Scyllodemos

Behind the Evangelistria in Piraeus, corner Deliiorgis and Skylitsis, is located Philippa's grocery store or else the bacalotaverna Scyllodemos, perhaps the most authentic of the basin. The church of Evangelistria, at the beginning of the 20th century, welcomed prospective travelers who could not fit on the ships and go to Tinos to fulfill their wish to the Virgin Mary of Tinos, and thus they found in her another Virgin consolation for pilgrimage.

In the narrow alleys of the neighborhood of Evangelistria, the Bakalotaverna of Skylodimos emerges atmosphere of old Piraeus. Like a small oasis in the 60s apartment buildings, you face a single-storey corner neoclassical building with six characteristic high door windows in tile color, which contrast with the light ocher of the masonry. The entrance is four steps above the sidewalk, at the top of it is posted the sign "Grocery, Philip's Grocer, Edible-Colonial", and to the left another, at eye level, in hand lettering informs you "Traditional Grocer, bulk legumes/Carolina Serron rice, bonnet rice, glazed rice, Kastoria broad beans, giant beans, Domoko chickpeas, lentils, fresh seasonal fruits & vegetables, bulk wine.

Entering a room lit with diffused natural light, to your left you will see more or less what you read at the entrance along with some cans and cleaners, spread out on a metal dexion rack, while opposite, in an old refrigerator you will find a variety of cheeses , salami, cured meats, which are for sale, but also for consumption with tsipouro. On the right side, I could see with the wooden window, four small tables, where the people of the neighborhood drink their ouzo and in between the counter with vegetables and fruits, where a young man, the Philip, serves and at the same time serves the customers of the grocery store.

After having the first meze, with graviera, elixa and suzuki, we passed through a narrow door into the side room for "what's next":

«The 1908 a Bulgarian, from Thessaly, opened the grocery store here. End of the 50s, my father buys it Nikos Skylodemos, grocer at another large grocery store in Piraeus. I remember when I was little he would take me with him and take me to the Vegetable Market in the evenings and teach me how to shop and choose good products. In the summers and at school I worked with him, which of course I didn't like, because my friends were in the game all day. In 2001, my father suffered a stroke, and I, being in the Army, while I had other dreams, took over the shop, at first temporarily, then I became sweeter, the daily wage came out. A few years ago, the father left us, who, although crippled, was present in the shop.

In 2015, we didn't fit in the grocery store. I made the side storage room a dining room, put the stuff in the basement, strengthened the kitchen and now I have 10 more tables to serve. The truth is that I am honored not only by the neighborhood, but also by the whole of Piraeus".

He tells us the story Philip Skylodemos – a modest young man with a clear look and sharp conversations – her history his, the story of his life and Piraeus, while Yiannis, his assistant, serves us fried potatoes and meatballs. Around us, some people were eating sausages, shrimps and shrimp, all in the pan, along with lettuce, fava beans and chickpeas. At the end, we were served halva by Argudelis, his neighbor in Kaminia.

"They ask me for the shop in return, but I don't give it, it's my life now».

Not only his own, but also the olakeris of the neighborhood - I add - and of many others who discover in "Philippa's Grocer" the peace and beauty of the lost sweet everyday life of Piraeus.