In January 2014, Costa Antonopoulos opened a new restaurant. Having closed Costas Opa in Fremont after 32 years (read about it in a previous Fremocentrist.com News post, from December 2012,) Antonopoulos retired to enjoy his free time, and occasionally help his brother (at Costas Restaurant in the U-District.) Now, Antonopoulos has opened Nikolas in Wallingford, serving soup, salads, pizza and a few standard Greek entrees and desserts (including galaktoboureko!)
“Retirement was good for a year,” Antonopoulos said last week. He traveled in Greece for three months, and he said, “I really liked it.” He also did help his brother, but as he observed, “I’m older, and he listened to me, sometimes…”
Then, during his year ‘off’, a restaurant closed in a building he has owned since 1990. Antonopoulos had a pizza restaurant in the location before and, he knew, “It’s a good neighborhood.” He knew he could make the site work. “My goal here is to get the families back,” he explained.
He also looks forward to serving up his popular salads. “I miss my ladies,” he said about the loyal women customers who bought over 200 salads to go from Costas Opa every week. He hopes they can find their way to Nikolas, especially since this location has ample parking in the back. “When guys ask, ‘What am I going to eat?,” he said, “I say I don’t care. You have hamburgers!”
As to his decision to close Costas Opa, Antonopoulos still speaks fondly of what he created – the first authentic Greek restaurant in Seattle. “It was too good to pass up,” he said about the offer made by Chase Bank to take the space. He knows his landlord, and others, didn’t want him to do it, but with no one to take over the Costas Opa legacy (his son and daughter have no interest in the restaurant business,) he remains grateful for an opportunity to leave while the restaurant still had a positive reputation.
For Fremonsters still seeking healthy, tasty salads, or avgolemono soup, can take a field trip to Wallingford – on N 45th Street between the Guild 45th Street Theater and Wallingford Center (ironically, it’s across the street from a Chase Bank branch.) Stop by, say hello, and enjoy!