[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 152 (Wednesday, September 27, 1995)]
[Senate]
[Pages S14335-S14336]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




        A BRIGHT STAR IN AMERICA'S CONSTELLATION OF RESTAURANTS

  Mr. HEFLIN. Mr. President, whenever I have the pleasure of traveling 
in north Alabama, I try to visit Bessemer, AL, about a 15-minute drive 
from the city of Birmingham. One of the many attractions in Bessemer is 
the Bright Star, one of our Nation's very best family-owned 
restaurants. Its reputation has been built over the course of this 
century, with fresh seafood transported from the gulf coast daily, the 
finest cuts of meat available, and the freshest vegetables and produce.
  Actually, I have dined at many fine restaurants during my lifetime, 
but I consider the Bright Star one of the world's very best. It is 
certainly on a par with the finest restaurants in New Orleans, San 
Francisco, Washington, New York, Paris, London, Athens, Vienna, Rome, 
Budapest, and Copenhagen. At one time, it had Alabama rivals in 
Montgomery's Elite Cafe and Mobile's Constantine's, but these are 
unfortunately no longer in existence.
  The Bright Star is well-known for its many specialties, but its 
Greek-style red snapper is truly one of the most superb seafood dishes 
I have ever tasted. There are also a variety of steaks featured, and 
the beef tenderloin--which is marinated in special herbs that the 
Greeks know how to combine and cook in a Mediterranean style--is simply 
delicious. There is a variety of broiled and fried fish to choose from, 
as well as giant seafood platters. One of the specialties is a 
combination lobster and crab meat au-gratin. The broiled seafood 
platter is widely considered one of the very best to be found anywhere.
  One can also enjoy Italian dishes at the Bright Star, such as 
spaghetti and other types of pasta. Their appetizers are most unique 
and some of the best include shrimp remoulade, shrimp arnaud, the crab 
claw platter, and the seafood gumbo. They offer many varieties of 
salads, but their Greek salad--with or without anchovies--is 
magnificent. They also have many standard American dishes. Fried 
chicken and the veal cutlet with spaghetti are popular items on the 
menu. The chefs have acquired a real knack for preparing vegetables 
southern-style. They serve everything from turnip greens to black-eyed 
peas. The desserts include all varieties, ranging from Greek pastries 
to homemade southern pies, like coconut cream and banana nut. 

[[Page S 14336]]

  For a hungry person, there is a truly impressive variety of food to 
choose from at the Bright Star. The Texas special--consisting of the 
Greek-style snapper, tenderloin of beef Greek-style, and the lobster 
and crab meat au-gratin--is an entree that does not escape the memory 
for years to come.
  Sunday lunch at the Bright Star is one of its busiest times. After 
church services, worshipers will flock from miles around, and sometimes 
delay their Sunday lunch until 2:30 or 3 p.m. in the afternoon, in 
order to avoid the overflow crowd.
  After a University of Alabama football game in Birmingham, fans who 
have come up from Tuscaloosa will stop by on the way back after the 
game. In years past, it was not uncommon to see legendary Alabama 
football figures like Coach Bear Bryant, Hank Crisp, and Frank Thomas. 
At the Bright Star, political figures are frequent guests. On one 
occasion, I ran into Senator Shelby and former Congressman Claude 
Harris at separate tables.
  The history of the Bright Star is rich and quintessentially American. 
In 1907, Greek immigrant Tom Bonduris established the Bright Star. When 
its doors opened, it was only a small cafe with a horseshoe-shaped bar, 
but it soon outgrew three locations, moving to its present site in 
1915. Bill Koikos and his brother, Peter, joined in the enterprise when 
they emigrated from Greece in 1920. Customers were introduced to a new 
dining atmosphere, complete with ceiling fans, tile floors, mirrored 
and marbled walls, and murals painted by a European artist traveling 
through the area, all creating a pleasing effect reflective of that 
era. While major alterations have occurred since, the same early 20th-
century-style atmosphere has been largely preserved.
  The Bright Star's reputation and success are easily measured simply 
by the satisfaction of its clientele. A place like home was the kind of 
climate fostered by Tom Bonduris in 1907 and kept alive today by the 
Koikos brothers and their descendants--Bill's wife, Anastasia, and 
children, Helen, Jimmy, and Nicholas.
  As immigrants, Tom Bonduris and Bill and Peter Koikos knew little of 
the English language and had few possessions when they arrived in this 
country, but they worked hard and learned to please their customers. By 
establishing the Bright Star restaurant as a place of ``philotimo''--a 
place of hospitality from the heart--the Koikos and Bonduris families 
drew upon the culture and traditions of their ancestors, striking a 
resounding chord of acceptance with the public which has never faded. 
They brought with them certain recipes from Greece, and the Koikos 
family has continued to use these and secret blends of herbs and spices 
ever since those early days to make their food unique.
  Today, the Bright Star is wholly owned and run by the sons of Bill 
Koikos, Nick, and Jimmy. Nick oversees the general operations of the 
restaurant, including the kitchen, and Jimmy serves as the greeter of 
their patrons and as the front man. Their sister, Helen, also plays an 
active role, working as the cashier on Fridays and Sundays and 
generally helping out whenever she is needed. The Koikos family has 
maintained a high level of commitment to hard work over the lifetime of 
their restaurant.
  The employees of the Bright Star are an integral part of the family 
there, and many of them have been with the restaurant for many years. I 
ask unanimous consent that a list of the employees who have been with 
the Bright Star for 10 years or more be printed in the Record following 
my remarks. Among these are Gwendolyn Atkinson, an employee for 32 
years; Mary Sherrod, 46 years; Fannie Wright, 33 years; Walter Hoskins, 
28 years; and Nita Ray, 27 years.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  (See exhibit 1.)
  Mr. HEFLIN. Mr. President, the long, dedicated, and loyal service of 
these employees is evidence of the type of employers the Koikos 
brothers are and the type of family atmosphere they foster in their 
restaurant.
  As American citizens, business owners, and participants in the 
democratic process, this family has developed and maintained a 
reputation envied by all those who look to our shores for a new start 
in life. Today, Koikos family members are among the best to be found in 
Bessemer--or anywhere, for that matter--and Alabama has an 
establishment in which it can take great pride. Likewise, the United 
States of America is a better nation because of the outstanding 
contributions of those from other lands like the Koikos family, whose 
mission has been to contribute, and whose members believe that the 
American dream can still be realized if one has the courage and 
determination to work toward that dream.
  I congratulate all the members of the Koikos family on the tremendous 
success of the Bright Star, and I personally look forward to enjoying 
many more dining experiences there in the future. There are still many 
items on the menu which I have not yet tried, but hope to sample soon.

                               Exhibit 1

               Bright Star Employees of 10 Years or More

       Gwendolyn Atkinson--32 years.
       Betty Bailey--22 years.
       Wanda Little--11 years.
       Mary Sherrod--46 years.
       Robert Moore--11 years.
       Dorothy Patton--19 years.
       Felisa Tolbert--16 years.
       Carl Thomas--18 years.
       Fannie Wright--33 years.
       Aareen Tolbert--16 years.
       Angela Sellers--13 years.
       Marlon Tanksley--13 years.
       Walter Hoskins--28 years.
       Brenda Adams--12 years.
       Fumiko Adams--19 years.
       Elizabeth Gardner--19 years.
       Nita Ray--27 years.
       Rita Weems--12 years.
       Anne Mull--15 years.
       Marie Jackson--20 years.
       Sarah Marshall--10 years.
       Anthony Ross--10 years.
       Faye Kelley--12 years.
       Dale Ware--10 years.
       Jerome Walker--10 years.

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