Nestled away in a shopping center along Route 1, Sissy and George Konstantopoulos’s Floga Bistro offers a diverse menu of lunch and dinner options in a comfortable atmosphere.
During the day, friends meet for casual or business lunches over soups and paninis. On Fridays, families can be seen ordering pizzas. On Saturday nights, couples show up with bottles of wine and order from the variety of veal, pasta or steak dishes on the menu.
I stopped in recently for lunch and to meet Sissy. She explained Floga is influenced by her Greek and Italian heritage. “We are a bit diverse,” she told me as she pointed out some of her favorites on the menu. “Paninis are popular at lunch. People rave about our veal.”
Sissy and George opened Floga three and a half years ago. They previously owned Mrs. K’s at 4th and Chestnut in Philadelphia, and once owned Brothers Pizza in Glen Mills. When they opened Floga, they brought in Chef Chris Marchio who worked closely with them to develop the broad menu.
Chef Marchio stopped out, happy to talk about his passion for cooking. “You have to like people, you have to love this job,” he said. He has been a chef for thirty years, and has helped develop menus at several restaurants, including Pietro’s in Philadelphia. When I asked him what’s his favorite food on the menu, he said, “I like Mediterranean food. There are so many ways you can prepare it.” He is also proud of the veal they serve at Floga. “You don’t even need a knife. We use a good wine to flambe the veal. We use real lemon. It is so good.”
I sampled their Italian Wedding Soup, which was hot and delicious with a generous amount of meatballs. For lunch, I tried the panini. The Italiano Panini consisted of Prosciutto, Genoa Salami, Capicolla, provolone cheese, red onions and tomatoes on a beautiful LeBus roll. Homemade chips were a nice complement to the sandwich. It was a filling lunch at $7.99.
Some of the other diverse offerings on the menu make it tempting to stop back again soon. The Porto Bello burger consists of a grilled marinated chicken breast with portobello mushrooms, tomatoes, and fontina cheese. Their New York Strip Steak is a 10 oz. Steak with mushrooms sauteed in a chardonnay wine and served with a baked potato and sauteed vegetables. They also serve Shrimp Fra Diablo, sauteed jumbo shrimp flambéed with white wine in a spicy marinara sauce tossed with a choice of pasta.
Sissy told me they used to have separate menus for lunch and dinner, but a year ago they melded the menus into one. Customers wanted their favorites available no matter what time of day they were dining. She also told me they offer gluten free meals and that customers are really appreciate of having this option.
On Monday through Thursday, they offer a special – $17.99 for three courses (includes choice of soup or salad, the special of the day, and a cannoli).
Floga Bistro is located at 826 East Baltimore Pike in Kennett Square, in the Marlborough Shopping Center. They are dine-in, take-out and delivery. They also cater. They are open Monday through Thursday, from 11 am to 9 pm; Friday and Saturday, from 11 am to 10 pm; and Sunday from 12 Noon to 9 pm. They are reachable by phone at 610-444-6500.
