Michael Psilakis

Michael Psilakis is a Greek-American New York City restaurateur best known for his appearances on television shows including Ultimate Recipe Showdown, Iron Chef America, The Best Thing I Ever Ate and No Kitchen Required.[1] He had owned and operated a number of popular restaurants around New York and has cooked for President Barack Obama at the White House.[2]

Restaurants

In 2004, Psilakis left "Ecco" on Long Island, which he had managed since 2001, and opened "Onera" in Manhattan.[3]

Psilakis' later opened "Anthos", followed by restaurants "Kefi" and "Mia Donna". For his work at "Anthos", Psilakis was named Esquire magazine's Chef of the Year in 2006.[4] Psilakis opened "Kefi" on Columbus Avenue on the Upper West Side of Manhattan in 2007. The restaurant was closed in January 2013 for renovations and reopened later that year.[5]

In 2008 he was named Bon Appétit's Chef of the Year.[6] Later that year he received a Michelin Star; one of only two Greek chefs in the world to have received the honour. In 2009 he opened the "Gus & Gabriel Gastropub" on 79th Street, Manhattan.[2]

In April 2013, Psilakis opened his third restaurant, "MP Taverna", on Ditmars Boulevard in Astoria, Queens.[7] Later in 2013, New York magazine's Grub Street reported that Psilakis had plans to open a "massive 10,000-square-foot restaurant" in Brooklyn.[5]

Television

Psilakis served as a judge on Ultimate Recipe Showdown and was twice a contestant on Iron Chef America (2006 and 2010). He hosted The Best Thing I Ever Ate.

When BBC America created No Kitchen Required in 2012, Psilakis was chosen as one of three participants and a co-executive producer for the first series.[1] He has also appeared a number of times on Good Morning America, and has been announced as a contestant on the "Superstar Sabotage" tournament of Cutthroat Kitchen.[8]

Books

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 No Kitchen Required by Jay Tavare (Huffington Post, 4 April 2012)
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Frommer's New York City 2011 by Brian Silverman, Kelsy Chauvin and Richard Goodman (John Wiley & Sons, 2010)
  3. ↑ Michael Psilakis is in a class by himself by Pearl Violette and Newfield Metzelthin (Gourmet magazine, 2007)
  4. ↑ Kitchen Superstars: Michael Psilakis' quest to make Greek go mainstream by Elizabeth Saab (Fox News, 19 December 2013)
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 Looks Like Michael Psilakis’s Huge Williamsburg Restaurant Is Back On by Hugh Merwin (Grub Street, New York magazine, 8 November 2013)
  6. ↑ Top Chef, Meet Biggest Loser (TIME magazine)
  7. ↑ Celebrity chef Michael Psilakis opens MP Taverna in Astoria by Clare Trapasso (NY Daily News, 30 April 2013)
  8. ↑ http://blog.foodnetwork.com/fn-dish/2014/09/alton-brown-cutthroat-kitchen-superstar-sabotage/

External links