What does the tiny Greek island of Karpathos have to do with one of the largest resort cities on the East Coast? Both are home to more than a dozen Virginia Beach restaurateurs! And if "home is where the heart is,'' as the famous quote states, what do you do when your heart is firmly rooted in two places? Such is the case with the handful of Greek restaurateurs scattered throughout the Virginia Beach Oceanfront, embracing the booming business, family and friends close by, while still yearning for the welcoming love and traditions that always greet them upon a return trip home to the 6,000-some population on the tiny Greek island of Karpathos.
The first known Karpathian voyager to come from this group to the Hampton Roads area was Nick Mathews, who came to Yorktown (less than an hour north of Virginia Beach) after some time spent in New York. Mathews had left Karpathos to make that journey that so many of our ancestors have made-a trip to the United States in search of opportunity and the chance for success. He started off in the heart of the land of dreams-New York-but eventually felt the need to move on again, this time heading south along the pristine waters of the Atlantic Ocean. Rumor has it that he drove and drove, eventually approaching the Yorktown Bridge, and once he went over the bridge he simply ran out of gas, at which point he decided that Yorktown would be his new home away from home.
Mathews and his wife Mary did make quite a living in Yorktown, opening Nick's Seafood Pavilion back in 1944. While the likes of John Wayne, Elizabeth Taylor and countless U.S. senators have enjoyed many a meal from Nick's over the years, the restaurant was also a haven for U.S. Navy sailors, with the Mathewses always offering up a warm plate and a welcoming atmosphere. The Mathewses made such a name for themselves in the city of Yorktown that they were even named benefactors in the building of the Yorktown Victory Center, the area's historic museum and tourist information center.
While word of the Mathewses' success was spreading throughout Hampton Roads, you can bet that stories were circulating throughout the island of Karpathos, where working conditions were not nearly as sunny as the weather. Many of the Mathewses' relatives were making the journey over to New York and New Jersey to find their footing and make their own mark in the U.S. Friends and relatives would encourage one another to put together their earnings and partner up into businesses, and little by little they would all trickle down from the tri-state area to Hampton Roads, settling in Virginia Beach where tourism was beginning to build and the glistening ocean and laidback atmosphere was reminiscent of their home in Karpathos.
Where one adventurous Karpathian found opportunity and success, many others followed in his proud footsteps, opening one thriving restaurant after another. Virginia Beach and its millions of visitors have been the beneficiaries of this great pilgrimage which has served to transport a little bit of Greece to the resort area. What's truly unique is that all these respected business owners grew up in the same small community, with many attending grade school together, and many more who are related.
Brothers, uncles, cousins and sons all flocked to the Oceanfront, most of them opening restaurants with the promise that of success and the reassuring notion family was nearby. While many family-run establishments came and went with the tides, just as quickly would a new business start up, always backed up by family bonds, an earnest work ethic and even a little bit of brotherly competition.
Today more than 10 different Karpathian-owned restaurants dot the Oceanfront and surrounding area. Competition and compassion go hand and hand with this crew, and hard work is at the center of it all. Stop in to a few of these restaurants and you'll instantly feel the sense of family, with many family members pitching in on a regular basis. In fact, if the saying is true and "home is where the heart is," you just might say you feel at home.
KARPATHIAN-OWNED Restaurants to Recognize
Pocahontas Pancakes - Captain John's Crab House - The Galley - Ammos - Pier 23 - Seafood Harbor - Waffles and Company - Pancakes and Things - George's Seafood Restaurant - Yanni's Casual Greek - King of the Sea - Sunrise Cafe - Angelo's by the Sea - Angelo's Murder Mystery Dinning Theater
Source: Virginia Beach Visitor's Guide
Click on links below to book your visit to Karpathos
