Behind every memorable restaurant is a chef whose creativity, discipline, and passion shape the dining experience. Across the United States, Greek chefs are earning recognition for innovative cooking while honoring the traditions that inspired them. As part of TNH’s Greek Dining in America special insert, we spoke with seven chefs about their culinary journeys, greatest inspirations, proudest accomplishments, and hopes for the future.
Eleftheria Sioulas: Avli on The Park, Chicago
With roots from Kleisoura Zirou in Epirus, and Kalamata, Eleftheria Sioulas grew up in Athens, and after following her heart, she decided to study Culinary Arts at Le Monde Institute of Hotel & Tourism Studies in Athens.
As a professional chef of more than 12 years, she expressed to TNH how her mother and grandmother were her greatest inspirations which inspired her love of cooking.
“I still remember trying to recreate my grandmother’s keftedakia recipe and watching her over and over again. She never used measuring cups or spoons. She would simply look at the ingredients, trust her instincts, and somehow everything was always perfectly balanced,” Sioulas told TNH.
“To this day, I still don’t know how she did it…. that’s when I realized—great cooking isn’t just about following a recipe, it’s about instinct, experience, and cooking with love.”
As a chef that specializes in handmade pies, as well as kokkinista – she noted how they’re the kinds of meals “that fill the house with incredible aromas and naturally bring everyone around the table.”
When asked about her proudest moments in her career so far, she reflected on the opportunities she’s had to collaborate with other chefs in Chicago.
“Welcoming distinguished guests from Greece, including members of the Greek consulate, chefs, artists and public figures, is both an honor and a responsibility,” Sioulas said.
“Every plate I create is my way of sharing my story, culture and traditions and hospitality that shaped me.”
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George Gouveris: Sparta Taverna and Sparta Eats, New Jersey
Chef George Gkouveris, Sparta Taverna. Photo: Courtesy of George Gkouveris
George Gouveris is the Spartan chef and founder of two popular Greek restaurants in New Jersey. He studied at RCC Culinary Arts and Hospitality Management and also completed an online course through Harvard, where he became certified in lifestyle and wellness.
As an experienced chef, who’s been cooking professionally since 1997, he was originally inspired to become a chef after watching American chef Emeril Lagasse on TV.
“I was watching him cook at Emeril Live and at that moment I said – I want to be a chef,” he expressed to TNH.
Reflecting on his culinary career, he noted how some of his greatest moments are, “when my customers were coming in my kitchen to say hi to me, give me a hug and tell me the food was amazing.”
“Also when I see my kids wanting to have my food over other choices, that makes me very happy, and of course when I see my wife happy with a smile telling me the food was amazing, that makes me happy,” he shared.
Discussing his future goals, he explained how besides focusing on his restaurants, he hopes to publish a book on the Greek Mediterranean diet and lifestyle.
“We have the healthiest, tastiest, cuisine in the world, and we have the best lifestyle in the world – so I want to put all that together in a book and have people experience our rich culture,” Gouveris said.
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Christina Efthimiadou: Private Chef, Long Island, NY.
Christina Efthimiadou is a private Chef on Long Island, NY. (Photo: Courtesy of Christina Efthimiadou)
With roots in Serres and Kilkis and a home in Thessaloniki, Greece, German-born chef, nutrition coach, content creator and influencer Christina Efthimiadou has spent the last five years cooking professionally in New York.
After moving to the U.S., she sought a career that fit her family’s schedule, leading her to launch her own private chef business, Nutritopia. Driven by a mission to promote healthy eating, she also began creating online content, where she has built an Instagram following of more than 329,000 through her viral recipes.
Although self-taught, Efthimiadou credits her mother and grandmother for inspiring the treasured recipes she uses today.
Speaking to TNH, she recalled spending time in the kitchen from the age of two and said her favorite family recipes that she loves to cook include kokkinisto and lahanodolmades with avgolemono.
Reflecting on her career, Efthimiadou said one of her proudest achievements is the community she has built through her work.
“I’ve been able to create lifelong friendships with my clients, and people from all over the world send me their love,” she said.
“Being able to share what I know and help make people’s lives easier and healthier, is incredibly rewarding.”
Through daily recipes and live cooking demonstrations, Efthimiadou said she hopes to inspire more people to adopt healthy eating. “My goal is for everyone to be healthier, to eat right, to not to be afraid to go into the kitchen and cook, and to show them that it’s easy to be healthy.”
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Sotirios Kontos: Meridia, Westin Hapuna Beach Resort, Hawaii.
Chef Sotirios Kontos is the Chef De Cuisine at Meridia in Westin Hapuna Beach Resort in Hawaii. (Photo: Courtesy of Westin Hapuna Beach Resort)
In case you’ve ever wondered, there are Greeks living in Hawaii! And more specifically, that’s where you can find Sotirios Kontos, the Athenian-born Greek chef based there, who also goes by ‘Chef Soto’.
From working from the age of 14, to finishing high school and then attending the Culinary School Chef D’Oeuvre a year later, the Greek chef began his first official job at 19 years old.
Today, he is the Chef de Cuisine at Meridia in Westin Hapuna Beach Resort.
Speaking to TNH, he noted how his first experiences in the kitchen were when he was 12 years old, when he fell in love with the art of cooking while watching his great grandmother cook.
“My great grandmother was my first mentor chef and was my biggest inspiration when I was staying at the farmhouse near Thermopylae during our summer school breaks with my cousins,” Kontos told TNH.
As a chef with many years of experience under his belt, and a passion to serve delicious food to his guests, Chef Soto expressed “My goal is to bring the Michelin Guide to the Hawaiian Islands and spread the culinary spirit with this organization.”
TNH additionally asked Chef Soto about what his Greek specialty is, and what he loved to cook most, to which he responded, “Shrimp Santorini – aka Shrimp Saganaki, and the Lamb Youvetsi aka lamb with tomato orzotto.”
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Christina Xenos: Personal Chef, LA
Christina Xenos is a Los Angeles-based personal chef. (Photo: Courtesy of Christina Xenos)
Christina Xenos is a Greek-American chef who was born in Ann Arbor, Michigan, and has lived in LA for the last 20 years.
As the chef and owner of Sweet Greek Personal Chef Services for almost 10 years, she works with clients and offers everything from weekly meal prep to private catering, cooking classes and even occasional pop-up dining experiences.
Discussing who inspired her “love affair with food,” she said both her grandmothers played a vital role, where they passed down their sacred recipes and techniques. Her mother also took her to their local church when she was younger, where she helped prepare food for annual Greek festivals, which further deepened her love for cooking.
“Long before I ever traveled to Greece, those women had already given me a deep appreciation for our culinary traditions and the importance of preserving them,” Xenos told TNH.
Reflecting on some of the proudest moments in her career, Xenos noted winning an episode of the Food Network’s Chopped series.
“It was the first Greek-themed episode in the show’s history, and I was competing against three highly accomplished male restaurant chefs,” she said.
The LA-based chef said another great honor included joining Chef Argiro Barbarigou’s culinary team at the James Beard House.
“Cooking alongside someone I have admired for so many years — and helping showcase the richness of Greek cuisine on such a prestigious stage — was an experience I will always treasure.”
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Christos Bisiotis: Selene, New York.
A close up of Selene’s chef, Christos Bisiotis. (Photo: Courtesy of Selene/AKSSS Studio)
Recently named executive chef of Selene in New York’s SoHo neighborhood, Christos Bisiotis brings 25 years of culinary experience to the role.
Originally from Athens, the Greek chef studied culinary arts and eventually moved to the U.S. to continue his work in the hospitality industry, where he has now been cooking professionally for the last 25 years.
Speaking to TNH, he shared, “I started cooking at the age of 12,” where he said his grandmother was his biggest source of inspiration, who motivated him to get into the kitchen.
As an up-and-coming chef with many years of experience, he shared that the proudest moments in his career so far include “the moments that I spend with my team.”
Discussing his future career plans and what he hopes to achieve, although he wasn’t certain on his next steps, he responded, “Only God knows.”
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Jimmy Bannos Jr.: Kouklas Greek Eatery, Illinois.
Jimmy Bannos Jr is the chef and owner of Kouklas Greek Eatery in Niles, Illinois. (Photo: Courtesy of Chef Jimmy Bannos Jr.)
The Greek-American chef and owner of Kouklas Greek Eatery in Niles, Illinois has grown up in the hospitality industry and has spent the last 23 years cooking professionally.
Born and raised in Park Ridge, Jimmy Bannos Jr. shared how he attended culinary school at Johnson and Wales University in Providence, Rhode Island, then spent almost five years working for Mario Batali restaurants from 2005 to 2009.
When asked when he first began cooking and developing a love for it, he shared “when I was a very young kid.”
“My biggest inspiration was my father, having his Heaven on Seven restaurants in Chicago for over 40 years. And then my Greek grandmother and my Italian grandmother,” Bannos Jr. told TNH.
Sharing his specialty in Greek cuisine, he noted how it’s “anything that comes off my woodfire grill.”
As a chef who’s been in the industry for quite some time, he shared some of his greatest and proudest moments in his career so far.
“I would say one of my proudest moments was winning the James Beard award for rising star chef in America when I was Chef owner of The Purple Pig Restaurant,” he said.
Discussing his goals for the future, he noted how they are to “keep evolving our interpretation of Greek cuisine and always respecting the traditions along the way. It’s a very exciting time.”
