Business

Truck brings Greek food to downtown Parkersburg

PARKERSBURG -- Amanda Kowalczyk is pleased by the early response to her Greek food in downtown Parkersburg.

"Parkersburg has been great. We have been busy," Kowalczyk said recently during the second week she has parked her blue food truck at Bicentennial Park adjacent to the Blennerhassett Hotel.

Her business, Elenie's Souvlaki, is open 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. Her menu features lamb gyros (pronounced Yee-roh) and chicken gyros (sandwiches), gyros salad, chicken salad, chicken souvlaki, Greek salad, chips and drinks.

Elenie is Kowalczyk's "Greek name" and souvlaki refers to the Greek dish of pieces of meat grilled on a skewer.

Kowalczyk lived in Greece from the age of 6 months to 17 years old. Her mother, Stavroula Romanidou, is a native of Greece and owns a restaurant in Glyfada, Greece. Kowalczyk lived in Glyfada before moving to Parkersburg and graduating from Parkersburg High School in 1994.

Her father, John Kowalczyk, worked at the Bureau of the Public Debt in Parkersburg.

"I love to cook," Amanda Kowalczyk, of Lubeck, said, adding she didn't expect this big of a following of customers.

"To prepare authentic Greek food you have to have lived there," Kowalczyk said. She is using the flavors of food she grew up with in Greece, she said.

In Greece, people are outside all the time and visit the food markets, she said. The Greek cooks use fresh vegetables, fruits, seafood and breads, Kowalczyk said.

She said Greek pita bread, used for the gyros, folds but does not crack.

Kowalczyk's salads contain tomato, cucumber, Greek olives, red onions, Feta (cheese) and meat, but no lettuce. Salads in Greece don't normally contain lettuce, she said.

Kowalczyk describes her salads as "refreshing" and "light, but a full meal."

She makes her tzatzki sauce using Greek yogurt, garlic, dill, lemon and cucumber slices.

She purchased the food truck from Belleville United Methodist Church, which used it to serve ice cream during functions, Kowalczyk said. She renovated it to serve as her restaurant on wheels.

Kowalczyk said she enjoys talking to customers as she prepares their food. She wants to hear their opinions about her food.

When the weather turns cold, she plans to add soups and chili to the menu.

For now, Kowalczyk has no plans to replace her blue with white lettering food truck with a bricks-and-mortar restaurant - although she would consider opening a "quaint" Greek diner on Market Street, she said.

For pre-orders, catering for special occasions and delivery to downtown businesses, call 304-615-8401. The business has a Facebook page at Elenie's Souvlaki.