Peachy Picks Cafe 31 Our Coverage Sponsored by Fresh Origins
Cafe 31 Owner Paul Vellios
Fresh Origins is America’s leading producer of Microgreens and Edible Flowers. Combining the benefits of an ideal climate with a deep passion for quality and innovation, Fresh Origins products are sought after by the finest restaurants and top chefs. The farm is located in the picturesque rolling hills of San Diego County, where the near perfect weather allows for production and harvest all year. Fresh Origins produces almost 400 Microgreens, Petitegreens, Edible Flowers, Shoots, Tiny Veggies™ and related items. Many are not available anywhere else, with new introductions nearly every month. Fresh Origins products are on top of the finest cuisine in the world! Fresh Origins supplies distributors of specialty produce who serve fine dining restaurants and resorts nationwide. There are also a few online sources of their products available to private chefs and home cooks. For more information about Fresh Origins, visit their website at www.freshorigins.com
We write in Ranger blue since we love hockey, but New York Rangers where are you so far this year? When you do start up, we know where we will be dining before the game, and the best place to go near Madison Square Garden before a game is Cafe 31. Owner Paul Vellios is clearly committed to excellence and he is the embodiment of the American dream. He moved to the United States from Greece and started working as a server and bartender in this exact venue in 1972 which was then a Greek diner, until 1979. He returned in 1985 until 1988, and in 1994 he came back, wearing a new hat: Owner. Since 1994, Paul Vellios and John Kelepesis have been co-owners of Cafe 31 which was transformed into the high-class spot it is today for people that have a love of sports. In early September 2012, they kicked it up another notch by bringing on Executive Chef Vasilios Peikidis (formerly of Fig & Olive and Brasserie Ruhlmann), who is featured above on the right with Paul to the left.
Where else in the city can you a)watch the Rangers game on a big screen, or any other game for that matter-we saw the World Series-and b) eat a small plate of scallops over a steakhouse style thick slice of bacon, garlic cream, fine diced chives and dusted with caviar? This was Peachy's favorite dish of the night.
It was seared to perfection and the caviar was a nice touch. This is a venue where you can have your cake and eat it too which is one of Peachy's main objectives in life. Cafe 31 was first featured in both Terrific Takeout:
and Tasty Tidbits:
Today we are pleased to say it has graduated to Peachy's Picks.
This is a white tablecloth kind of spot:
They have recently introduced a Pre-Fix Menu that will have wide appeal, but the bottom line is that this is a clean, quality spot where you can get a terrific meal before you head off to the Garden! Their salads are fresh and fantastic with an artistic touch.
Peachy tried the shrimp and avocado, and these two ingredients were the star of the show. The avocado was sliced just right and bursted with flavor, and the shrimp was fresh and presented in a twisty appealing design. Tomatoes, fennel, arugula and blue cheese vinaigrette rounded out the vegetable party. All people we encountered from Paul to Vasilios to Juan Romero who's been a server there for 11 years were friendly and professional and did a good job.
We opted for a Chianti from Italy which boasted robust versatility, black fruit, violets and cherry and had a nice smoothness to it.
Baked Stuffed Sole was highlighted by the delectable stuffing of jumbo lump crab meat, baby shrimp, bread crumbs, peppers and onions. Tremendously enticing, this generous portion will wow all seafood lovers like Peachy. It is polished off with a lovely lemon butter sauce that will delight you.
Apple pie a la mode, and the night was complete! Be sure to make a reservation on game night!
Our esteemed panelist adds:
Cafe 31 is not your average sports bar! They add a touch of fine dining to their sports ambiance, with a new menu prepared by brand new Executive Chef, Vasilios Peikidis, who keeps Cafe 31 in touch with its Greek roots. The atmosphere that Cafe 31 has created can satisfy those looking for something quick to eat and drink before or after an MSG event, or someone looking for a great dinner.
I started with Coconut Shrimp as an appetizer. This comes with two large jumbo shrimp breaded with tasty, flaky coconut and their house cocktail sauce on the side. Coconut Shrimp is always something I enjoy, and Cafe 31 does a great job with this dish! I also tried some of Peachy's scallops, yum!
The Executive Chef, Vasilios Peikidis, brought us out some of his new salads to try. I got a beet, onion and apple salad. I love beets, and thought this was a great addition to their menu. The Chef was very excited to show off all his new creations, it was great to see he had so much enthusiasm behind his work. It is great for Cafe 31 to have him on board.
For my main I had another new dish, their lamb. Greeks know how to cook lamb, so this was the first thing that jumped out of the menu at me. The Chef came over and reassured me that this was a good choice, as he has just added it to their new menu. The lamb was super tender and flavorful. I took it medium rare, which the Chef thought would be the tastiest. This dish comes with some grilled asparagus, chopped Greek veggies and some rice. I thought this was perfect! I'd definitely order this again.
I finished the night with a cheesecake and an espresso while chatting with owner, Paul. Paul is a very personal guy, and has some amazing stories about being at Cafe 31 for decades! I was amazed that he had started as a waiter and is now the owner. He has done a great job with the place and it is no wonder that so many professional athletes and celebrities frequent his restaurant (just have a look at all the photos around the place). Also, it was also very cool to hear that Paul is into CrossFit like me! He works out a few times a week as his son's CrossFit gym.
Thank you for a nice evening, Cafe 31. I can't wait to come visit again soon.
Peachy Picks Cafe 31!
Cafe 31 is Recommended by Whom You Know.
