Browsing Tag Michael Kaminer
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11 August 2024 at 07 : 08 AM
Design Trends For Unpredictable Times
COVER STORY Design Trends For Unpredictable Times Diners crave “sensorial decadence and emotional comfort,” experts say. Here’s how to deliver it. By Michael Kaminer Redesigns, rethinks, renovations, and rebrands used to be seasonal. You’d wait until business quieted down, hang up the “Closed” sign, and work on making your business ...
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13 July 2024 at 13 : 16 PM
The New Greek Imports
COVER STORY Concepts born in Greece are planting a flag in the U.S. From left: Stevi Tsapis, Giovanni Sandri, Chrysanthos Llaci, Egidio Guerreri & Nikos Nanou of Bakalo. By Michael Kaminer As American restaurant brands expand massively overseas― a new KFC location opens somewhere in the world every 3.5 hours, according to Nation’s ...
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12 May 2024 at 17 : 44 PM
How Costas Spiliadis Conquered the World
COVER STORY After half a century, Milos keeps raising the bar for Greek gastronomy. By Michael Kaminer On a frigid December night in 1979, Costas Spiliadis opened a modest restaurant on a bustling block of Park Avenue, the heart of Montreal’s Greek community. He called it Milos―“a name that sounded round, light, easy to pronounce, ...
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12 March 2024 at 13 : 36 PM
Does Around-the-Clock Still Rock?
COVER STORY Betting big on 24-hour dining at a tough time for late-night. By Michael Kaminer Stratis Morfogen, the New York author and entrepreneur, has made a career of breaking rules. He even titled his 2022 book "Be a Disruptor: Street-wise Lessons for Entrepreneurs." But Morfogen’s latest venture might be his most audacious. ...
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10 February 2024 at 06 : 34 AM
Tapping Nostalgia, Striking Gold
COVER STORY Stamford’s Peter Valis scores another Hit with The Americano. By Michael Kaminer Once you’ve opened a hugely popular Greek restaurant and a smash-hit Italian spot, what’s your next act? If you’re Peter Valis, the Connecticut nightlife impresario turned restaurateur, you go back to the future. Valis, ...
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22 December 2023 at 11 : 59 AM
“Knowledge is Power”
COVER STORY Entrepreneur Peter Kambitsis Shares His Pathways to Success. By Michael Kaminer Most mornings, Peter Kambitsis rises in his Long Island home at 5 am. For 30 minutes, he engages in a demanding workout. Next comes his 30 minutes of reflection, whether meditating, praying, or emailing his kids with messages of love and ...
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11 November 2023 at 15 : 55 PM
An Amazing Moment in Our Lives
By Michael Kaminer The Family Behind Wisconsin’s Gyros West Starts a New Chapter Top left: Grandparents - Peter and Kris Haideman, Top right: Leo Haideman Bottom left: Leo and children Julie, Kristina, Sophia, Eleni, Peter, Bottom right: Peter, Steve, Kris and Leo Haideman Calling Gyros West a “restaurant” ...
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10 September 2023 at 06 : 30 AM
Brownstone Pancake Factory’s Over-the-Top Success
COVER STORY “Insane” plates, thrilling experiences, and warm welcomes propel Bobby Bournias’s New Jersey phenom. By Michael Kaminer THE GREATEST SHOW IN NEW JERSEY isn’t in a concert hall or sports stadium. The spectacle is taking place every day at Brownstone Pancake Factory, whose four locations serve over-the-top creations that make ...
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11 May 2023 at 13 : 49 PM
San Francisco Success Story
COVER STORY The inspiring journey of Charles Bililies and Souvla. By Michael Kaminer A leftover sandwich changed Charles Bililies’ life. The year was 2010. Bililies, who was working as a chef at some of San Francisco’s top restaurants, hosted a lamb roast in his backyard. “I made myself a sandwich the next day with what ...
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11 February 2023 at 06 : 12 AM
Concepts, Classes, and Cookbooks
COVER STORY To promote Greek food, three food professionals take their own paths. By Michael Kaminer What does it mean to be an estiator in 2023? Does the path forward for our industry, promoting the benefits and joy of Greek food, always begin and end at a restaurant? With that question in mind, Estiator talked to three people charting their ...
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