NEW ROOM: If the Avengers Were Greek Restaurateurs They’d Open Loula’s Taverna

We’re not quite sure who the Iron Man, Thor and Captain America equivalents are when it comes to the super team of Loula’s Taverna, which opens today on Commercial Drive.

Like the Avengers crew, there are almost too many people to keep track of here. There’s brothers Yianni and Petro Kerasiotis of Fraser’s Nammos Estiatorio, their cousins Bill and Niko Kerasiotis who—along with their partner Marco Mirisklavos— run east side pizzeria Sopra Sotto, and John Pavlakis of Kerrisdale’s Minervas.

Instead of coming together to fight Ultron or Thanos or whoever else, the six men who all grew up together around Kitsilano joined forces to take over the former location of the Libra Room on Commercial Drive.

The area is so lively, it fits what we’re going for perfectly,” says Yianni Kerasiotis. “We came up with the idea and just thought Commercial would be perfect.”

The concept won’t be a huge surprise—Loula’s will serve some classic Greek taverna staples, with shared plates being the main emphasis. The star of the menu is souvla—rotisserie chicken, pork and lamb. “That’s sort of the whole point of it, and the rest of the menu is built around it,” says Kerasiotis.

If the fare is traditional, the vibe won’t be. Loula’s will be open from 3 p.m. to midnight on weekdays, and to 2 a.m. on weekends. And the cocktail program promises to be progressive, with rumours that ouzo will be available on tap. “[The drinks] are not what you’re going to find at a classic, old school Greek place,” says Kerasiotis. “We’re all really excited to get it going.”