The American College of Greece is honored to receive the support of awarded celebrity chefs who will offer guests savory bites of excellence in a special reception following the awards presentation.

Mediterranean delicacies, traditional recipes with a gourmet touch, and domestic cheeses will be paired with wines and beers by acclaimed winemakers and a Greek brewery. Join us at the Irene Bailey Theater Plaza for a taste of excellence!

 

Event Curator

 

Christos Sokolis

Christos Sokolis was born in Piraeus in 1972. After studying Business Administration and Marketing at the Athens University of Economics and Business, his great passion for gastronomy led him to travel extensively to France, participate in numerous wine tasting seminars, as well as acquire the Advanced Certificate from Wines & Spirits Educational Trust.

He became the owner of the pastry shop Fresh in 2000 and a basic shareholder of the famous chain “Fresh Pastry Shops” in 2003. In 2006, he established Epigefsis SA, focusing on importing and distributing high quality gastronomic and artisanal culinary products in the Greek market. In 2008, Christos Sokolis created Food Concepts, the first marketing office in Greece, exclusively focused on gastronomy.

He never misses the opportunity to participate in panels of culinary seminars and conferences dedicated to gastronomy and tourism in Greece and abroad. He organized the 1st Festival of Greek Gastronomy in Paris and is a fundamental consultant at the French Embassy’s special events.

His vision is the recognition and establishment of Greek gastronomy in the international culinary scene, and never stops feeding the media, magazines and television shows with Greek gastronomy topics and trends.

Chefs

 

Brian and Shanna Horner O’Hea

Brian and Shanna Horner O’Hea are the chef-owners of The Kennebunk Inn and its restaurant, Academe Maine Brasserie and Tavern. The husband and wife team purchased the property in 2003 and have taken their own contemporary culinary creativity and transformed the dining room of the 18th century Inn into a brasserie.

The O’Heas are graduates of the Culinary Institute of America. They have both worked as private chefs; Shanna studied under Michel Boulard, developing classical pastry skills that have led to the unique dessert offerings at Academe that keep guests coming back for more. Additionally, she held a marketing position at Starbucks in Seattle, worked as a line cook at a wharf restaurant in Maine, and completed an internship at ARAMARK. Brian previously worked at 5757 Restaurant at the Four Seasons Hotel in New York, as an Executive Chef for ARAMARK, and at a Greenwich Country Club.

Shanna and Brian love to travel and have participated in culinary events around the world, including the Epcot International Food and Wine Festival, the Sugar Land Wine & Food Affair, Boca Bacchanal and the Kennebunkport Festival. Academe’s signature Lobster Pot Pie has been featured in O The Oprah Magazine as one of Gayle King’s favorites, while the Lobster White Truffle Pizza has appeared on the “O List” in O The Oprah Magazine.

 

Jean Louis Kapsalas

Jean Louis Kapsalas was born in 1966 in St Etienne, France. He studied the art of chef at the renowned school Rabelais Olympique Lyonnais and had his first culinary experiences at Michelin 3-star restaurants such as Paul Bocuse, Pierre Orsi and Gervais. He moved to Athens in the late 1980s to continue his gastronomical career as Executive Chef and owner of several gourmet restaurants. He combines classic with contemporary recipes, drawing inspiration both from French cuisine and the Mediterranean tradition. At the moment, he creates elaborate dishes or simply irresistible Greek bites at “Deipnosofistirion Catering” and at the restaurants of the Benaki Museum and the Goulandris Museum.

 

Alexandros Papandreou

Alexandros Papandreou studied at Ecole Ferrandi in Paris. After earning his Master’s degree from Johnson’s Wales University in the US, he enriched his culinary experience by working at various reputable restaurants in Paris, London and New York (Plaza Athenee Paris, Grand Vefour Paris, The Connaught Hotel London, Cirque 2000 New York, etc.). His passion to continuously evolve and come up with new gastronomic “miracles” has distinguished him as an exceptional chef. He has presented various TV cooking shows in Greece and Cyprus. He is the author of 13 recipe books, and serves as culinary consultant for international companies, creating tailor-made recipes for brands such as Barilla, Arla, Nestle and Mondelez (Kraft). In 2004, he created the company Sidayes by Alexandros Papandreou, offering culinary seminars and services such as food styling, food photography, and development of new recipes and products. In 2012 he created the menu for GRK Fresh in New York; since then, GRK has opened more restaurants in Manhattan and Washington.

 

Dina Nikolaou

Dina Nikolaou was born in Greece. After studying Economics and Marketing in Paris, her passion for gastronomy led her to follow her dream; she studied professional culinary arts at the Culinary Schools of Paris “Le Cordon Bleu”, “Ritz Escoffier”, “Alain Ducasse formation”, and “Lenôtre”.

She has been presenting her recipes on TV since 2006, sharing with viewers her daily care for the family as well as her knowledge of the raw materials of Greek land and the most amazing kitchen secrets. She has also been collaborating with the magazine Gastronomer, and teaches professional culinary at the school “Chef d’Oeuvre”.  In 2010, she was the host of “Ma cuisine grecque”, a French TV show promoting the flavors and the nutritional value of Greek cuisine.

In Paris, she defends Greek cuisine with passion and creativity at the restaurant Evi Evane, and presents Greek cuisine at Gastronomy Festivals around the world. She is the author of seven popular cookbooks and passes on her culinary knowledge to the younger generation by teaching at professional culinary schools in Greece and France (Chef d’Oeuvre, Le Monde, Le Cordon Bleu).

 

Pâtissier

 

Dionysis Alertas

Dionysis Alertas is the chef pâtissier of Dipnosofistirion Catering (www.dipnosofistirion.gr). At the age of 34, he has already managed to distinguish himself as an exceptional pâtissier. He has worked at the emblematic Michelin-starred restaurant Spondi, and he cooperates with top café-restaurants of Athens. He is in continuous search of new techniques and trends, frequently attending seminars and workshops in France. Dionysis Alertas gets inspired by unique ingredients to create bold combinations of taste and texture, always through the prism of simplicity. He cooperates with Dipnosofistirion Catering as well as Benaki Museum and Goulandri museum, and he owns Ivoire Patisserie in Chalandri.

 

Wineries

The Boutari Company was established in 1879 in Naoussa. Today, with over 130 years of experience in the wine business, it is one of the top wineries in Greece and an ambassador of Greek wine all over the world. Boutari wines are exported to over 45 countries and have won over 370 medals in international wine competitions. Boutari wine-makers give great emphasis to making quality wines with a distinct character that represents fully the potential of the variety they come from.

Boutari owns six wineries in Greece that are situated in some of the most important wine-making regions of Greece: Naoussa, Santorini, Peloponissos, Crete, Goumenissa, and Attica and one winery in Southern France, near the city of Limoux and within the greater wine region of Languedoc.

 

The Matsa Estate, located in Kantza of Attica, is a historical vineyard of 12.2 hectares, cultivated since the end of the 19th century. With the Boutari corporation’s collaboration, Roxane Matsa, an authentic viniculturist has undertaken the continuance of this tradition. This historical vineyard of Attica produces two white wines, the domaine Roxane Matsa and the Malagouzia Matsa.

 

Spiro-Nicholas Kosmetatos planted his first vineyard of local and classic white grape varieties on Kefalonia. Having studied the latest techniques to identify the processes best suited to the climate, soil and varieties of the area, the first commercial vintage of Gentilini was released in 1984 in Athens and London. The winery and vineyards have now passed to the next generation. Nicholas’ daughter Marianna and her husband Petros Markantonatos took over the estate in 2002 with an eye on the future and respect to the experience of the past. Their aim is to produce top quality wines while promoting the unique flavors and aromas of the local Kefalonian varieties. Today, they have 10 hectares under vine which are certified organic and they make a core range of six wines.

 

With over 60 hectares of vineyards at its disposal in Metsovo, Macedonia, the Peloponnese and Attica along with wineries in Metsovo, Anavyssos and Nemea, Katogi & Strofilia SA is one of the most dynamic wine production companies in Greece. The company has embraced two core principles: firstly, its wine-producing activities should be as environmentally-friendly as possible; secondly, it must do all it can to fully utilize its human and natural resources.

Katogi & Strofilia SA has also made a conscious choice to develop long-term partnerships with local vine-growers based on mutual trust, and to participate in the local community in every way it can. Furthermore, the company has prioritized the development of wine tourism, setting up its own model wine-tourism center in Greece.

On the western side of Chalkidiki’s Sithonia Peninsula, where the verdant slopes of Mt. Meliton stretch down to mingle with the crystal clear waters of Toroneo Bay, lie amphitheatrically 4,500 hectares of the largest organic Greek vineyards. In the beginning of 1965, the first vineyards and olive groves were planted. At the same time, work on the innovative resort associated with Domaine Porto Carras began.

IIn 2000, Porto Carras Grand Resort was acquired by the Technical Olympic Group of Companies. The Chairman, Konstantinos Stengos, made it the purpose of his life to bring Porto Carras to the foremost rank of the international tourism market, while his daughter, Yianna Stengou, devoted herself to the Domaine and the development of indigenous Greek varieties.

Today the “Slopes of Mt. Meliton” vineyards are a model of organic viniculture, in line with modern international trends, respecting the consumer and the environment.

 

The Triantafyllopoulos family is committed to putting Kos on the wine map again. Twenty hectares have been meticulously planned with indigenous Greek and cosmopolitan grape varieties on the island’s most suitable soil. Both white and red varieties have adapted perfectly to the island’s microclimate and Oinampelos wines show tremendous potential. The new ultra-modern winery at Miniera Asfendiou completes the picture and underlines the dedication and vision of the Triantafyllopoulos family to produce wines of unique character for today’s wine – pleasing both enthusiasts and sophisticated consumers.

 

Brewery

Athenian Brewery SA is the largest brewer and distributor of beer in Greece, and a member of HEINEKEN. Founded in 1963 by a team of Greek entrepreneurs, it celebrated its 50-year anniversary in Greece in 2013.

Athenian Brewery brews and bottles some of the most popular brands of the Greek beer market, namely Amstel, Amstel Pils, Amstel Radler, Amstel Bock, Amstel Free, Heineken, ALFA, Fischer, BIOS 5, Buckler, as well as IOLI natural mineral water. In addition, it imports famous brands such as SOL, Mc Farland, Erdinger, Affligem, Murphy’s, Duvel, Chimay, Moretti, Krusovice, etc.The company owns three units in Athens, Thessaloniki and Patras, along with two malteries in Thessaloniki and Patras and a bottling unit in Lamia. The company has 1,000 employees and has more than 40 years of presence in exports. Athenian Brewery is committed to responsible growth, fully understanding that the financial, social, and environmental impact of its business activity is of utmost importance.