St.Croix, US VI – If you have not had the chance to visit the island of St. Croix, you have missed out on an island staple. If you have visited, then you know how much this establishment will be missed. The Pickled Greek, opened in 2007 by Peter Skrivanos, known only as “Papi” to the residents of St. Croix. When asked why he decided to open a restaurant after living on the island for over 15 years, “St. Croix has such an eclectic array of foods and I thought, why not Greek? I have most of my family recipes and thought I would give it a go”, and for 9 years, he did just that.
The menu at The Pickled Greek included very traditional Greek family foods; Mousska, Spanakopita, Dolmades, Gyros and of course Baklava. One of the most popular items offered was the Baklava Ice Cream and made in house. Many would stop in just to enjoy a scoop or buy quarts to go. The menu was very reasonably priced but not to worry, if you were short on cash you could stop by on Saturday night for a $5.00 Gyro.
Every guest that walked through the door of The Pickled Greek was greeted with a genuine smile and a “Welcome to my home”. Peter treated each one as a member of his family, not just as a customer. Known not to wear shoes while at work, having his dog roam around the restaurant and do not be surprised if he sat down with you as you ate your meal, he was authentic when it came to customer service. Papi went above and beyond when it came to humanitarian efforts. He raised money for cancer victims, school supply needs for the needy and in 2015 gave up his vacation to Greece to help with the Syrian Refugee crisis.
In August of 2016, Papi closed the doors of The Pickled Greek for the last time. After turning 60 years old he decided that it was time. When you walk on the property now, you only see a shell of what once was. If you listen carefully, you can still hear his contagious laugh and you can still feel the love.
Happy retirement Papi, OPAH!
