Browsing Tag Michael Kaminer
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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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15 April 2025 at 22 : 16 PM
MBH Meat Purveyors BEEFS UP
COVER STORY George Chrissikos leads his family-owned business to national success. By Michael Kaminer Why do so many people want to have a beef with George Chrissikos? Maybe because the president and CEO of MBH Meat Purveyors offers only U.S.-raised Angus and Prime meats―along with pork, lamb, and chicken―from farmers he’s known more than ...
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15 April 2025 at 22 : 00 PM
Pita Greek Gives Up The Ghost (Kitchen)
Restaurateur Stavros Lambos (l) and son Nicholas Lambos, who launched Pita Greek as a ghost kitchen in his family's restaurant, AquaTerra Grille. After years as a virtual restaurant, Nicholas Lambos’ fast-casual brand opens a brick-and-mortar location. By Michael Kaminer For residents of New ...
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11 March 2025 at 18 : 42 PM
Going Greek in Greenpoint
COVER STORY General Manager Michael Kasimis, co-owner Christos Gourmos, Executive Chef Moshe Grundman and co-owner Spiro Menegatos. Going Greek in Greenpoint With Nerina, the cofounder of NYC’s acclaimed Nerai brings small plates and an all-Greek wine list to Brooklyn. By Michael Kaminer After the smash success of Nerai, his ...
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12 January 2025 at 11 : 49 AM
A Greek-American Success Story
COVER STORY The Karas Restaurant Group of Illinois builds a legacy. By Michael Kaminer If there’s a storybook Greek-American success story, it might look like the Karas Restaurant Group’s odyssey. What started with two brothers and one tavern in suburban Chicago 50 years ago has grown into a beloved local enterprise with hundreds of ...
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11 November 2024 at 16 : 48 PM
2025 Is Going to Be Wild
COVER STORY From “next-level spicy” to dirty sodas to revived childhood flavors, Estiator rounds up food forecasts for the coming year. By Michael Kaminer If the crystal balls are accurate, your customer in 2025 might soon request Greek bowls or spicy snacks loaded with extra protein and exotic mushrooms, all washed down with a ...
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14 October 2024 at 19 : 59 PM
Sibling Revelry
COVER STORY With Skopos Hospitality, Thomas and Dean Maroulakos find a winning formula in celebrating New Jersey. By Michael Kaminer If Dean and Thomas Maroulakos had just opened restaurants, their success story would seem impressive enough. After working in Manhattan bars and clubs for years, the brothers opened their first venue, Cowan’s ...
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11 September 2024 at 17 : 03 PM
Greek Glam in the Sunshine State
Cover Story Georgia Dumas opens Lefkes in Florida; a hit in New Jersey, the restaurant has roots in Athens. By Michael Kaminer The success of Lefkes, a restaurant and supper club in Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey, is a family affair. But as owner Georgia Dumas will admit, her customers deserve some credit for her new location in Delray ...
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