What were your favorite foods growing up?
Anything made by my grandmother, Athena.

What is your least favorite food?
Seafood that isn't fresh

What is your beverage of choice?
Wine

What was the most spectacular meal you have ever had?
Years back, my wife and I traveled to Sparta, Greece. After a long day of swimming and sun, we had dinner in a small taverna owned by Giannis and his wife, an older couple that owned the taverna for many years. We had spit-roasted baby goat, locally grown tomatoes, and plenty of local wine, while watching a beautiful sunset.

What do you eat when you are home?
Pizza, maybe Chinese, but every Sunday I cook breakfast for my kids.

What is your best cooking tip for a home enthusiast?
Learn the basics well and the rest will follow in time.

When did you decide you wanted to be a chef?
Who taught you how to cook?
Becoming a chef, for most of us, is not a decision that we make at a young age. I decided to become a chef when I had to work my way through school, and I discovered a profession which I loved.

If you didn't become a chef, what would you be?
If I didn't become a chef, I would probably be a fisherman.

Who/what has shaped your cooking the most over the years?
My style of cooking, I believe, is influenced by my family. My father, grandfather, and practically all of my family worked in the sea.

What is more important for a chef- technique or ingredients?
Technique is important, but ingredients are the king in my kitchen.

Besides Greece, which foreign country inspires your style most?
For me, the United States was a foreign country. Cooking in New York is a dream for any chef, so I feel very fortunate to work in the culinary capital of the world.

What are your favorite culinary weapons in the kitchen?
My baseball bat. All jokes aside, I believe my best weapon is buying the freshest ingredients.

What are your signature dishes at Kellari Taverna?
Our signature dishes at Kellari are fresh grilled fish (Lavraki, Fagri, etc.)

If I’m trying to watch my weight and I’m eating at Kellari Taverna, what am I ordering to eat?
Fresh, whole-grilled fish on a green salad

When you are not eating at your own restaurant…you are eating at?
A small gyro place in Astoria, Queens

What are some recent dining and culinary trends you have been observing?
People eatting healthier.

What was your worst restaurant disaster?
During dinner service, the fire protection system went off and a white powder went all over the kitchen. I had to walk in the middle of a full dining room and explain that I closed the kitchen due to an accident with the fire protection system.

What is the one rule or value you try to instill in all of your staff?
Quality of ingredients