Two couples who used to dream of opening a Greek bakery together are now watching that idea take shape on a busy block in Castle Shannon.
Before, they were all living in Athens, Greece. Now, all call Pittsburgh home and are working on the final touches to Anthos Bakery & Café, a bakery cafe near a T station offering an authentic taste of Greece that’s slated for a soft opening this weekend and an official opening on Tuesday, April 19.
Anthos means “blossom” in Greek. It’s an apropos name for a project that started as a website and e-commerce business specializing in Greek foods and now, two years later, is about to be a brick-and-mortar storefront serving fresh-baked and homemade creations in a bright and airy space at 3803 Willow Ave.
Designed to feel like an open cafe in downtown Athens, it features cobalt blue walls and colorful tiles, with large roll-up garage doors made of glass that blur the lines between outside and in.
"All four of us are passionate about food and love to entertain," says Jo Frangou, one of the bakery’s four co-owners.
"We've been selling a selection of packaged products and imports online. Now, people will get to taste even more of our fresh-baked and homemade creations,” adds Ellie Kousouli, with a warmth that’s as infectious as the welcoming Greek tradition of sharing food with family and friends. "We wanted to bring some Greek hospitality when we moved here."
Friends since childhood, Ellie and Jo lived in Greece most of their lives. Ellie eventually married Jo's brother, Tassos Frangou. The three Greeks added an American to the family when Jo married Devin Atchley, a professional baker based in New York City.
After getting married, the couple moved back to Greece, where Mr. Atchley spent years mastering traditional Greek baking recipes. Anthos Bakery will be a place where he can show off creations like the sweet holiday bread tsoureki. Traditionally served at Easter, but a welcome treat year-round, these soft, almond-laced loaves are made with challah-like sweet dough imbued with aromatic spices.
"When Devin came into our lives, his experience helped give our group's dream a new focus," Ms. Frangou says.
As a working bakery, Anthos will open its doors early each day, with both traditional American and Mediterranean-inspired breakfast options on the menu. A popular grab-and-go highlight: the sesame seed-coated koulouri. Crunchy on the outside, with a soft, chewy center, they’re the Greek version of a bagel, only thinner.
You’ll also find the fresh-baked baguettes, croissants and focaccia Devin perfected while working as a baker in New York and Paris before moving to Greece to help PAUL, the popular French chain of boulangeries, produce a new line of Greek breads and other specialties.
Bread is an integral part of Greek meals, and Devin's creations are works of art. His pitas are but one example. Plump and flavorful, they are delicately peppered with Greek thyme (and put the paper-thin store-bought varieties to shame). Soft and grilled to a golden brown, they’re hefty enough for loading up with spicy feta dip or tzatziki for a Greek version of bruschetta.
"Different kinds of baguettes are my specialty," notes Mr. Atchley, who is happy to finally have a home base for baking instead of working in larger commercial kitchens.
For more hearty appetites, there’s a deli counter serving signature Greek dips based on family recipes, including mezze staples hummus, tzatziki and Tassos' own smoked eggplant. Other options will include a rotating menu of sandwiches, salads and familiar Greek dishes like kebobs and moussaka, a classic casserole dish made with layers of eggplant, cheese and meat sauce. Everything will be available for dine-in or take-out.
Ms. Frangou hopes Anthos will be an all-day destination where people can meet up for a cup of coffee and hang out with friends. "There are places in Athens like this where you go for coffee in the morning, then drinks or a meal later in the day," she says.
As the cafe’s temporary barista, Mr. Frangou is currently mastering frappés and iced-milk freddos perfect for summer. They’re crafted in a gleaming new commercial espresso machine using fresh-roasted Colombian coffee beans shipped from Devoción in Brooklyn.
And yes, there will be brunch. Think traditional Eggs Benedict, along with one that adds a Greek twist with a tomato-based hollandaise. There also are plans for shareable, family-style dishes in the future.
Several factors helped the couples in their decision to move to Pittsburgh just over two years ago: In addition to a few close friends from Greece who already live here, there are also family connections.
"It also looked like a great place to live and raise a family," says Ms. Frangou, "with a developing food landscape that made it fertile ground for a bakery project."
Many customers will know them from the Mt. Lebanon Farmers Market, where Anthos offered a limited selection of Greek foods made in a commercial kitchen on the North Side.
"It was like welcoming friends” each week, says Ms. Kousouli. She hopes the bakery will enjoy the same neighborhood feel. “I'm eager to share with our regulars things they haven't seen yet, like our pitas and baguettes."
Items they have been selling online will also now retail on shelves in the cafe space. They intend to grow their catalog even further beyond their signature small-batch tahini, extra-virgin olive oil and Creton honey. "We try to think like our customers, especially our Greek customers," Ms. Frangou says, by asking "What would I like to find online? And what do I miss from home?"
Many customers, she notes, are drawn by Anthos’ curated selection and detailed descriptions, and a boutique-like shopping experience that invites questions and special requests. "People know we're not Amazon. We bring special things to the market from producers we know and trust and who do good work."
Opening the bakery, she adds, marks the beginning of an exciting new adventure. "It's like we're been in rehearsals for over two years. Now the curtain is going up, and the show is starting!"
Anthos Bakery & Café: 3803 Willow Ave., Castle Shannon. Hours to start are 7 a.m.-5 p.m. Tuesdays-Fridays, 8 a.m. - 6 p.m. Saturday, 8 a.m. - 4 p.m. Sunday 8 a.m.-4 p.m., closed Monday.
Tom O’Connor is a Pittsburgh-based freelance writer and photographer.
First Published: April 14, 2022, 9:45 a.m.
