Plakas also takes pride in being a 1976 graduate of the University of Akron School of Law and is a member of the school’s advancement council. A resident of North Canton, he knows the Stark County area well.
Here are some of his favorite treasures.
No. 1: The patio at Gervasi Vineyard
The patio at Gervasi on a late afternoon in the summer. It is an escape as the sun dances on the lake just beyond the patio. The patio usually is crowded, and people are engaged with one another in conversation. It is as enjoyable to partake in it as it is to sit back and observe all the smiling faces taking in the scene.
No. 2: Freudy’s Bar & Grille
Within a 3-mile radius, Plakas and his family can choose between Freudy’s Bar & Grille, BAM and Papa Gyros, all their favorites. If it’s BAM in the Washington Square plaza, Plakas definitely is getting a whole wheat shrimp pizza. Add in the sundried tomatoes, spinach, feta and walnuts, and this is a healthy taste-bud party. If they choose Papa Gyros, Plakas is ordering the tilapia santorini, a fillet coated in Greek bread crumbs that is grilled and topped with a white-wine butter sauce. Of course it’s served with a Greek salad and rice. At Freudy’s Bar & Grille, which is one of the county’s better dining secrets, Plakas has to have seared ahi tuna.
No. 3: Congress Lake Country Club
Staying in shape is important, and while Plakas’ tennis game is modestly good, he enjoys playing on the courts at Congress Lake Country Club. If the weather allows, he would much rather be in the kayak, tooling around the lake on a nice summer afternoon.
No. 4: Pegasus statue
The majesty of the Pegasus statue in the Great Hall of the Cultural Center for the Arts. Are you catching a theme here? Plakas’ Greek heritage is important to him. Pegasus is a well-known creature from Greek mythology, a divine winged stallion.
No. 5: ArtsInStark
Plakas is a supporter of ArtsInStark and “the energy and spectrum of its programs.” Check out ArtsInStark’s website at artsinstark.com to find one of the many events it supports. “If I could choose a sixth,” Plakas said, “I would take optimism and excitement of building both from the long-awaited development downtown as well as the proposed Hall of Fame Village. Both are potential game-changers.”
