Offshore and Bath Beach Diners… a family affair
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BY CAMILLE SPERRAZZA
Brooklyn has seen numerous diners
go the way of white disco shoes – they
were once hip, but there aren’t many
around anymore.
And that’s a shame.
Where else can you go to get a Monte
Cristo sandwich, some cheese blintzes
with sour cream, or a Tropical Fruit
Salad?
Fortunately, some neighborhood
diners remain. Among them are
Offshore in Bay Ridge and Bath Beach
Diner in Bensonhurst where the reign
of the grilled cheese, bacon, and tomato
sandwich is intact.
Offshore has been serving those
deluxe cheeseburger platters for 25
years. Bath Beach Diner celebrated
its grand re-opening on April 11th of
this year. Both are family owned and
operated.
It was George Kremidas, an immigrant
from Greece, working in construction,
who decided to build Offshore
restaurant himself. But that wasn’t
enough. He then figured he would do all
the cooking, too. His wife, Lula, helped
out, as did his son, Billy Grillas. It was
a family affair.
After a few years, a frequent
customer who owned property in
Bensonhurst, encouraged the family to
open a diner there. The neighborhood
needed one, and there was no
competition, he told them. Grillas
brought his father to the site, and with
his father’s guidance, they immediately
agreed it would be a great location for
their second diner. It opened in 2012.
Everything was going well. Kremidas
was running Bath Beach, and Grillas
and Lula were handling Offshore. The
chicken roasters were cookin’.
Then, sadly, tragedy struck. Kremidas
became gravely ill and eventually
passed away. Without his steady
expertise, the Bath Beach Diner had to
close for a while.
The good news is that Grillas was
able to re-open the diner this year,
re-vamping it, and bringing his longterm
chef, Arturo, over to run the place.
There, he creates all the same special
soups and gravies that have always been
in demand. Grillas goes back and forth
between both diners, overseeing it all.
Lula retired briefly, but is now officially
back, and much of the staff remains.
There’s the dishwasher, Israel, who has
been loyal for 20 years. Employees like
Maria, Ellen, Fiona, Smiley, and Chef
Castillo have also been around forever,
which means they all work together to
create an environment where customers
know they are well taken care of.
It isn’t only the staff that is devoted.
“We have a steady group of regulars
since Day One,” says Grillas. “They eat
here three times a day.” He names one:
John Daly, who he says will be thrilled
to see his name in the paper.
Customers can come in for breakfast,
lunch, and dinner. There are set price
specials that include entrée, soup or
salad, plus potato and a vegetable. Some
of the popular dishes include Virginia
ham, Hawaiian style, and the fried fish
combo – filet, scallops, and shrimp.
Greece is the word here, with options
like the crisp spinach pie, served
with a side of feta cheese salad, and a
stuffed grape leaf. Or, try a gyro platter,
souvlaki, or perhaps Moussaka. There
are club sandwiches, open sandwiches,
Paninis, wraps, and more. The Cobb
salad with its heaps of mixed greens,
grilled chicken, tomatoes, shredded
carrots, bacon, chopped egg, cheddar
cheese, and avocado is the perfect light
fare for summer. A beautiful menu, with
tempting photos, details it all.
Start with appetizers like mozzarella
sticks, zucchini sticks, onion rings, or
chicken fingers. End a meal with a
banana split, egg cream, or a piece of
scrumptious cherry cheesecake.
Both diners offer a 10% discount
to senior citizens, veterans, first
responders, civil servants, and active
members of the military.
Bath Beach Diner has a lovely,
outdoor picnic area, too.
Offshore Diner 7822 Third Ave.
between 78th and 79th streets in Bay
Ridge, (718) 921-5900. Bath Beach
Diner 2028 Bath Ave. between Bay 25th
and Bay 26th streets in Bensonhurst,
(718) 266-0600. Open every day, 7 am
– 9 pm.
On and Off Premise Catering is
available for private parties, business
functions, holiday cooking, and Greek
specialties..
photo by Caroline Ourso
/www.AntiqueAndEstateBuyers.com
/www.AntiqueAndEstateBuyers.com