Browsing Tag Michael Kaminer
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15 February 2026 at 19 : 49 PM
Meet the Mayors of Gyro City
RESTAURANT SPOTLIGHT Meet the Mayors of Gyro City This new fast-casual brand showcases prime ingredients and Greek pride. By Michael Kaminer Nearly two decades into a high-flying career in hospitality and nightlife, George Karavias was craving a taste of home. “I love gyros,” Ikaria native Karavias tells Estiator. “It’s my go-to. ...
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15 January 2026 at 19 : 37 PM
Watch These Trends
COVER STORY Little luxuries and giant flavors will shape menus in 2026. By Michael Kaminer Boot up your AI agents, welcome the flexitarians, crank up dipping sauces, zhuzh up your textures, and “freak up” your salads. ’Tis the season when forecasters dig into data, surveys, and consumer sentiment—and maybe consult an oracle or two—to ...
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14 December 2025 at 12 : 38 PM
Carnegie Hospitality Is Unstoppable
COVER STORY Blending tradition and innovation, Stathis Antonakopoulos builds restaurant brands for the future. By Michael Kaminer As this issue was going to press, news broke that Stathis Antonakopoulos’ Carnegie Hospitality was opening its first location in lower Manhattan—an 8,450-square-foot space that will span an entire city block at ...
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14 December 2025 at 12 : 20 PM
Ones to Watch
Meet Our Industry's Next-Gen Trailblazers By Michael Kaminer With the promise of a new year ahead, we’re excited to spotlight leaders who are taking Greek food, hospitality, and culture into the future. To find our 2026 “Ones to Watch” honorees, we asked Estiator readers, industry sources, PR and marketing pros, and even other journalists: Who are ...
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9 November 2025 at 11 : 38 AM
Gotham Goes Greek
COVER STORY With a slew of openings, NYC celebrates Greek food— and estiators. By Michael Kaminer These days, any restaurant opening is cause for celebration. But when we see a string of Greek restaurants making their debuts, or Greek restaurateurs who are expanding their footprints, it’s even more reason to cheer. • That’s what’s ...
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12 October 2025 at 17 : 19 PM
This “Grecian Corner” Is a Local Treasure
COVER STORY Angelo Ballas builds on a family legacy in Winston-Salem. By Michael Kaminer When a local public radio station decided to explore the history of Winston-Salem, North Carolina’s sizeable Greek population, its reporter chose to tell the story through the experience of Angelo Ballas. It was a smart choice. Ballas’ restaurant, ...
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10 September 2025 at 15 : 18 PM
A Greek “Titan” Returns to New York
Mega-store Titan Foods reopens in Astoria, bigger and better. By Michael Kaminer Two years ago, the sale of a building in Astoria, Queens led to the demise of its biggest tenant—Titan Foods, touted as “the largest retail Greek food and grocery store in North America.” After four decades in the same spot, the Mastoras family was forced to look for ...
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15 August 2025 at 19 : 47 PM
All Hail the Queen
COVER STORY Chopped alum Alexandra Velis Jones rules with Portland’s Souvlaki Queen. By Michael Kaminer Even before they see her tightly edited menu or taste the beautifully prepared food, customers sense something’s different at Souvlaki Queen, the compact shop that chef Alexandra Velis Jones opened in May in Portland, ...
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14 July 2025 at 14 : 41 PM
A “Standout” Captivates Rochester
Once a diner, Mike Karipidis’ El Greco by Mike is a buzzing hot spot.By Michael Kaminer For more than 13 years, Mike Karipidis ran a successful diner inside a building he owned in Rochester, New York. Sidelined by a bad back in 2006, Karipidis took a break, leasing the space to a succession of operators who kept flopping. “The place changed ...
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9 June 2025 at 14 : 48 PM
A Greek “Pirate” Shares His Success Story
After 50 years in restaurants, Theofanis Kakouras is on top of his game. By Michael Kaminer COVER STORY In the 1982 epic Fitzcarraldo, Klaus Kinski drags a steamship across the jungle, losing his mind in the process. Theofanis Kakouras also brought a big boat to an unlikely place, but his story turned out differently. Pirates Landing ...
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