If you ever get a chance to visit with Gus Silivos, Owner/Executive Chef at Agapi Bistro + Garden in Pensacola, you are in for a treat. A few Fridays ago, Linda, her son Jack, and I had dinner at Agapi while it was pouring rain outside. We sat at the bar enjoying a wonderful meal and interacted with the delightful staff.
As I watched from my perch, I was intrigued by the bustling kitchen and therefore made arrangements to sit down with Gus a couple of weeks later. My visit with Gus left me smiling and feeling better about the world. A busy man, he has three restaurant concepts including Agapi Bistro, Scenic 90 Cafe, and Nancy’s Catering and Events, all situated next to each other in East Pensacola.
Gus was born on the island of Skopelos in Greece and moved to Pensacola with his family when he was 11. His grandfather came to America in 1917, working for a brick company up North when he had an accident. He wrote a letter to a friend telling him what happened.
His friend owned a restaurant in Greenville, Mississippi, and he responded to him. “Come down to Greenville, I have a job for you. If you can save what my employees throw away every day, you will be worth the money I pay you.” That is how Gus’ grandfather got his start in the restaurant business.
“Back then, restaurants all operated like Waffle House, with three partners working in three 8-hour shifts, 24 hours a day.” His grandparents had three children, two boys and a girl, who is Gus’ mother. His grandfather spent his early youth traveling back and forth between Greece, Mississippi, and Alabama before his family permanently moved to Pensacola.
The Greek influence in the restaurant business throughout the South is well-established. Gus says that in the 40s and 50s, there were 23 Greek-operated restaurants on Palafox Street alone, one of which was the Deluxe Cafe, owned by his grandfather.
As a teen, Gus worked every job in the family restaurant before he earned a business degree from the University of West Florida. In 1982, Gus got his culinary degree at the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, New York. He returned to Pensacola and served as the Executive Chef at Skopelos Restaurant. In 1999, Gus opened Scenic 90 Cafe, and in 2010, Nancy's Gourmet and Catering, across the street from Skopelos.
Scenic 90 Cafe is a diner serving all-day breakfast and comfort food. The old-school exterior, which looks like mid-century architecture, consists of three prefabricated “diner” buildings. Serving breakfast, lunch, and dinner, Scenic 90 Cafe has become a favorite for locals. “The concept comes from all the Greek diners I experienced in the New York area when I was in culinary school,” says Gus.
Nancy’s Catering was started to elevate the catering experience in Pensacola. “We tailor everything for the honorees and offer a unique menu. Weddings are not only a union between two people, but two families, or even two regions or countries. We have even created dishes that reflect the heritage of a South African who married someone from Pensacola.” Nancy’s Catering services events from Mobile to Montgomery to Panama City.
On March 6, 1992, Gus had a great surprise. The Pensacola Naval Air Station was dedicating a refurbished GM TBM Avenger Torpedo Attack aircraft for its museum. This was the plane piloted by President George Bush, Sr. when he was shot down in the Pacific during WWII.
The sitting President and First Lady, Barbara, were scheduled to visit Pensacola for the dedication. Local reporters stationed throughout the city had hopes of seeing the President. People were lined up and down the highway anticipating a glimpse of the motorcade. Unbeknownst to Gus, Skopelos was the dining destination after the ceremony.
“About 45 minutes before the president arrived, the Secret Service team informed us that he was on his way. We had a small wedding reception going on at the time, and the bride and groom had to open all their presents immediately for inspection. The White House Chef joined me in the kitchen to ensure the dishes were safe for the President to eat. It was all totally unexpected.”
It so happened, there was a reporter stationed at Skopelos that evening. After the President and his wife dined and left, the reporter approached Gus and the server who waited on their table, to ask questions about the experience. “I’m sure he left you a big tip,” the reporter said to the server. “No, but it was an honor to serve them,” he replied.
Gus tells me the next day in the newspaper, the bold headlines read, “President Doesn’t Leave Tip,” The news traveled fast and the following day, Secret Service personnel knocked on Gus’ door at home and handed him an envelope with two thank you notes, one for him and the other for the server including a generous tipi
“Of course, we didn’t present a bill to the President, so the Secret Service didn’t have a bill to pay and didn’t think to tip.” People still bring Gus newspaper clips from around the globe with the headlines. He tells me that the President did take photos with the bride and groom.
“This was just after Desert Storm, and he had the highest approval rating ever as a sitting U.S. President, but lost the election eight months later. My grandfather always said that talking about politics and religion is like charcoal: “You get dirty when you touch it cold, and get burnt when you touch it hot.”
Skopelos on Scenic Hwy closed its doors in 2009. In 2015, Gus decided to reopen Skopelos downtown on Palafox Street, its third location in its 60-plus-year history. Hurricane Sally damaged the building in 2020 and, with the pandemic in full swing, it closed again permanently in 2021. The restaurant business is not for the faint of heart, and resilience is a necessary trait for success.
With Skopelos closed, Gus and his wife, Bianca, decided to rebrand Nancy’s Gourmet to Agapi Bistro + Garden. Agapi is the Greek word for the “ultimate love.” Chef Gus continues to offer catering through Nancy’s Catering and Events. He and his excellent team have been operating all three dining concepts, including Scenic 90 Cafe, since 2021 and incorporate some of Skopelos’s original dishes.
Greek and Mediterranean food is Agapi’s specialty. Simple and flavorful with a beautiful presentation, Gus has been using the same source for fresh seafood and meats for decades. Popular dishes that reflect his Greek heritage include octopus and the Skopelitiki pita. Agapi’s menu offerings have several unique small shareable plates called Mezze.
They also offer a Chef’s Blind Tasting Menu, led by Chef de Cuisine Lawrence Johnson. Gus’ philosophy is to give the best dining experience possible. “There are plenty of places to eat, it’s about the experience. We want to allow people to try different things they may have not tasted before, and have a good time doing it,” he says.
On the Agapi menu, there are wine and spirit flights, which allow customers to taste new products, before committing to a bottle or cocktail. “Our whole idea is to try something different, excellent but unique, and possibly find your new favorite! We try to make it as easy as possible.” They even offer a Creme Brulee flight for dessert.
Agapi also has a Wine Club, maintained by Bianca, that has 100 members and a waiting list that meets every month. “We like to get creative with our monthly themes, for example, we have done comparison tastings like New World vs Old World and cool climate vs warm climate. We also feature female Winemakers each March, and in December we always do a blind tasting. We like to keep it interesting; it’s the relationships we’ve built over the years that make it fun.”
Gus tells me that the last three years in the restaurant industry have been the most challenging in his career. “We are fortunate that we have a great staff. We have people who have been with us for more than 30 years.” Mentioning the culinary progress of Pensacola, he says they have come a long way from when he started. “Over 60 new restaurants opened just last year. A lot of new chefs have expanded our restaurant offerings.”
Regarding the growth, he says that he likes the diversity that it has brought to the area. “I do worry about our infrastructure keeping up with growth, but we have the Gulf National Seashore, which is a huge plus for preserving and protecting our beautiful beaches.” In closing, Gus credits the Navy for exposing Pensacola to people from all over the world. “It has immensely enhanced our community positively.”
Thank you, Gus. You are a local treasure. We look forward to dining with you again soon!
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