Greek + Family Business = Restaurant
My lifelong love affair with the kitchen began in 1983, after finishing high school and drafting school in Athens, Greece. I then joined my family in the United States and entered the University to begin my studies while working in the “family business” to pay for school.
The family business was a 250 seat restaurant, talk about baptism of fire. Here, as an entry level kitchen helper I had my first introduction to the wonderful variety of fresh ingredients available on the eastern seaboard such as soft shell crabs and Atlantic cod. Of course, I also had my first exposure to what (to me) was a foreign cuisine and dishes like Crispy Maryland Crab Cakes, Baked Stuffed Lobster and Shrimp Scampi.
Two years and a few extra pounds later, my studies took me to Chicago and the Roosevelt University. I continued working evenings in kitchens all the while absorbing new tastes and techniques and began putting my childhood classical guitar lessons to use when I had free time. The experience I gained here was invaluable in terms of flexibility and enabled me to form a “big picture” perspective of restaurants that I would find priceless later on in my career. From potato peeler to short order cook to waiter, I got to know the in’s and out’s of high volume food service.
At the end of my third year in Chicago, my family decided to expand their business to the New England area and asked me to join them in their venture.
Ratatouille
They say everybody has that one moment in their lives when they realize what they love. For me it came in a small, family-owned Pizzeria in Lowell, Massachusetts.
While taking on the responsibility of managing/operating the business, I was fortunate enough to have had my very own kitchen to experiment in; and experiment I did. I remember many a cold, New England winter night spent chopping, Sautéing, reducing, tasting and starting over again in search of the ultimate Bolognese or the perfectly emulsified Béarnaise. This period of passionate cooking served two purposes; expanding my repertoire of taste, techniques etc. and winning the heart of my future wife which apparently could only be accessed though the stomach.
Home & Back Again
In 1992 we decided to find out what Europe had to offer and I made the decision to move back to Greece. It had been eleven years and a whole lot of cooking later, my idea of an “Athens food scene” when I had left Greece was limited to Souvlaki and Mom’s Mousaka. What a surprise it was to find a small enclave of international caliber of restaurants in Athens. I was also pleasantly surprised by the fact that my experience as a cook in the U.S.A. was a highly sought commodity in the Athens restaurant scene. Before my foot even hit the tarmac, I was hired as apprentice at what was then the most exclusive restaurant in town, “Ballade”.
Working with Jean-Luis Kapsalas at “Ballade” was the single most horizon broadening experience I’ve had in my career. His generosity with the vast amount of knowledge he acquired during his studies with Pierre Orsi and Paul Bocuse in Lyon was only shadowed by his skills as teacher. Every member of our team went on to become great Chefs de Cuisine in their own right such as Phillip Dimopoulos of "Da Vinci" fame. In the four years I was there, Jean-Luis taught me many aspects of being a true chef and he was intuitive enough to concentrate on honing my skills as a Chef de Patisserie before I even realized that desserts would be my true calling. After four years of intense training with him, Jean-Luis opened his own restaurant and I accepted the position of Chef de Cuisine at “Ballade”. Under my direction, “Ballade” continued to be the first choice for fine dining in Athens to the high profile crowd that it catered to.
Spreading My Wings
Things were changing, and the changes were good. Whisperings of Haute Greek Cuisine could be heard from all of us in the upper ranks of the Athens restaurant scene. I was approached by Michelin Star recipient, the late Chef Directeur | Jean de Grylleau, and recruited by him for the restaurant “Pagopoieion” in Kos. Jean was an artist in every sense of the word and working with him taught me that perfect culinary skills were only half the story, that incorporating principles from other disciplines such as architecture and music is what makes difference between cooking and the art of cooking.
After the “Pagopoieion”, our work association ended and our friendship began. It was time to for me to carve out my own niche.
Mediterraneo | Crete
Pompei | Athens
Rock & Roll | Athens
Cabo del Mar | Andros
When I arrived with my wife in Andros to set up Cabo del Mar, we immediately fell in love with the island and decided to make it our home. The rural setting has allowed us to create and maintain a small organic farm and vineyard from which I derive much inspiration (and of course, ingredients).
My present position is beside my friend and colleague Chef Dimitri Giginis at Sea Satin Nino | Andros