Michael Psilakis

Cull & Pistol Opens in Chelsea Market; MP Taverna Hits Astoria

Michael Psilakis opened the latest version of MP Taverna in Astoria on Monday. Other outposts of the Greek restaurant have become popular in Roslyn, Long Island, and Irvington, N.Y. Psilakis told Flo Fab that lamb dumplings, a favorite from his original restaurants, and a Greek paella with seafood a ... More >>

Pink Slime Opt-Out, Chinese Dishes in Translation

The U.S. Department of Agriculture has announced that starting next fall, schools will be able to opt out of using "pink slime" meat for school lunches. [AP] The Chinese government is investigating a Beijing branch of McDonald's after a program on the country's state television showed the fast-food ... More >>

Michael Psilakis to Star in No Kitchen Required, a Man vs. Wild-Like Food TV Show

Michael Psilakis, chef/owner of FishTag, is going to be jumping into some new culinary terrain. Literally. Eater reports that BBC America is launching a television program called No Kitchen Required, which will be "a culinary competition" in which three chefs get dropped by helicopter into unfamilia ... More >>

Ryan Skeen Goes Through Another Restaurant Like Kleenex

Melissa Hom/MetromixSkeen and swine.​Say what you will about Ryan Skeen, at least he's predictable. Eight months after being hired as the chef at Michael Psilakis' FishTag, Skeen has left the building.

Michael Sullivan 'In' at Flex Mussels; Richard Blais Pops Up for Pork

​Flex Mussels has announced that its executive chef Michael Bicocchi has left the restaurant to be replaced by Michael Sullivan, the longtime executive sous-chef at the now-defunct Chanterelle. [Grub Street] Michael Psilakis has plans to open a restaurant on Long Island. MP Taverna will serve ... More >>

Frito-Lay Tops Food Truck Promos with Times Square Test Kitchen

Lay's launches a test kitchen in a marquee, naturally.​Frito-Lay is going one better than the seemingly endless list of companies using food trucks to promote their brands. Instead of driving around town spreading the word on snacks like Lay's, SunChips, and Tostitos, it's parking itself right ... More >>

Eddie Huang Defends Marcus Samuelsson Against All the Haters

​Marcus Samuelsson has found his very own Merri Lee Kingsly in the form of Eddie Huang.

Robert Sietsema at Heartbreak; Lauren Shockey at Cocoron

This week in the Voice, Robert Sietsema revels in authentic German at Heartbreak, proclaiming that "never has there been anything quite like Heartbreak, which seeks to elevate the culinary status of peasant classics." Lauren Shockey pays a visit to Cocoron, which is "poised to change the city's nood ... More >>

Paula Deen Rides Things; Nicolas Cantrel Stays On at Beaumarchais

​Greg Grossman, the 15-year-old who started cooking at age of 9, will be at the helm of Alan Philips' next Feast pop-up, running from March 10-12. The theme will be Pop Art. [Grub Street] Michael Psilakis is no longer the executive chef at Eos in the Viceroy hotel, in Miami. No replacement ha ... More >>

Suddenly, a Saveur and Sam Sifton Spat [UPDATED]

Schoolyard bullying rocks the food world.​When Eddie Huang got a no-star review from Sam Sifton, from his mom more or less agreed with the Times' critic's assessment of her son's squandered potential. Now that Michael Psilakis and Ryan Skeen's cooking at Fishtag has received identical treatm ... More >>

FishTag's Mussel Men of the Upper West Side

Ryan Skeen joins Michael Psilakis to cook up some water creatures

Robert Sietsema at Caliu; Lauren Shockey at FishTag

This week in the Voice, Robert Sietsema checks out the latest addition to New York's tapashere: Caliu. Lauren Shockey gets past the unfortunate name of Michael Psilakis's new restaurant, FishTag, and proceeds to have a nice meal. Sam Sifton awards two stars to Ciano, citing, "[Shea] Gallante's food ... More >>

Are We Headed for 'Food Price Shock'?; Two New Restos Do Un-Kosher Jewish

​Food prices in India are still on a sharp rise, with the whole price index for food rising 2.5 percent Christmas week. The inflation is largely attributed to rising vegetable prices, which jumped 16 percent. [Wall Street Journal] Meanwhile, the Food and Agricultural Organization warns that f ... More >>

Michael Psilakis Expounds Upon the Economy, Fish, Headaches

It's a slow news week, so slow that Bloomberg TV's Surveillance Today decided to dip its little toe into the roiling waters of the restaurant world. Yesterday, host Tom Keene invited Michael Psilakis onto his show, and after introducing him as "the Mario Batali of Greek American cuisine," asked t ... More >>

Home for the Holidays with New York City Chefs

brainbasedbusiness.comTwas the Night Before Deliciousness​ Ah, the holidays. A time for eating, cozying up by the fire, eating, caroling, and more eating. How will New York City chefs be celebrating this Yuletide? We got in touch with a bunch of them to see what their feasting entails and ... More >>

Open & Closed: Say Hello to Goat Town; Goodbye to Paladar

Restaurants and bars, they come and they go. Here are a few making their debuts and bowing out this week. Chiam Chinese Cuisine, known for its tasty dumplings, has shuttered after 19 years in operation in Midtown East. [Zagat Buzz] Orologio in the East Village appears to be on the chopping block. ... More >>

Fish Tag Will Open Monday, and Is Now Hiring Line Cooks

PicasaPsilakis gets ready to cast his net.​Michael Psilakis will open Fish Tag on Monday, and Diner's Journal has a few details about the restaurant, which will be located in the old Onera-Kefi-Gus & Gabriel space. Its menu will be all seafood, all the time, and, contrary to rumors of his firi ... More >>

Anthos Will Become a "High-End Beefery"

Saint TigerlillyA "high-end beefery" in the making.​Closed since August for "renovations," Anthos will re-open as a steakhouse. Steve Cuozzo reports that Donatella Arpaia, who became the Midtown restaurant's sole owner following partner Michael Psilakis' departure in March, has sold her lease ... More >>

Ryan Skeen Now Finds Himself at Michael Psilakis's Fish Tag

Melissa Hom/MetromixRyan Skeen will trade pig for porgy.​Just this morning we found ourselves wondering what had become of Ryan Skeen, hero of what has become over the past year the tri-state restaurant world's most reliably entertaining picaresque novel. After his brief lay-over in Harlem and ... More >>

Geoffrey Zakarian Working on Two Hotel Restos; Niko to Open with Quite the Team

​Geoffrey Zakarian has not only been working on the menu for the forthcoming Lambs Club in the Chatwal Hotel off Times Square, he's also doing National Bar and Dining Rooms, in the Benjamin in Midtown. [Diner's Journal] Michael "Bao" Huynh says his empire is still growing, with plans for an A ... More >>

Andrew Pressler 'Out' at Fatty 'Cue; Christopher Lee 'In' at Las Chicas Locas

​Scott Conant of Scarpetta has written an open letter to the city of Toronto introducing himself and inviting the city to his restaurant in Miami. [Huffington Post via Eater] Michael Psilakis's is closing down Gus & Gabriel Gastropub on the Upper West Side, but is planning to reopen it in a n ... More >>

Mr. Cutlets Doles Out Wedding Advice; Fairway Café Faces Closure

​Newlywed Josh Ozersky doles out advice on how to cater a wedding. Simple: just call up all your best chef friends. Jim Lahey of Sullivan Street Bakery can make your bread; Michael White of Alto, Marea, and Convivio can make lasagna; and Michael Psilakis of Kefi can whip up moussaka. [Time] S ... More >>

Rachael Ray Pissed at Good Housekeeping; Marcus Samuelsson Takes Top Chef Masters

​ Michael Psilakis is looking for locations for his next venture in four different Manhattan neighborhoods: Midtown East, Upper West Side, the East Village, and the West Village. Plus, his Williamsburg project is still a "work in progress." Busy man. [Grub Street] Rachael Ray called out Good ... More >>

Laurent Tourondel Migrates to Sag Harbor; Michael Psilakis Still Waffling on Williamsburg

​ Christopher Lee of Aureole and the creators of TLC's American Chopper have joined forces to open Orange County Choppers Roadhouse, an 8,500-square-foot "restaurant, bar, microbrewery, gaming, hospitality, retail and entertainment experience" in Newburgh, N.Y. [Zagat Buzz] Laurent Tourondel ... More >>

Donatella Arpaia Confirms Her Cooking Show, Suggests She Might Replace Michael Psilakis with Herself

Donatella cooks... and maybe chefs?​Donatella Arpaia's growing empire includes Mia Dona, Anthos, Kefi, and Eos in Miami. Her recent public split from partner and chef Michael Psilakis in two of those ventures has tongues wagging about her vision for both her restaurants and her career. A blog ... More >>

Posts of the Week

'Tis Friday. Thus, 'tis time to look back on the best posts of the last 120 hours: We ranked Our 10 Best Sausages. Kunafa is like the Middle East's version of a cheese Danish, and can be found in Bay Ridge. Donatella Arpaia confirmed her cooking show and suggested she might replace Michael Psila ... More >>

Michael Psilakis Out at Anthos; Thomas Ferlesch Leaves Fort Greene for the Bright Lights of Manhattan

​ Michael Psilakis, who has been spotted sniffing out a new space in Williamsburg, has announced his departure from Anthos, his restaurant with partner Donatella Arpaia. She has reportedly bought him out. [NY Times] Ferlesch, the chef-owner of Austrian bistro Thomas Beisl in Fort Greene, is l ... More >>

Michael Psilakis' Ketel One Food Cart Starts Serving Free Food Tonight

​Rumors that Michael Psilakis was doing a food cart got everyone all hot and bothered earlier this year. As it turns out, the project is a partnership with Ketel One to promote drinking responsibly. The Ketel One Canteen kicks off tonight at the corner of Gansevoort Street and 9th Avenue, serv ... More >>

What's Happening This Week: Green Cocktails & Greek Lamb

Our weekly dining and drinking newsletter features all the coolest epicurean events in the city. Sign up for it here! Organic, Shaken & Stirred: Step Up to the Green Bar! (free) Counter November 10 You've greened your kitchen; now it's time to green your bar. Join Paul Abercrombie, author of Organi ... More >>

Cracker Jack Still Strong; Like Yukon Golds? Try Keuka Potatoes

​Gourmet staffers have been invited to attend the annual Great Gathering of Chefs at the Mandarin Oriental on Sunday, where each will receive a Golden Fork Award and get to rub elbows with Emeril Lagasse, Daniel Boulud, Eric Ripert, Jean-Georges Vongerichten, and Michael Psilakis. [NY Post] C ... More >>

Under Review: Sietsema at Golden Palace

This week in the Voice, Our Man Sietsema discovers the shocking flavors of the Chinese province of Shandong at Golden Palace. Pete Wells is unimpressed with Gus and Gabriel, crediting Michael Psilakis with having "perfected a new technology that magically strips out all the taste" from his burger. ... More >>

This Just In: Michael Psilakis is Leaving Mia Dona

​Michael Psilakis is out at Mia Dona as both the executive chef and partner. According to the press release:"Given the economy and new projects that have arisen for us both, Donatella and I have decided it would be best for her to take full ownership of Mia Dona," says Michael Psilakis.  ... More >>

Gus & Gabriel Now Serving Lunch

It may not be a street cart anytime soon, but Gus & Gabriel is now serving lunch. Beginning today, Michael Psilakis's gastropub will be open for service from 12 p.m. - 3 p.m., Tuesday through Sunday. The restaurant will also provide delivery sevice within a 10-street radius of its West 79th Stre ... More >>

Under the Toque: Jason Hall in at Gotham; Vongerichten Junior in at Perry Street

​Jason Hall, the executive chef at Michael Psilakis's Mia Dona, has allegedly left the restaurant to take over as chef de cuisine at Alfred Portale's Gotham Bar and Grill. [The Feedbag] It turns out that the Top Chef Masters leak a few months back that gave away the winner was accurate: Rick ... More >>

Esquire Serves a Super-Sized Fast Food Feature

macrofarm/flickr​This month's issue of Esquire devotes considerable coverage to the topic of fast food, with a round-up of the country's best (In-N-Out) and worst (Taco Bell) chains, thoughts about burger joints, and chef confessionals about the last time they ate fast food. Our fair city's culina ... More >>

Chatting With... Michael Psilakis of Anthos, Kefi & Gus and Gabriel

​In a city enamored with Italian -- from upscale enotecas to the ubiquitous slice -- Michael Psilakis has been accredited with introducing New Yorkers to haute Greek cuisine. Anthos was the first Greek restaurant outside of Greece to be awarded a Michelin star. Not bad for a guy who started ou ... More >>

How Do You Spell G-U-T-B-O-M-B? Gus and Gabriel's Meatball Hero

Michael Psilakis' newest venture, a gastropub called Gus and Gabriel, opened last week in the old Kefi space on the UWS. The menu is gutbomb-centric, full of hearty stuff like burgers (including one that's topped with gruyere, a fried egg, bacon and onion rings, and served with fries) meatloaf, fis ... More >>

Open & Closed--Say Hello to Superdive; Goodbye to Pere Pinard

Aureole, along with chef-owner Charlie Palmer and executive chef Christopher Lee, has relocated from its Upper East Side home to Bryant Park. A four-course prix-fixe for $115 is available in the main dining room, and a parallel a la carte menu is on offer in the bar room. [NY Times] Gus and Gabriel ... More >>

The Blogroll Gazette--Eat Me Daily Hypes Obama Food Book; The 'Bag Drools Over Men's Health' Pig Porn

This week in food blogs... Eat Me Daily discovered a new book entitled The Obama Menu: Dining with Barack Obama, which compiles menus, photos, quotes, and recipes for dishes that Obama may have eaten. EMD was hardly thrilled by the spoiler alert, though: "Multiple appearances by food guru Alice Wat ... More >>

Ducasse Gets Waxed

This week in chef news... Daniel Ochoa Pascual of Llanten, a restaurant in Valladolid, Spain, has been invited to cook at Le Cirque on April 7. Wine director Paul Altuna will pair Spanish wines with Pascual's dishes for the occasion. The second annual Top Chef Tour starts Friday at the Flatiron P ... More >>

Open Season

This Week in Restaurant Reviews

This week in the Village Voice, Sarah DiGregorio visits Mumbai Xpress and New Kerala Kitchen, while Robert Sietsema goes to La Superior. Here's what critics elsewhere are reviewing this week:Steve Cuozzo reviews Corton, and deems his recent visits to the restaurant "among the most enjoyable dining e ... More >>

Michael Psilakis is a Romantic

photo by: by Michael Harlan TurkellYes, like it or not, a certain red and pink holiday is on the horizon this weekend. Should you be avoiding the restaurant crowds and trying to cook a special meal at home for your beloved (or just yourself), we've got some advice for doing so from some of the city' ... More >>

New Openings

Mia Dona Now Delivers

Michael Psilakis Owes it all to T.G.I. Friday's

Now Hiring: The Second Avenue Deli, Mia Dona, Gottino

Last Meal: Michael Psilakis' Big Fat Greek Cookout

Anthos Chef Michael Psilakis's last meal

. . . pays homage to his mama and his aunties

Now Hiring: Jeffrey Chodorow, Mr. Softee