Where's Alekos? At the Market

Attention Kathy Murphy, Chris Janos and all the rest of you inquiring readers who've been mourning the loss of Alekos Pizzaria, late of Maple Leaf. I found your man — and your pizza — in (get a load of this) Pike Place Market. And here's the kicker: Alex Skoulis, the hands behind Alekos' hand-tossed pizza, has been doling out your favorite eats, right here, for a year!

How could I have missed him, given that he's been right under my food-sniffing nose purveying his signature "Spanakopizza" and your namesake Maple Leaf pizza, among other popular pies, as well as focaccia and deli sandwiches, fresh salads and even PB&Js for the kids?

Let's just say that Skoulis wasn't advertising; the handsome "Alekos" signage is new. When I'm looking for a quick, hot nosh-on-the-run at the Market, I'm prone to grabbing a drumstick from neighboring Chicken Valley or a hom bao from Mee Sum Pastry, but with Alekos added to the mix, that's all changed. And with free parking at the Pike Place Market Garage on Western Avenue (if you're in and out in an hour), what's keeping you away? And weren't you looking for an excuse to start shopping at the Market, anyway?

Alekos (under the Farmers Market sign at 1505 Pike Place, Seattle; 206-223-1192) is open Monday through Saturday 10 a.m.-6 p.m. and Sunday 10 a.m.-5 p.m., with a full catering menu and free downtown delivery service for orders of $25 or more.

You won't find Greek pizza at the new Porta Greek Taverna (2245 Eastlake Ave. E., Seattle; 206-860-0284). Nor, says owner Demetri Georgakopoulos, "will there ever be a gyro on our menu." Georgakopoulos recently revamped the short-lived Motion Lounge, formerly The Drink, intent on bringing Greek taverna food and fun to Eastlake. He'll be a familiar face to patrons of Queen Anne's tiny Panos Kleftiko (815 Fifth Ave. N., Seattle; 206-301-0393), as will chef Liam Spence — another refugee from Panos whose British Isles moniker fails to reflect his maternal Greek heritage.

When Porta begins serving dinner early next month, there will be no entrees on the menu, only an expansive list of mezethes (small plates). For now, Porta is open for lunch Monday through Friday from 11:15 a.m. to 2:45 p.m. with a menu that includes lamb or pork sandwiches, souvlaki, Greek salad and the house specialty: spetsofi — grilled village sausage with peppers, onions, fennel and beans. All are served with beverage and baklava for $7.99.

New this week is a late-night bar menu, perhaps best enjoyed on Saturday when, beginning at 10 p.m., you might listen to live Greek music, sip ouzo and wrap your snapping fingers around the likes of grilled octopus, souvlaki, spanakopita and housemade dolmades.

I didn't really need much urging to attend Seattle Cooks! — the gourmet food and kitchen show coming to the Washington State Convention and Trade Center this weekend. But when word came in that Judy Fu, the stately wokmeister behind Judy Fu's Snappy Dragon (8917 Roosevelt Way N.E., Seattle; 206-528-5575) would be there unveiling Judy Fu's Gourmet Sauces, (peanut sauce, potsticker/jiao-zi dipping sauce and hot oil), I was completely sold.

In addition to miles of aisles of food- and kitchen-related exhibits, some of the city's top chefs will be cooking at the demonstration stage, preparing their signature dishes. Earlybird Christmas shoppers in search of signed cookbooks should show up on Saturday, when Tom Douglas (author of "Tom Douglas' Seattle Kitchen"), Jerry Traunfeld ("The Herbfarm Cookbook") and Cynthia Nims and Kathy Casey ("Seattle Best Places Cookbook") will be on hand promoting their restaurant-related recipes.

Hours are Friday 12-7 p.m., Saturday 10 a.m.-7 p.m. and Sunday 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Tickets are available at Larry's Markets ($10) or at the door ($12).

Nancy Leson can be reached at 206-464-8838 or nleson@seattletimes.com.