BOSTON – The town of Ipswich, located in northern Massachusetts about 30 miles from Boston, boasts a true gem in Luna Mare, a restaurant offering high-quality Mediterranean cuisine with a wide selection of Greek dishes. The restaurant is located at 25 Hammatt Street, Ipswich, Massachusetts (tel. 978-626-1101).
The establishment is the former “Ithaki” of Greek-American restaurateur Petros Markopoulos, who, after 25 years of successful operation, sold the Ipswich location and—as The National Herald has previously reported—went on to open the new Ithaki at a nearby location in the Peabody area. Today, Ithaki has become a point of reference for the Greek-American community of New England, drawing Hellenes from across the region.
The buyers of the original Ithaki in Ipswich were unable to sustain the business, and a few months ago it returned to the ownership of Petros Markopoulos. Last August, he reopened it under the name Luna Mare. From the outset, residents of Ipswich and the surrounding areas—among them many Greek-Americans, given the presence of the local Greek Orthodox community of the Dormition of the Theotokos—embraced the restaurant warmly, often forming long lines to dine there.
Luna Mare seats approximately 110 guests, features a spacious bar, and offers a wide variety of dishes. It operates on weekends from 3:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m., on weekdays from 3:30 p.m. to 9:00 p.m., and is closed on Mondays.
The National Herald visited Luna Mare a few days ago and spoke with its general manager, Pantelis Papadimitriou of Thessaloniki, a close friend and longtime associate of Petros Markopoulos. During the conversation, Mr. Papadimitriou noted that he is a graduate of Hellenic College and later pursued advanced studies at Framingham University.
With his pleasant personality and courtesy, Mr. Papadimitriou has won over Luna Mare’s patrons, many of whom have become regulars, visiting two or even three times a week. His life journey has its own story, which he shared with The National Herald:
“I first came to America in 1997 to study at Hellenic College, from which I graduated. I then went on to Framingham University for graduate studies. I met my wife here, we married, returned to Greece, and lived there for eight years—from 2005 to 2012—before coming back. Since then, I’ve been at Ithaki first, then at the new one in Peabody, and now here at Luna Mare.”
Recounting how he met Petros Markopoulos, the owner of Ithaki then and now, Mr. Papadimitriou said:
“I didn’t know him personally, but I called him and said, ‘My name is Pantelis Papadimitriou, I’m from Thessaloniki, my wife and I have returned, we have two little girls, and I’m looking for work.’ He told me, ‘Come tomorrow.’ I went, we spoke briefly, he hired me, and we’ve been together since 2012, with a three-year break when I went elsewhere. I returned in 2019, we launched the new Ithaki—he as owner and I as manager—and we’ve continued ever since.”
Photo: TNH / Theodore Kalmoukos
He also explained how Luna Mare came to be:
“When this location became vacant nine months ago—this building belongs to Mr. Markopoulos—he said to me, ‘Pantelis, what do we do now?’ and I replied, ‘We’ll open it.’ But we didn’t want exactly a second Ithaki. We wanted something a bit different, more relaxed, more broadly Mediterranean rather than strictly Greek. As you can see on the menu, there is a representative variety in the dishes, the drinks, and the wines.”
Mr. Papadimitriou added that “it’s doing extremely well; we’re very pleased. People embraced it from the very first moment. Many were disappointed when we left Ipswich for Peabody, so there was anticipation and a warm welcome waiting for us. Many Greeks come, and of course very many Americans of diverse backgrounds.”
Asked about the name Luna Mare, he explained:
“Luna Mare is what we Greeks call fengarothalassia—moonlight on the sea. When the moonlight falls upon a calm sea, the moon appears so beautiful and so large. So, luna is the moon, and mare is the sea.”
As to whether there are plans for another restaurant in a different area, Mr. Papadimitriou said:
“For now, we’ve covered the northern region and much of Boston. Next, it’s time to look toward the southwest.”
