Kalash Kitchen Opens on Main Street
Photo courtesy of Crey Lenox
Thalis takes a shot of hot sauce with whatever customer is brave enough to try! Go in and see if you are one of them.
If you’ve ever walked down Main Street, you’ve probably seen the variety of local eateries Geneseo has to offer: Mamma Mia’s, Aunt Cookie’s, Bar-Eat-O to name a few. That’s a lot of diversity packed into a small street! Recently, however, you may have noticed the newly opened Greek restaurant, Kalash Kitchen.
Kalash Kitchen came to the town of Geneseo only recently, but the establishment is actually part of a small chain of restaurants with five locations in New York and one in Pennsylvania. Geneseo marks the opening of a sixth location, with the possibility of more in the future. The charismatic face of Kalash Kitchen, owner Thalis Kalash, AKA the “Sauceman,” will likely be the first to greet you as you enter the restaurant. The atmosphere is immediately friendly, providing a warm greeting, jokes, and, as of recently, the challenge of the “hot shot!”
As far as the food goes, the variety of options proves to be quite broad. The focal point of the menu, as expected, are the Greek options. The platters are customizable, allowing you to choose the meat, vegetables, sauces, and other add-ons for an experience catered to your own taste. For those who love heat, there’s more than enough hot sauce to go around! There’s another side to the menu as well, featuring burgers, salads, and fries, providing a substantial selection of foods to choose from so that everyone can enjoy. On top of the expansive menu, there are even different options for teas, chai, and desserts for after your meal (or before!).
One notably unique trial you may face at the Kalash Kitchen is the “hot shot.” Before you even get the chance to order, you’ll find yourself faced with a condiment cup full of hot sauce. Of course, this is entirely optional, but it serves as a great story to tell even if you hate spice! Don’t worry, though; Thalis isn’t cruel, and he himself will have no problem doing multiple hot shots back-to-back with every customer that walks through the door. Plus, you might find you actually love the hot sauce and want it doused on your dish! It wouldn’t be unheard of, as one customer was even asking that they start selling their green sauce in take home bottles!
A particularly fascinating aspect of Kalash Kitchen lies in its origin. Before “trading pen for pan,” Thalis was a linguistic anthropologist studying the Kalasha people of the Hindu Kush mountains while working with a professor from Aristotle University in Thessaloniki, Greece. Books on the Kalash language can be found on the counter opposite the spot where you place your order in the restaurant.
As Kalash Kitchen is newly opened, it may be easy to miss for passersby, as the exterior is currently simple brick with only a large window. You may catch the beaming “OPEN” sign, but it can be tough to tell what exactly you’re looking at, especially if you’ve been roaming around late on a Friday night. Don’t get confused, though; the hours are indeed that wild. If you’re looking for a spot to eat late into the night, you can trust the door will still be open for you to come in and enjoy some good food.
It’s no mistake that anyone you ask will speak the praise of Kalash Kitchen. Not that it should sway you, but having 100 Google reviews and a five-star rating should count for something! Bringing the life of new cuisine to town, and with such passion and knowledge for the culture it honors, Kalash Kitchen is a unique spot that adds a special character to Geneseo. So, next time you’re on Main Street, look out for that glowing “OPEN” sign and consider stopping in!