
DATE: Sunday, August 10, 1997               TAG: 9708080226

SECTION: SUFFOLK SUN             PAGE: 12   EDITION: FINAL 

SOURCE: Sam Martinette 

                                            LENGTH:   84 lines

ROAD TO STEAK HOUSE TOUGH FOR TWO BROTHERS FROM GREECE

When George Ikonomou followed his brother Steve to the U.S. in 1970, he spoke no English. He took a job in New York City washing dishes.

``I was 28, and my education was in Greek,'' Ikonomou recalled last week in the restaurant the brothers own, George & Steve's Steak & Seafood House, on U.S. Route 17 at Bennett's Creek.Steve, then 30, had come over a few months earlier and faced the same predicament.

``Those years in Greece there was no work,'' George explained. His father was killed during the Greek Civil War, during the late 1940s, ``and there were six of us and my mother,'' he said. ``It was hard.''

The brothers worked in New York City kitchens for three years, learning the language and the restaurant business - American-style - then moved to Newport News, where they had visited a niece.

By November 1971 they were working in a Peninsula restaurant when a friendly food salesman suggested they go in business for themselves.

``It was Willie Marsh,'' said George Ikonomou. ``He said, `I'm going to find a restaurant for you,' and he did.'' Marsh, retired, still visits the brothers.

In 1975, the Ikonomou brothers bought a 90-seat restaurant on busy Route 17 and opened up as George & Steve's Steak House. The seafood came later, along with expansions - first in 1984, and again in 1989 - doubling the size of the building and increasing the seating to 570. The addition included a huge rear dining room, open on weekends and available for holiday office parties, wedding rehearsals, birthday parties and other special events.

Dining out front is like eating in a greenhouse, with flourishing plants lining the windows that overlook the Bridge Road. The restaurant now occupies a 3.3-acre site, including more than 100 parking slots. The former dishwashers who spoke no English now employ some 40 people full and part time.

``That's why I say many times to myself and to everyone, `God bless America!' because it gives everybody an opportunity to do something for himself,'' Ikonomou said. ``It was terrible over in Europe in those years!''

As for the menu, an 8-ounce Delmonico steak is $7.15, while the 12-oz. is $9.25. The one pound ``extra cut'' Delmonico is $13.95. The same weight servings of a New York Strip are $7.50, $10.50, and $14.50, respectively, while a half-pound top sirloin is $6.25, and a filet mignon with bacon costs $12.50. London Broil with mushroom sauce is $8.45. All steaks are served with rice or potato and a cup of soup or a salad.

Steak and spaghetti, with soup or salad, is $9.45, and 20-ounces of top sirloin for two is $14.95. Traditional Southern-style dishes (with rice or potato and soup or salad) include a halfchicken, fried or broiled ($6.25); Virginia ham steak ($6.25); liver with onions or mushrooms ($5.25); and hamburger steak ($5.25).

Italian-style dishes (with soup or salad) include spaghetti with meat sauce ($4.50, add sausage, meatballs, or mushrooms for $1 each); Veal Parmigiana ($8.95); chicken Parmigiana ($7.25); cheese ravioli ($6.45); or baked lasagana ($6.65).

As for seafood, broiled or fried sea scallops or jumbo shrimp cost $10.50, fried oysters or crab cakes are $9.50, clam strips cost $8.85, and an order of steamed shrimp is $8.25. You can try a broiled or fried fillet of flounder ($9.85) or trout ($7.25), or a fried seafood platter of shrimp, scallops, flounder, oysters and crab cake ($11.50). The broiled seafood platter ($11.50) substitutes a deviled crab for the oysters. All seafood dishes are served with rice or potato, cole slaw and soup or salad.

In keeping with the family atmosphere, there is a kid menu with a 5-ounce Delmonico with fries, or popcorn shrimp with fries and slaw ($4.10), and spaghetti with a meatball ($3.35). Salads include a large Greek salad ($4.10), and sandwich platters (with fries), include burgers ($2.95), and steak sandwich or sub ($4.10).

George & Steve's offers lunch specials from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., including daily specials, fried or broiled crab cakes, trout, clam strips, hot roast beef, or liver and onions ($4.10), and soups, salads and sandwiches.

Ikonomou said I-664 has hurt business, but Mike's Trainland, his neighbor, draws weekend customers from as far away as Richmond. ILLUSTRATION: Photo by SAM MARTINETTE

Steve Ikonomou, above, and his brother, George, have operated George

& Steve's Steak & Seafood House on Route 17 since 1975.

Graphic

AT A GLANCE

WHAT: George & Steve's Steak & Seafood House

WHERE: Rt. 17 at Bennett's Creek, 483-1066.

FOOD: family-style steaks, seafood, sandwiches, Italian dishes;

full ABC.

PRICES: most dinner items $6-$10 range.

HOURS: 11 a.m.-10 p.m., daily.