David Hammond wrote:As I'm sure is awfully obvious, this was the kind of place fueled by nostalgia. In 2002 or 3, Vital Information called the first face-to-face gathering of Chowhound members together at Parthenon, and there was griping (totally justified!) even then that it would be chosen as a venue for food enthusiasts. That night I met reneg, justjoan, and lots of others, most of them lost in the internet mist. So, yeah, I'm sorry to see it go...even though I'm not sure I actually ate there again over the past 14 years or so. Say what you will, it was iconic...and ionic.
I couldn't agree more. That stretch of Halsted, while it's essentially Main Street now that we've moved to the West Loop (along with Randolph), is singularly uninteresting for food since the Costas fire and the departure of Venus nearby. Greek Islands and Athena are competent enough with the occasional specials on the menu, but none of the remaining Greektown restaurants are particularly worth more than a place to take tourists or a special occasion trip compared to Taxim in Wicker Park, let alone the likes of Molyvos in Manhattan or Greek in Astoria.
I wonder if that Public House that was supposed to open up in the former Aviva space is still happening...or if the Ambassador Public House is taking over the entire space including Parthenon.
Having said that, it's a shame that the loss of Parthenon will help further erode the identity of Greektown into a few surviving ethnic restaurants/cafes, the Hellenic museum and a couple of Greek-themed take-out stores rather than a distinct neighborhood along the lines of Chinatown. I'd like to see Halsted from Madison to Van Buren be more than a campus town/rental neighborhood for UICers and Loop renters, but that's probably asking too much. Pity a modern Greek or Mediterranean place probably won't be opening up in the old Parthenon space, but the fate of Aviva is an indication that closer to Randolph/Fulton Market would be a better choice today.