Niko and Demetre.

Every day Flemetakis would drive by an abandoned storefront in Mountlake Terrace. With a strong background in restaurants and with his family’s help Flemetakis envisioned the spot on 244th Street Southwest as a place he could put all his energies into one business.

That was six years ago.

“We always worked as a family,” Niko Flemetakis said. “We would go to school and then come in to one of dad’s restaurants to eat. He would show us how to make things and show us how to make customers smile.”

Now the two sons are running the restaurant featuring American favorites — classic sandwiches, including oven roasted turkey, BLT and club ($6.95), hamburgers ($4.95-$6.95) and salads, such as chef salad, shrimp Louie and Caesar ($7.95-$9.95) — to traditional Greek fare from the island of Crete.

“Demetre and I wanted to offer food from our island to make the restaurant more modern,” Niko Flemetakis said. The brothers also took the restaurant from three tables to 12 by removing the deli counter. Greek specialties — Greek coffee, feta, phyllo dough, olives — can still be purchased, just for the asking. They also realigned the name from Time Out Burgers to Time Out Greek &American Restaurant. “We are more than burgers. We are salads, sandwiches and Greek food, too.”

“I was born here, but my heart is in Greece,” Niko Flemetakis said. “We are proud to bring Greek culture and food to Mountlake Terrace. Greek food is different from American food in spices, texture, taste and attitude. Having a restaurant is hard work, but easier with Greek passion.”

Recipes for the Greek dishes, in particular the Thursday night specials and the lamb entrees ($13.95-$15.95), are kept to the old style, Niko Flemetakis said. Seasoning is indicative to Crete in the lamb steaks, the gyro, moussaka (a Greek vegetable casserole) and pastitsio (a Greek “lasagna”).

“There is more dill and mint and occasionally saffron,” he said. Lamb is washed with beer before being marinated. “It is important to use the old steps of Crete, house-made and from scratch. We eat here, too,” he said.

Breakfast has been served for six months. Eggs ($4.95-$9.99), omelets ($7.45-$8.25), pancakes ($4.25-$7.50) and French toast ($5.95) are all on the menu that is offered all day, every day.