Doug Peruski: The Achilles Menu

Doug Peruski says that as good as the Greek restaurants are in New York, he is going to miss Achilles, the popular Greek restaurant in Duluth, Georgia where he has worked for the last four years.

When he first started working at Achilles, he says, he just needed a job. He had quit his job as a systems analyst at NCR in order to devote himself to acting. "I didn't even like Greek food all that much," he recalls with a laugh. "But then, I didn't know much about it, either."

It didn't take long for Doug Peruski to become a convert to Greek cuisine. He has raved out the fare at Achilles ever since, and his enthusiasm got even stronger in the early months of 2014, when Achilles hired a new chef named Jimmy Kefalos.

"Jimmy is a New Yorker, but he lived in Greece for six years and really learned his stuff," Doug Peruski says. He says that Kefalos emphasizes what he calls "New Greek Cuisine," and places a new emphasis on ingredients and presentation. "He actually calls it home cooking," Peruski says. "To be honest, I don't know what he means by that. But he really takes it to the next level." Kefalos, he says, has introduced a number of new dishes to the Achilles menu, including braised lamb shanks and plank-grilled prawns.

"There is also this thing he calls cracked potatoes that are cooked with coriander and red wine," Doug Peruski says. "When I first tasted that one – well, I thought, maybe I won't go to New York after all! Maybe I'll just stay here and eat."

Achilles is open Tuesdays through Sundays from 10:30 a.m. to 2 p.m., and 4:30 p.m. until 11:30 p.m.