Michael Psilakis
American celebrity chef, author, and restaurateur
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Michael Psilakis is an American celebrity chef, author, and restaurateur.[1] He is best known for his Greek cuisine and appearances on television shows including Ultimate Recipe Showdown, Iron Chef America, The Best Thing I Ever Ate and No Kitchen Required.[2] He has owned and operated a number of popular restaurants around New York City and has cooked for President Barack Obama at the White House.[3]
Michael Psilakis | |
|---|---|
| Born | New York City, New York, U.S.[1] |
| Culinary career | |
Current restaurant(s)
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Previous restaurants
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Television shows
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| Website | www |
Early life
Restaurant and food career
From 2001 to 2004, Psilakis managed restaurant Ecco on Long Island.[5]
The address of 222 West 79th Street on the Upper West Side, Manhattan has been home to many of Psilakis restaurants including Onera (from 2004 to 2007);[3][5][6][7] Kefi (from 2007 to 2009); Gus & Gabriel Gastropub (from 2009 to August 2010);[8] Fishtag (from 2011 to 2018);[7][9] followed by Kefi returning to this same location from 2018 until 2020, after Kefi had relocated for a period from 2009 until 2018 on 505 Columbus Avenue.[10][9][11] Restaurant Kefi had been the subject of multiple employee lawsuits.[12][13][14][15][16]
Donatella Arpaia and Michael Psilakis had co-owned Kefi, as well as Anthos at 36 West 52nd Street (2007–March 2010),[17][13][18] and Mia Donna (2008–September 2009).[19][20][21]
For his work at Anthos, Psilakis was named Esquire magazine's Chef of the Year in 2006.[22] In 2008, he received a Michelin Star for Anthos.[23] In 2008 he was named Bon Appétit's Chef of the Year.[24]
From April 2013 to 2019, Psilakis owned and operated restaurant, MP Taverna on Ditmars Boulevard in Astoria, Queens.[25][26]
Television appearances
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.[2] 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.[27]
Books
Psilakis has struggled with his body weight and wrote the 2017 book, Live to Eat: Cooking the Mediterranean Way (Little, Brown) to highlight easier ways to modify diet without losing flavor.[4]
- Psilakis, Michael (2009). How to Roast a Lamb: New Greek Classic Cooking. Barbara Kafka (contributor). Little, Brown. ISBN 9780316071734.
- Psilakis, Michael (2017). Live to Eat: Cooking the Mediterranean Way. New York City, NY: Little, Brown. ISBN 9780316308205.