Papadakis Taverna in San Pedro is nearing its last dance

John Papadakis' restaurant is a lot like its owner -- big, brash and loud. No dim lights, no quiet romantic evening here. On a typical night, the music builds and Papadakis breaks into a Greek dance with a waitress, a pair of belly dancers wriggle through the aisles as the owner tosses dollar bills at them, an 88-year-old tuxedo-clad violinist who played with Frank Sinatra strolls through the restaurant.

Plates break, a dish of saganaki is set on fire. A tap dancer in a baggy suit stomps in front of a self-portrait of Anthony Quinn as Zorba the Greek.

For decades, Papadakis Taverna has been the best-known attraction in San Pedro, not just for its food and atmosphere, but as an out-of-the-way place where celebrities such as Sinatra, Elizabeth Taylor, Tom Hanks and Paula Abdul gathered. It's where Pete Carroll, then-coach of the owner's beloved USC Trojans, would close the deal with high school recruits. It was where Natalie Wood ate the night before she drowned off Santa Catalina in 1981.

How many restaurants show up as answers on "Jeopardy"?

But after 37 years of Greek dancing and plate-smashing, John Papadakis is closing the restaurant Sunday. In a place where people come to watch him as much as they come for the spanakopita and moussaka, "Sometimes I get tired of playing me," he said.

Read the full story here.

--Jeff Gottlieb

Photo: Owner John Papadakis dances with daughter Angeliki at the restaurant, which is a lot like its owner -- big, brash and loud. (Ricardo DeAratanha / Los Angeles Times / January 28, 2010)

Comments

[the truth]

GREAT FAMILY! GREAT RESTAURANT! GREAT TRADITION! BEST WISHES IN YOUR FUTURE ENDEAVORS.

[Tony S]

wow i used to live in pedro. i love that place. it has always had good business, why is it actually closing?

[John Blunk]

Congratulations from this Iowan to the Papadakis family
and thanks for all the good times.

[DRE DAWG]

Closing this Sunday Jan 31st? Geez, thanks for the heads up LA Times. Such an amazing and historic restaurant and you give us two days to get our butts over there? The place will be packed the entire weekend!

Good luck Papadakis family...love listening to Petros on Kevin and Bean.

[Panos]

BE A CUSTOMER AND WORK FOR A RESTAURANT IS A BIG DIFFERENCE.I WORKED AT PAPDAKIS TAVERN FOR FEW MONTHS AND THE BROTHERS JOHN & PETROS WHO ARE THE OWNERS PROVED TO BE UNPROFESSIONALS, OPPRESSORS WITH VERY BAD ATTITUDE & MANNERS. HAVING WORKED FOR 20 YEARS IN FINE DINING RESTAURANTS, THIS WAS BY FAR THE WORST EXPERIENCE. AS FOR THE KITCHEN WAS FILTHY AND THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT CLOSED THE RESTAURANT FEW YEARS AGO FOR THREE DAYS, AND IF THEY WEREN'T BRIBED THEY WOULD HAVE CLOSED FOR GOOD.

[wilson0004]

To John and Tom, THANKS for everything. My family used to travel 100 miles round trip for dinner at the Taverna. What can I say? You are the best ever restaurant in Los Angeles. We were always greated warmly, treated fairly and enjoyed fabulous Greek food. You may be gone now, but not forgotten and surely never surpassed. Bless you both.

[Ed M.]

According to Natalie Wood's boat captain in his book Goodbye Natalie, Goodbye Splendour, the night before Natalie Wood died she was in Avalon, not San Pedro. They sailed for Avalon before noon on that Friday, so this could not have been the place where she ate dinner on the night before her drowning. The boat captain reports that they all had dinner on the boat that night, and then he and Natalie spent the night in Avalon because Robert Wagner was on the boat acting psycho.