Easter is the biggest religious holiday in the Greek Orthodox faith. It is celebrated in Greece and abroad with traditions that span decades. Such traditions as the blood-red dyed eggs, the sweet bread called, Tsoureki (pronounced: tsu - wreck - ee), and phyllo dough for the numerous Greek pastries are the staples of the Easter holiday. In Philadelphia, a place that is especially busy weeks before Easter is the N & E Agora. The word "Agora" translates to "market" and the "N & E" stands for the previous owners names "Nick" and "Eleni" (respectively).
Currently, this local Greek store is owned by Yanni Dede, and his wife, Albana, both originally from Albania -- their two young sons often help out as well.
Owning this neighborhood specialty store has been a seven year endeavor for the Dedes who say over 90 percent of their clientele is Greek with a small percentage of Bulgarian, Romanian, Albanian, and other similar ethnic cultures. There is a very small walk-in business as well with neighborhood grocery shoppers.
"We wanted people to have a familiar place to find their culture's food," Dede said.
The mini-market that is located at 917 Tyson Avenue in the Northeast is brimming with goodies from Greece -- imported feta from various islands, fresh Greek yoghurt, and black Kalamata olives are the typical fare at this ethnic locale.
"It's a lot of work, but you are working for yourself, it's a good feeling. The people are very nice and I will probably do this until my kid's graduate from school," Dede said.
Maria Konidaris and Jennifer Reardon, Group 20, Northeast Philadelphia
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