Owners Fuse Greek and Mexican Food at the New Grexicana Restaurant in Farmingdale
Grexicana is exactly as it sounds; a fusion of Mexican and Greek food.
“My partner is Mexican and I’m Greek,” said Grexicana owner Kallie Pappas, who is Greek, in a phone interview with LongIslandRestaurants.com recently.
Her business partner, Juan Cortez, is Mexican. This might be the very first-ever Greco-Mexi fusion restaurant on Long Island.
Looking for the Grexicana menu? Click here.
Pappas had been searching for a Long Island location to open a new restaurant when they found the vacant The Turning Point building on Facebook Marketplace of all places. Located at 48 Motor Avenue in Farmingdale, The Turning Point closed up in October 2022.
Pappas, who also owns Dulce Cultura restaurant in Astoria, Queens, knows her way around a kitchen.
“I was basically born in a diner,” she said. “My dad owned a diner for 23 years and then a deli for 15 years. That’s my whole life.”
Pappas and Cortez – who has 17 years experience in a kitchen himself – developed the menu together.
She has a few dishes that are close to her heart like the shrimp and grits with Mexican chipotle sauce and tequila.
“My Dad used to make grits for me,” Pappas said.
She also pointed out the Moussaka Enchiladas, a corn tortilla rolled with eggplant, meat sauce and topped with Bechamel sauce and poblano mole.
“It’s a total fusion of Greek and Mexican,” she said.
Pappas said it took them about a year to renovate and then get permits.
There is room for 34 people in the dining room with a bar that seats about 20. Two TVs hang over the bar to watch a game. Adorning the walls is a mural by a Queens tattoo artist who documented the work on TikTok.
Grexicana will begin hosting special events like a New Years Eve party and a New Year’s Day brunch. After New Year’s they also plan to make brunch a regular thing on Saturdays and Sundays including bottomless mimosas. They also plan to do Taco Tuesdays with a special taco menu and five dollar margs on Thursdays.
Pappas said the vibe they tried for is relaxed and fun at a family run business.
“I want to give people a place that’s like a home away from home,” she said.
Grexicana is located at 48 Motor Avenue in Farmingdale. (516) 249-0492. They are open Tuesday through Thursday for dinner from 4-10pm. Friday and Saturday they are open until 11pm. Sundays until 8pm. They are closed on Mondays.
📷 Grexicana.
