These six spanakopitas mark the end of an era. Today is the last day in business for Atlantis, after 35 years of feeding Alexandria and serving our community. It’s been my favorite local restaurant for nearly that long, and I have yet to find better spanakopita anywhere. Despite a large and loyal customer base, the restaurant just could not weather the pandemic.
Even harder today than facing the end of my access to the best spanakopita was saying goodbye to the staff, some of whom have been there the entire time I’ve been a regular customer. They satisfied my pregnancy cravings, fed my infant son his first dessert ever (rice pudding, and I still remember the look on his face when he learned that food can be SWEET), helped him discover the joys of pizza, made his favorite chocolate layer cake, and provided a late-night venue for after-concert pizza dinners, with him in his tux. They always got my special orders right, didn’t mind if I settled in for a while to read or write while I was eating, and served breakfast food until 2:30 pm. No more. Today I ordered six spanakopitas to freeze, and I nearly cried when the staff said goodbye to me for the last time.
It’s hard to imagine Bradlee Shopping Center without Atlantis’s welcoming faces, murals of the Greek isles, and that delectable spanakopita.
Goodbye, Atlantis.
