FORT LAUDERDALE
From Montreal, a new Greek restaurant to remodel the space beside historic Gateway Cinema
By Ben Crandell
South Florida Sun Sentinel
The answer to the buzz about what’s happening behind the papered windows next to Fort Lauderdale’s historic Gate-way Cinema is in: A new Greek restaurant is under construction with a goal to open in April.
The space at the corner of Sunrise Boulevard and Northeast 19th Avenue was the former home of long-shuttered Mod Wine Lounge.
While Dranias says the menu will be “a carbon copy” of Petros Taverna, he has not quite settled on a name for the new spot.
The smart money is on a variation of Petros Fort Lauderdale, as one Montreal publication dubbed it. Dranias acknowl-edges the brand will mean something to local snowbird Quebecers, in particular those from Montreal’s Jewish neighbor-hood of Westmount, home to one Petros Taverna.
“Everybody knows me here,” the affable Dranias, 60, says by phone from Montreal. “They even asked me to run for mayor at one point, and I said I’m not interested. … I’m born and raised here, and the politics in Quebec, well, you might lose your hair. I have nice, beautiful, thick hair. I don’t want to lose my hair. [Laughs]”
In Montreal, Petros Taverna is well-re-garded for its attractive, tiled and terraced charms and affordable survey of Greek classics, with seafood a specialty.
A reviewer for the Montreal Gazette acknowledged a few letdowns, but recom-mended Petros “because the highs are high … and the service is both efficient and friendly.”
Dranias says he’ll open with two chefs brought in from Estiatorio Milos, a white-tablecloth restaurant in New York.
Along with an interior remodel, the exterior of the Fort Lauderdale restaurant will be transformed with a white-washed brick look and Mediterranean accents. The sidewalk dining space will be bordered by greenery along the street.
Dranias says it’s a $500,000 renovation, but he’s confident in the Fort Lauderdale market, which he knows well. He has had a condo in Victoria Park since shortly after his friend Tony Di Leo opened Il Mulino next to Gateway Cinema more than 30 years ago.
“I like Fort Lauderdale. I like the people, the sunshine. They give me a lot of energy,” Dranias says. “At 60 years old, I want to go for a run on the beach and then come to work and have fun, you know?”
Staff writer Ben Crandell can be reached at bcrandell@sunsentinel.com.
