Like the phyllo dough that Katerina Ntzanis works with to craft her Greek specialties, the story of how she decided to embark upon a culinary career consists of many layers, but in the end, it’s all been built on family.
The young chef arrived in the United States at the age of 4 and, shortly afterwards, developed a keen interest in her mother’s culinary skills.
“Throughout my years in school, I paid close attention to what she was doing in the kitchen,” she said. “Everything she made was amazing.”
For Ntzanis, cooking became synonymous with nurturing, love and comfort as she learned various techniques. By the time she reached adulthood, her path was clear. Soon, she was honing her cooking chops at the prestigious International Culinary Center in New York. As part of the program, she also had the opportunity to work at L’Ecole, a restaurant run by the center.
After she completed the program, Ntzanis stayed in New York for a time and worked at a restaurant called Park Avenue Seasonal before returning to the Harrisburg area.
“I moved back because the restaurant was relocating, and I wanted to start something of my own,” she said.
By investing her time and talents in Harrisburg, she is following in the footsteps of other family members. Her father Thomas and brother Sotirios operate the Midtown Tavern on N. 2nd Street.
Her attractive and spacious stand in the stone market building serves the needs of the crowds who flock there.
“We have a convection oven, a fryer, a char broiler and a four-top stove,” said Ntzanis, who is joined by her mother Anna and cousin Vasoula Tsandopoulou in whipping up signature Greek dishes. “My favorite part of the business is working with my family. I feel like I’m at home here.”
The family’s extended network also pitched in to make Phyllo a reality.
“One of my father’s friends built the stand and put in the gas line, the water line and installed the hood system,” she said.
Greek to Me
For those uninitiated in Greek cuisine, Phyllo is there to help.
Several laminated sheets—emblazoned with a simple question, “What is that?”—are placed on the counter so customers can peruse the contents of dishes like horiatiki (red onion, bell pepper, feta, kalamata olives, tomato, cucumber, oregano and olive oil) and the popular spanakopita (“phyllo with filling of mama’s blend of greens and feta”).
“A lot of people are looking for a home-cooked meal, and we provide that, making everything from scratch,” said Ntzanis.
Phyllo also offers a mix-and-match souvlaki skewer option. Customers can choose chicken, pork, lamb or a vegetable mixture of zucchini, onion, pepper and mushroom and pair the skewers with sauces like tzatziki (Greek yogurt, cucumber, garlic, red wine vinegar and olive oil), melitzanosalata (pureed eggplant, garlic, parsley, balsamic vinegar and olive oil) and tirokafteri (described as “ricotta with mama’s spicy blend”).
Daily specials vary and range from dishes like the savory moussaka made with meat sauce, eggplant and béchamel, a baked pasta dish known as pastitsio and a soup called avgolemono, which contains chicken, rice and a lemon egg foam and is guaranteed to warm the insides of patrons during the cold winter months.
As for sweets, the honey-laden, phyllo-layered crowd favorite baklava is a mainstay on the menu, with other Greek desserts making the occasional appearance to keep things interesting.
Customer Nora Noone said the baklava was just one of the offerings that drew her back to the Broad Street Market.
“I also like souvlaki, but hadn’t visited the market for about 10 years,” said the Mechanicsburg resident, who remarked on the portion size of the popular dessert. “They give you a huge triangle, especially compared to what you get at other places.”
Valerie Osipov, also of Mechanicsburg, visited after the opening in December.
“I ordered the souvlaki with the pita bread, and we tried an assortment of dips,” she said. “I think she’ll be very successful.”
David Morrison, acting executive director of Historic Harrisburg Association, said that his recent experience was very positive.
“Phyllo played a crucial role in our Candlelight House Tour,” he said. “They set up a pop-up pastry stall and provided finger food that was excellent.”
“I saw people from the tour visiting our stand after that,” said Ntzanis.
She said she’s excited to be part of a market that is experiencing a renaissance, thanks to an influx of new vendors and growing attractions in Midtown Harrisburg.
“I chose this market specifically because I enjoy the diversity, and I want to be part of the Midtown community,” she said with a smile. “Because I love what I do, I feel like I’m not even working.”
Phyllo is open for lunch and dinner during regular Broad Street Market hours. Visit their Facebook page: Phyllo.
