New Athens Corner brings European-style breads, desserts to Highland Park
New Athens Corner, a specialty Greek bakery and gourmet deli in Highland Park, offers fresh baked bread, Greek homemade pastries, crepes, sandwiches and Greek-style coffee made on premises daily.
New Athens Corner also carries Greek cheeses, olives, Greek wine and spirits and other Greek products.
Since the early 1990s, Chrisanthe Kanterakis, the founder of New Athens Corner, has been bringing to the community Greek breads and pastries such as Baklava, Kourabiedes (powdered almond cookies), Melomakarona (walnut cookies) and Galaktobouriko (milk custard cake).
While delicious, these treats traditionally tend to be slightly heavy. Luckily, some of the newest European-style pastries are much lighter than previous recipes. Kanterakis' son, Tony Kanterakis, spent the last several years expanding the business into what it is today.
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Located in a 1,400-square-foot commercial space next to Pithari Taverna, Tony Kanterakis has been spending his time focused on the newer style of baked goods. While keeping his dishes true to tradition, he and his team are also showcasing new items.
Athens Corner creates more than 20 fresh baked breads and desserts in its flagship store location with the assistance of a new head baker.
Somewhat of a secret weapon, the new baker on site is a driving force to creating a more modern flavor to their offerings. Hailing from Greece, he feels that the modern style of baking should be focused on maximum taste with low calorie, light baking. Simply put, to eat a dessert that tastes amazing should not be an act of guilt.
“You don’t want to worry about how many calories when you are eating something so decadent," the baker said. "We’re all concerned about our health, but we still want to enjoy the best things in life. This is the reason the new light baking style is popular with our customers.”
A sampling of modern-style desserts includes: Millefeuille (French patisserie cream and puff pastry), Ekmek Kataifi (Kataifi fillo topped with Greek cream and French patisserie cream), Trigona Panoramatos (Greek cannoli filled with French patisserie cream) Profiteroles (Greek cream-filled puff topped with melted Greek dark chocolate) and Loukoumades (Greek honey donuts).
Adn the new style doesn’t stop with sweets. Breads also play a role in this modern Greek bakery. Some of the tastiest breads to try include the Greek bagel (olive oil bread) and Lagana (olive oil flat bread).
"We look forward to serving this growing and busy community our high-quality, great-tasting food and beverages right in the heart of New Jersey,” Tony Kanterakis said.