Christo's Brockton is Gone, Christo's to Go Arrives in Whitman, Mass.

Christo's in Brockton, Mass., had been a local dining legend for more than four decades. Some called it "Cheers South" -- South of Boston's version of the famous Boston restaurant.

Former Massachusetts Gov. Mike Dukakis once dubbed Christo's "The Greek Salad King." Thousands of customers each week called Christo's their "go-to" local restaurant. I personally remember family gatherings -- whether it be for happy times like birthdays and Mothers Day or  for sadder times when loved ones gathered after a funeral. Christo's just seemed like a best friend -- loyal, committed and friendly.

The Greek salads, famous salad dressing, baked lamb, bar-style pizzas, the large four color coded rooms (especially the Gold Room with that huge golden floor-to-ceiling fountain), and the welcoming day and night presence of late owner Christos Tsaganis helped shape Christo's one-of-a-kind restaurant personality. Unfortunately, family chose not to continue operating Christo's not too long after Tsaganis' passing, and the announcement to close Christo's came as a shock for many who thought it would be around forever..

Massasoit Community College recently bought the property and will be building a new Allied Health and Science Building. Great for academia, bad for our Christo's embedded taste buds.

Although this fabled of version of Christo's is gone forever, all is not lost. Recently, owners Gigi Johnson and Maria Samson -- daughters of Tsaganis -- opened Christo's to Go in Whitman, Mass. Clearly a fraction of the size of Christo's and strictly take-out, the look is still familiar with about 20 former Christo's employees, and signature dishes like the Greek salads, famous salad dressing, baked lamb and bar-style pizzas still there to please the local public.

You won't find any larger-than-life Gold Room fountains, or 450 seat environs, but hopefully the magic remains in what Christo's did best: serve consistently good Greek-American fare that made the former East Side restaurant a wonderful tradition for so many years. Stay tuned for dining reviews here, as, over time, I get to sample Christo's to Go.

Christo's to Go is located at 785 Bedford St., Whitman MA. Tel. (781) 523-7932