Dmitri's, the Queen Village Seafood Counter That Made Octopus a Philadelphia Signature, Remembered

Philadelphia has long had seafood restaurants, and it has had Greek ones, mostly diners and luncheonettes. In January 1990, Dmitri Chimes merged the two in a former diner on a Queen Village corner. The result, Dmitri's, was among the city's earlier BYOB spots, and Inquirer food columnist Rick Nichols described its atmosphere as "clattering, Zorba-esque, cheek-by-jowl conviviality."

The restaurant's octopus drew particular attention from the culinary community. It was boiled for hours in red wine, dried, and finished over charcoal. Longtime chef Eric Boerner said it was fair to call the dish a Philadelphia signature, in the company of Georges Perrier's crab galette and Monk's moules frites. In his view, each visit to the counter taught proper octopus preparation: keep it simple, cook it quickly, and rely on char, olive oil, lemon juice, herbs, salt and pepper. At the original location, diners needed to bring cash and patience, since there were no cards and no reservations.

Chimes, now 72 and retired, grew up in Philadelphia as the son of painters. His father, Thomas Chimes, was regarded at his death in 2009 as the dean of the city's contemporary artists. His grandparents, Greek immigrants James and Agnes Chimes, ran luncheonettes and a seafood restaurant in Brewerytown. He recalled his father's warning: "Don't go in the restaurant business! It's too hard."

He instead played music in the house band at the London in Fairmount, then took a prep cook job in 1983 when owner Warren Brown opened a second London on 12th Street. Through the rest of the decade he moved between kitchens, including The Garden, Waldo's, Frog and Carolina's. Through his father he met Tom Vasiliades, owner of South Street Souvlaki, who taught him to buy fresh fish at the distribution center. After Vasiliades refused him a raise, Chimes quit; the two have long since reconciled.

His wife, Sheila, who had waited tables at Jerry's, a diner at Third and Catharine Streets, connected him with its owner Robert Strauss. Chimes asked to take over the lease, and Strauss said he and his partner reluctantly agreed. "I thought he wouldn't make it, and I was wrong," Strauss said. "Monumentally wrong." Chimes kept the antique marble counter and added an iron grill over charcoal. The first night brought 15 dinners, and the weekend reached 60.

The all-female waitstaff, in Betsey Johnson dresses and high boots, were "treated like rock stars around town," said Nancy Benussi, who joined in 1990. Waiting customers were sent to the New Wave Cafe across the street, and a server would fetch them when a table opened. New Wave's Nate Ross said the arrangement pushed his own restaurant to improve. Dmitri's closed on Tuesdays, which made Monday a favorite night for off-duty restaurant workers. Chimes reportedly turned down a reservation request from Rita Wilson during the filming of Philadelphia, wanting to protect his regulars' experience.

Chimes later expanded with mixed results. Pamplona, a 200-seat Spanish restaurant at 12th and Locust, opened in 1994 and closed in 2000 after a brief stint as a Dmitri's. Stix, a Mediterranean vegetarian cafe near Fitler Square, opened in 1997, became a Dmitri's in 1999 and closed in 2014. An Italian restaurant at 24th and Lombard became Dmitri's 24th Street Cafe and closed within a year. He opened a Northern Liberties Dmitri's in 2010.

By late 2019, Chimes said, labor problems and needed repairs to the Queen Village building led him to close the flagship. He kept the Northern Liberties location going, but after investing savings in a renovation, the COVID-19 restaurant closures arrived in 2020. "I'm 70 years old," he said. "This is probably a good time to just let it go."