The Nashville restaurant world was rocked recently by the sad news that Antonis (Tony) Darsinos passed away on August 18 after a short illness. Tony was best known as one of the owners of GReKo Greek Street Food in East Nashville where he and his cousin Bill and other family members introduced many Nashvillians to the soulful Greek food that the Darsinos family grew up eating.
In addition to GReKo’s, members of the family also own and operate other beloved local restaurants like Darfons, Southside Grill and Gondola House Pizzeria. The family’s reputation as restaurateurs is only rivaled by the respect that their peers and friends have for them as great people.
Tony was born in Clarksville, TN, and developed a strong sense of his heritage from his parents who were from Leontion, Greece. Trips to his homeland deepened his respect for the country’s culture and food, and he loved sharing both of those aspects of his heritage with customers.
He was excited to present his cuisine stripped bare of the pretensions that other Greek restaurants sometimes add to their menus. On the restaurant’s website, Tony explained “Our menu will be simple, sticking to meats, pita wraps, salads and a few side items for the most part – plus wine and beer, of course. We’re using high-quality ingredients to make simple, fresh foods so we want to emphasize that instead of overcrowding the menu with what people think they should find. Plus, we think they’ll really like what they find here!”
Tony passed away way too soon at the age of 49, but the impact of his life on his family and the community will be felt for many years to come.
