An Interview with Acropolis Executive Chef Costa Waez

As co-owner and executive chef of the four Acropolis Tavernas, including the one in Winthrop Town Centre, Costa Waez has his hands more than full.

I was lucky to find the time between his busy schedule and mine to get this interview. I had to meet him at his Ybor City location and, if I had caught just one more red light, I would be writing this article about a different chef. 

Waez was born in 1962 in Syria and spent a good portion of his life in the Mediterranean enjoying the local fare and learning to appreciate good food. He made a few valid points about how the soil varies from continent to continent. The water affects the soil, sugar and even salt, according to climate, so the food will taste different even though the same recipe is used.

I reminisced about my days in the U.S. Navy and how the Coca-Cola made in the Philippines tasted strange when compared to USA Coca-Cola even though the same formula is used, so suddenly I could relate on a bizarre level.

Waez' brother, Sam, got him started as a cook in a little place called The Coffee Cup on Gandy Boulevard about 10 years ago. It's a familiar story where necessity becomes the path to our future. When his brother asked him to step up when they were down a man, Waez came through.

They sold The Coffee Cup at the turn of the century and opened the first Acropolis in 2002 in historic Ybor City.  They own four now with the other three in St. Petersburg, Winthrop Town Centre in Riverview and New Tampa.

Waez stresses the use of fresh food and goes shopping every day to prove it. He goes to the local Farmer's Market on 30th Street and Hillsborough Avenue and buys at least 10 cases of fresh tomatoes every day along with his other vegetable needs.

When Waez speaks about fresh produce, his eyes light up a little. Maybe he's thinking about back home or maybe a recipe. Either way, I wasn't about to stop and ask. The only produce he buys from a vendor are hard-ticket items like leeks, dill, mint and basil. He restated the fact that he uses leeks in his recipes as opposed to scallions or green onions even though they are far more expensive. He's proud of the fact that all of his recipes are his grandma's and all are homemade.

Being of Greek heritage, he made it a point to mention that he is a marinade fan of the highest order--nothing compares.

He tells a funny story about how he and his kitchen manager will be sitting around and he gets a visual of a food item that will just jump into his head. They will go into the kitchen and it's the manager's job to follow him around and write down the recipe while Waez grabs various herbs and spices and adds them to the mix. After they are finished, it's the staff's job to name the menu item--nothing cheesy or tacky are the only rules here.

His staff at the Ybor City location are a professional lot that never stop moving. I had a chance to observe them as I waited five minutes for Waez to arrive and these people didn't have a clue who I was but I was treated like I was the mayor.

I mentioned this to him and he says that there are only a few rules to working at The Acropolis for him. No. 1--no attitudes. No. 2 --no drama, And especially No. 3--no dramatic attitudes. It shows! I even saw a girl in the back room shining the hookahs, of which there are many, and all you are going to do to a hookah is smoke through it so that should tell you something about the cleanliness of Waez' world.

Many of the chefs I have interviewed chose an alternate style of cooking as their favorite but Waez chose the Greek style and his personal dish is the Chicken Rhodes. Although I had just eaten; the way Waez described the pan-fried chicken breast, olives, sun-dried tomatoes and the feta cheese topping made my mouth water a touch. I will definitely try that my next time in his place.

With Waez' attitude, I don't care if he opened a popcorn stand. I would drive across town to buy his popcorn. Thanks for your hospitalility, Costa.