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Chicago Tribune
a day ago
- General
- Chicago Tribune
Chicago fire: Flaming saganaki sparks interest worldwide decades after its Greektown origin
Last winter, at Chicago's Greek Islands (200 S. Halsted St.), our Greektown dinner started with a bang — more accurately, a whoosh. A server carried a small black pan of blazing cheese to the table as startled diners burst into applause for what is the Windy City's notoriously combustible appetizer: flaming saganaki. In Chicago, the dish is a ritual. It's dramatic, it's delicious, and — let's be honest — it's also a little absurd in the best possible way. The word saganaki comes from sagani, a small, two-handled Greek pan. In Greece, the dish is straightforward: firm, dry cheeses such as kasseri, feta or halloumi are pan-fried until golden. No fire. No flair. Just cheese doing what cheese does best, served with crusty bread. In Chicago, we lightly coat the square or triangular cut of cheese in flour and fry it in a little olive oil until crisp and golden. Then we flip it once, warm it through, splash it with brandy (usually ouzo or Metaxa), light it up, and before setting it on the table, flamboyantly extinguish the flames with a lemon squeeze and a hearty shout of 'Opa!' That word — part cheer, part celebration, part call to 'let's dance!' — adds the perfect exclamation point. So, where did this fiery tradition begin? Depends on whom you ask. Chris Liakouras of the now-shuttered Parthenon restaurant claimed in a 1979 Tribune interview that he invented flaming saganaki in 1968. He described sitting at a table with three friends when the idea for a new menu item was born. 'Why don't you try flaming the cheese?' one of the ladies suggested. And just like that, an appetizer exploded into legend. But Petros Kogeones of Diana's, another Greektown fixture, had a different story. In 1991, he told the Tribune that he and his brother were flambéing cheese as far back as the early 1960s. According to Kogeones, they'd set up tables outside their family grocery, splash brandy on sizzling cheese, light it all on fire, and shout 'Opa!' Eventually, perhaps to stake his claim, Kogeones even renamed the restaurant Diana's Opa. Regardless of who struck the first match to brandy-doused cheese, one thing is clear: Flaming saganaki was a hit. And honestly, when we're traveling and we order saganaki, we're always a little disappointed when it doesn't arrive in a ball of fire. There is, however, increasingly little chance of being served saganaki sans flames, at least in the U.S.: Restaurants from Brooklyn to Malibu are figuring out that brandy and a match might be the not-so-secret ingredients to serving a lot of the crowd-pleasing saganaki. 'The flames were a smart marketing idea,' says Louie Alexakis, owner of the Avli restaurants in Chicago. 'In the 1950s and '60s, a lot of Greek restaurant workers in Chicago had fine dining backgrounds. They saw the wow factor of tableside flambé — things like crepes Suzette or bananas Foster. Flaming cheese was the next step.' Alexakis still flames saganaki at Avli, but also offers a more modern take: saganaki served with spiced fig chutney — still delicious, and less likely to set off the sprinklers. Not everyone is on board with this fiery New World opener to a traditional Greek dinner in Chicagoland. Ted Maglaris, founder of Mana in LaGrange (88 LaGrange Road), said, 'We chose not to flame our pan-fried saganaki but rather to honor the traditional Greek preparation, inspired by recipes from mothers in Greece, which is the inspiration for our restaurant's name, Mana. Flaming saganaki is a relatively recent tradition that began in Chicago, not in Greece. Our goal is to provide an authentic Greek experience, staying true to how saganaki is traditionally enjoyed in Greece.' Flashback: Memories of when Greektown was 'a mile long and 24 hours'With the current eagerness to sample 'authentic' preparations of Greek, Italian, Mexican and other traditional national foods, it's understandable that some restaurants might prefer to serve saganaki the way their mothers and grandmothers did, no matches or accelerants required. Other restaurants may be toning down the theatrics for safety reasons — turns out, flaming cheese and crowded dining rooms make for a risky combination. Somewhat surprisingly, flaming saganaki is now also catching on in Greece, especially in tourist-heavy restaurants, such as the Athens Yacht Club. Though such fiery presentations of cheese are not common in Greece, some travelers have come to expect saganaki to be flaming. And who can blame them? There's something undeniably fun about turning a simple cheese dish into a full-blown pyrotechnic display. Flaming saganaki isn't just food — it's dinner, entertainment, and a tiny adrenaline rush all in one.
Khaleej Times
30-04-2025
- Business
- Khaleej Times
South African restaurateur Natasha Sideris brings South African hospitality to Dubai
In a world of flashy fine dining concepts and revolving food fads, Natasha Sideris has remained steadfast in her mission: create beautiful spaces, serve incredible food, and deliver genuine hospitality. The founder of Tashas Group — a growing constellation of hospitality brands spanning from South Africa to the Middle East — has spent the last two decades perfecting the art of elevated, accessible dining. And she's done it with style, soul, and a whole lot of feta. Born in South Africa to Greek parents, Sideris's culinary journey was practically preordained. 'My dad was a chef, my mom and grandmother were incredible cooks, and my great-grandfather had a bakery,' she reflects. Despite initially studying psychology and vowing to never enter the family business, fate (and a part-time job at her father's restaurant, The Fishmonger) had other plans. In 2005, Sideris opened the first tashas in Johannesburg. The concept was simple but revolutionary for its time: all-day dining with global flair, served in thoughtfully curated interiors that felt more like living rooms than restaurants. The brand now has 15 cafés in South Africa, six in the UAE, and a location in London. Beyond that, Sideris has introduced several upscale dining concepts, including Flamingo Room, Avli and Galaxy Bar, which earned a spot on the prestigious World's 50 Best Bars list. Fast forward to 2014, and the brand made its Middle East debut in Dubai's Galleria Mall on Al Wasl Road. Eleven years later, that very same restaurant remains one of Sideris's most beloved and busiest locations. 'I'm still seeing tremendous growth out of that restaurant,' she says. 'But our busiest tashas is in Abu Dhabi, where we serve nearly 1,000 guests a day.' Bahrain bound So, what defines a perfect dish in the tashas universe? 'Simplicity,' Sideris says without hesitation. 'I don't want a dish to be over complicated. There's a trend now — people playing with their food in the name of fusion or Instagram. But food isn't a toy.' Her philosophy champions freshness and restraint. 'It's about a few good ingredients coming together to create something incredible. And I love the classics. I'm an old-fashioned girl at heart. Sure, we have some modern, innovative dishes, but I'll always be drawn to the timeless ones.' And now, she's setting her sights on Bahrain with the launch of Avli by tashas, a modern Greek concept born in Dubai and carefully reimagined for a new audience. But how do you replicate the magic of a beloved venue like Avli — where every plate, every olive, and every brushstroke on the walls feels curated — with the same finesse in another country? The answer lies in something few hospitality groups invest in: an in-house academy dedicated to perfection. 'This wasn't a mistake,' Sideris says, smiling. 'I think we're one of the only groups in Dubai that actually owns and operates a training space like this.' She's referring to the state-of-the-art Tashas Academy — her Dh6 million investment in the future of luxury hospitality. Before its creation, staff and chefs would shuttle between borrowed kitchens, often working without essential facilities. 'Now, everything is in one place. It's focused. It's high-spec.' Each new dish for Avli Bahrain goes through rigorous rounds of development, testing, and refinement. The goal? Preserve the essence of Avli's modern Greek fare while honoring the tastes and ingredients of Bahrain. From new business lunch options tailored to Bahraini professionals, to signature dishes that have been subtly tweaked to suit the local palate, each plate tells a story of cultural respect wrapped in culinary elegance. 'We train our front-of-house teams to embody warmth and sophistication,' she says. 'There's a finesse to service, and our Academy teaches that down to the last detail. Our teams are trained not just to serve, but to connect. That's how we make luxury feel personal.' The golden thread At the heart of tashas success lies what Jill Okkers, Culinary Director at Tashas, calls 'the golden thread'— a harmony that ties everything together, from the food to the interiors to the music. And Sideris's palate plays a crucial role in mastering that golden touch. 'She's known for her ability to fine-tune dishes with subtle, masterful tweaks — like adding raw mushrooms to a steak dish to bring a note of freshness or infusing olive oil with feta for a dressing that turns a salad into an experience,' says Jill. The quality of ingredients is non-negotiable. 'We use the best tomatoes you can find, the most expensive feta cheese in the UAE,' Sideris says proudly. Her old MacBook still houses a spreadsheet titled 'Quality and Care of Ingredients' with meticulous notes on how to boil an egg to perfection or slice an avocado just right. 'If you're buying a luxury car or a watch, you want to know it's been made with care. Food is no different.' Tashas isn't a copy-paste brand. Each location is uniquely modified to suit its market while preserving 80 per cent of the core menu. 'You can't over-innovate,' Sideris warns. 'But not every market is the same either.' When bringing tashas from South Africa to Dubai, many suggested localising the menu with more Middle Eastern dishes. Sideris resisted. 'I'm not going to teach people in the Middle East about their own cuisine,' she said. 'That would be arrogant.' Instead, she tailors the experience with subtle regional nods. For instance, the tashas in Bahrain, located right on the water, features a dramatic seafood display and an expanded selection of seafood dishes — modifications that make sense without diluting the brand's identity. Each restaurant has a main menu and its own signature menu — offering a touch of individuality without straying from the group's essence. 'At tashas, we do customised orders all the time. If a guest wants two boiled eggs, half a slice of tomato, and a chicken breast? No problem.' Krystian Hordejuk, the group's beverage director, brings Greek sensibilities to the beverage menu — infusing mountain teas, honey, and spices like cinnamon into creative fusions and tinctures. 'We try to translate Greek tradition into liquid form,' he says. Moments that matter Ask Sideris about her proudest moments, and she doesn't skip a beat. 'Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum visiting our Galleria branch on opening day,' she beams. 'Getting that kind of support from the royal family was a huge moment.' Another highlight? Watching her team grow. 'We've had staff who started by washing dishes and are now managers. Others have moved from the restaurants into head office roles. Those are the stories that stay with you.' Even the early challenges — like the slow first four days after opening in Dubai — turned into defining moments. 'Day five, everything changed. The place was packed. Word of mouth, amazing local support, and our wonderful partner Mubarak bin Fahad helped turn it around. And we've never looked back.' And her contributions have garnered significant recognition. In 2020, she was named Restaurateur of the Year at the Caterer Middle East Awards, a testament to her passion and the success of her concepts. Furthermore, she was featured in F orbes Middle East 's list of '20 Leaders Behind Luxury Dining in the Middle East', highlighting her influence and achievements in the industry. 'Restaurants aren't just about food or interiors or marketing. They're about creating moments,' she says. 'We serve two things: food and hospitality. Everything else is just an extension of that.' And in Sideris's world, those two things are elevated to an art form — served with love, plated with precision, and always accompanied by a golden thread of care.
Times
24-04-2025
- Times
Acanthus Blue hotel review: an impeccably renovated 18th-century Corfu home packed with character
Acanthus Blue (named after Greece's symbolic national flower) occupies an old manor house that has been renovated with uncompromising heart and soul — not to mention a whole heap of cash — to create a boutique hotel with bundles of class and style. When you book a stay here, you're paying for character and attention to detail rather than high-end facilities. The eight guest rooms are utterly exquisite, the courtyard is a genuine haven in the heat of the day, and — from breakfast at the start of the day to the evening turndown — the staff do everything with a devotion to perfection. You'll find nothing else like it. This article contains affiliate links, which may earn us revenue Score 10/10When the owner bought this neo-classical manor house, which dated to the late 1700s and had been lying empty and decaying for years, he took on a staggering labour of love. There was red tape to navigate (it was a protected monument) and a lot of money to spend in returning the building to its former glory — indeed, the fees for archaeological work alone cost more than £200,000. But, boy, was it worth the effort. The renovation preserved original beams and brickwork, and central features like the stone staircase, its wooden handrail so polished you feel guilty touching it. Rooms are high-ceilinged and handsome, with wood floors and an effortless style that you know can only be achieved with huge effort. The attention to detail is a wonder to behold. Light shades are fashioned from artisan-blown Murano glass, the furniture bespoke, the drawers felt-lined and the air-conditioning expensively silent. The white bathrooms are spacious and have showers. Each room is different, but none has as much as a hairline crack in its plaster. For all their elegance, though, they retain an intimate, homely feel. Some have partial views to the sea, while others look over the garden or an alleyway. Score 7/10 The staff take particular pride in breakfast, which features homemade jams and marmalade, marble cake, speciality pies stuffed with spinach, courgette and feta, Greek yoghurts, and omelettes and eggs benedict prepared from local eggs delivered fresh the night before. You can eat in the lobby bar and kitchen area, with its stripped brick walls and stone-tiled floors, or in the courtyard garden. There's currently no restaurant, but the owner plans to change that next season with a menu focusing on sushi and fish. You can assume it'll be top quality. For the moment, there are various nearby restaurants to choose from, including Avli just 50 metres away, which serves good Mediterranean cuisine. • Read our full guide to Corfu• Best family hotels in Corfu Score n/aThe courtyard garden is the hotel's centrepiece, with gently spouting fountains, leafy ferns in raised beds, and fans keeping the air moving beneath a simple, shady pergola and there's live jazz held here every Wednesday evening. Given the nature of the property, this isn't somewhere blessed with facilities such as a spa, gym or sauna. Instead, the extra value lies in the personalised service, with staff bending over backwards to offer advice on things to do in the area and to make bookings on behalf of guests. Score 8/10The property is nicely located, set a little back from the seafront promenade a ten-minute walk into the heart of Corfu's Old Town. Price B&B doubles from £204Restaurant n/aFamily-friendly YAccessible N Adrian Phillips was a guest of Acanthus Blue ( • Best all-inclusive hotels in Corfu• More great hotels in Corfu
