If you’ve ever wondered what it’s really like to party in Greece, here’s your chance—because Krasi wants people to get Hellas crazy. The Back Bay wine bar is kicking off a new Sunday brunch series called Verykoko, where they’ll be hosting authentic Greek ragers while guests munch on their morning meze.
“We’ll have you screaming ‘opa!’” owner Demetri Tsolakis assures us of the upcoming brunch bashes, which will be happening once a month starting July 25.
“We’re going to do line-dancing, napkin-throwing,” he continues. “We’re going to do all of the fun stuff you’d expect to see in Greece.”
Now, when some of us think about going wild in Greece, we might be flooded with hazy images of taking a little something-something at a beachfront club in Mykonos. But those touristy experiences of our youth are nothing close to the real deal. In fact, Tsolakis says that traditional carousing in this Mediterranean nation is just good, clean fun.
We’ll have you screaming 'opa!'
“Greek partying is really about creating an atmosphere and being part of that atmosphere,” he says. “It’s all about the culture. It’s all about the vibe."
“The coolest thing is that it could happen at any moment,” he adds. “You could be sitting down for a really formal dinner and, all of a sudden, you’ll be dancing on the table.”
He’s not kidding. This Greek expat knows from first-hand experience.
“I was in Spetses, one of my favorite islands, on an ATV when a song I loved came on,” Tsolakis says. “I literally parked my ATV on the side of this one-lane road and just started dancing on the ATV with friends. Before you knew it, everyone came outside and the party was through the streets.”
“It’s very common for parties to happen like that, where everyone just joins in,” he laughs. “You just grab people and get them involved.”
While there will be no tabletop dancing for all of the health and safety reasons, guests will likely be enticed to take part in other typical, outward expressions of joy during these early Sunday festivities.
“When we do our traditional line dancing, our biggest thing is watching a foreigner do it, to include them,” Tsolakis says. “You don’t have to be shy, you don’t have to be good, you don’t have to have rhythm—you just have to let loose. Let the beat control your feet, that’s all it is.”
If you’re at all self-conscious about attempting those sirtaki moves in public, just remember: You will be at a wine bar and you will be able to order plenty of liquid courage, including the $20 full-carafe brunch special, before you give it a go. Can we get an "opa!" for that?