by Christos Zabounis

In 1991, 20-year-old Nikolin deserted his military unit in Gjirokastër and, overnight, crossed the border on foot and entered Greece. After spending some time in a detention center in Kastoria, he made his way to Piraeus through a connection. There, he worked various jobs until he ended up as a waiter at the tavern “O Diasimos” in Piraiki. “Everything I learned, I owe to my boss, Ilias Kourouniotis, who recently passed away. He was a teacher, a good man, a second father,” he confesses in fluent Greek. After 14 years and 8 months, Nikos—as everyone called him—took his wife and two children and returned to Albania. “It was right after the big boom of the Stock Market. I felt it was time to leave and start my own business.” In Tirana, where he settled, he knew no one. Having gained some knowledge about seafood, he decided to open a fish tavern. Up until then, his compatriots would go to Durrës for fish. “I was supported by the 7,000 Greeks working in Tirana at the time—and they still support me.” The night we visited, the restaurant was packed with wealthy compatriots of his, judging by the jewelry and accessories of the patrons. “There’s been a shift in food culture. Back in the day, people would come, drink five bottles of wine, and eat very little. Now, it’s the opposite. We’ve blended two cultures—the Greek and the Italian. It’s like a melody.” With pride, he shows me two large mosaics he commissioned from the renowned artist Saimir Strorti. The first depicts the god Poseidon. The second shows a sexy woman waiting for the fisherman to return, gazing at a boat on the sea. His fish comes from Sarandë and is incredibly fresh. “My boss in Greece used to talk to me about the Ionian red mullet (koutsomoura), and I didn’t understand why it was considered second to the barbouni (striped red mullet). Now I know,” he concludes meaningfully.

“Golden Hook (Grepi i Artë)” Rruga Nikolla Jorga, Tirane