Boston Greeks Podcast

We would like to welcome beverage director extraordinaire - Lou Charbonneau to the podcast!

As a teenager, Lou encountered an alien intelligence one night in the woods. He cannot recall their exact conversation, but there was one bit about the possible end of the world and how cocktails could save it. Not having a pen on him at the time, the exact details and wording are now a bit hazy, but he is reasonably confident that it had something to do with getting a job as a bartender to save humanity. After that point, he set out to make his way in hospitality. He dove in headfirst, leaving Worcester to work on Nantucket, where he attended the adult summer camp landing his first bartending gig. He eventually made his home in Boston 12 years ago to continue his cosmic errand and… go to school. He has studied in the fields of metalwork and anthropology over the years. He created and ran bar programs in Bangkok, Boston, and his hometown, pronounced ‘Wistah’ in the local dialect. He has gotten many humans to drink cocktails in the last decade while preparing the new generations of aspiring barkeeps on how to make them and be passionate about the craft.

We talk all things mental health with our esteemed guest Dr. Christoforos Iraklis Giakoumatos in his capacity as private practice practitioner. He is an addiction psychiatrist at Massachusetts General Hospital and an Instructor in Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School. He is also the Medical Director at BrightView Massachusetts. Dr Giakoumatos also sees patients in his private practice either virtually or in person in one of his two offices in Boston MA or Hooksett NH. 

Dr. Giakoumatos completed his addiction psychiatry fellowship in the Mass General Brigham System (Massachusetts General, McLean, and Brigham & Women’s Hospitals) and his adult psychiatric training at the Harvard South Shore Psychiatry Residency Training Program (HSS). Prior to joining HSS, he attended the Medical School at the University of Athens, Greece. After graduating from medical school and before joining HSS, he conducted research at the Massachusetts Mental Health Center/Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in the area of psychosis and brain imaging. Dr. Giakoumatos published peer-reviewed articles, has given oral presentations and presented posters in local, national and international meetings. He has also served as an assistant editor at the Harvard Review of Psychiatry. 

Evan Turner, sommelier and wine director at Krasi Meze and Wine in Boston’s Back Bay, leads the largest all Greek wine list in the country. He is now leading the way in introducing New England to Greek wine.

Evan has recently been published in outlets such as Vinepair, Wine Enthusiast, USA Today 10 Best, Wine & Spirits, and Estiator. And Krasi has recently been listed as: one of the top 50 restaurants in Boston from Boston magazine (#16), one of the best wine bars in the Boston area from Eater Boston, one of 25 of the best restaurants in Boston right now from Time Out Boston, one of the best restaurants in Boston from Thrillist and was Time Out Boston's 2021 Love Local award winner which was the fan favorite pick of the city. 

Evan describes himself as “just a guy who was very lucky to live around the world, thanks to my stepfather who teaches English as a second language. We lived in Greece for about seven years and the nation captivated me immediately. I remember the very first meal I had in Greece down to who sat where. I ‘took to Greece like a duck to water,’ as my mom used to say.”

Turner worked in the restaurant business for several years as a bartender before becoming a sommelier. In 2005, he moved to Houston and worked his way up the Court of Master Sommeliers “until about 2008,” he says, when he decided Greek wine was it. He conceived and opened the popular Helen Greek Food and Wine — a James Beard semi-finalist — in Houston in 2015 before being offered the opportunity to run the wine program at Krasi. “I could not resist, so here I am,” he says. 

Evan is the most Greek non-Greek in the hospitality industry, extolling the virtues of Greek history and wine with the city of Boston and beyond. His Symposium Wednesday wine series at Krasi are always sold out and he is now deemed the Dionysus of Boston’s Back Bay. He says, “Greece created nearly everything we take for granted when it comes to winemaking and wine culture. Shoot, my job exists because of the Greeks. So, to promote and drink their wines is to wrap yourself in history and a part of our culture that is as important as any we hold dear.”

Join us for a wonderful interview with a talented group of friends and business partners that are truly making waves in Boston. Demetri Tsolakis, Stefanos Oungrinis, and Brendan Pelley of Xenia Greek Hospitality sit with us to discuss how they came to be, where they are today, and what the future holds for this team that has created and is continually creating a fantastic Greek scene in Boston, and hopefully beyond!

We hang out with restauranteur extraordinaire Spiro Pappadopoulos. Spiro grew up in Andover working in his family's restaurant while attending Andover High School. After attending Boston College, Spiro moved to New York City and dove into the restaurant business for seven years before moving back to Massachusetts.

For the past ten years he has focused his energies on Essex Street in Andover where his restaurant Andolini's has operated for over twelve years, Sauce Burgers and Wings is approaching its 10th anniversary, and 15sx Cocktail bar has built a craft cocktail culture for the past 6 years. 

Spiro is now excited to bring Greek culinary flavors and tradition to life in Andover with a modern and creative flair that honors both Greek tradition and local New England seafood and produce with Daxi.

Join us in learning about the incredible journey of Theia Brands founders Peter & Despina Sarianides. Their goal is to set the bar for a healthier, cleaner lifestyle. Their products are made with fresh, natural ingredients and they believe that their customers deserve a product that they can enjoy and feel good about serving to their families.

http://theiayummyfoods.com/

We talk all things health and fitness with WBFF Pro competitor Stephania Tsimikas. We learn about her past, her life, her motivations, and how she became a pro athlete in the highly competitive world of strength training. Join us in getting to know Stephania!

We had the pleasure of catching up with the amazing Demetri Tsolakis. For those that don't know, his footprint in Boston began with Committee Ouzeri + Bar and has extended to fast-casual Greco, and, most recently, Krasi Meze & Wine. Except for the fact that each concept is rooted in Greek culture, they are all very distinct from one another, with almost zero menu overlap. If that link to Greek culture forms the fabric of the restaurants, it’s Tsolakis’s deft touch as a restaurateur along with his creativity and his passion for all things Greek that are the threads tying them all together.

Grab a glass of your favorite Greek wine and join us!

We loved chatting with the one and only Eleni Vidalis! Eleni is a Greek-American television host, producer, director, activist, and comedian. She is best known for hosting The Greek Program for 25 years, heading the Federation of Hellenic American Societies of New England, and hosting Boston's Greek Independence Day Parade. We discuss her journey and where she is today, so please join us in spending time with Eleni Vidalis!

We got to catch up with an old friend and a pioneer of the Greek music scene that arose from Boston in the late 90s/early 00s - DJ THRILLA! Thrilla has had an interesting and diverse journey in music and we got to hear all about it on this episode of the Boston Greeks podcast. Join us!

We had the privilege of chatting with long time news anchor, broadcaster, journalist, and media consultant Mike Nikitas. His history leading up to today has been truly fascinating, and the integrity, self-awareness, and knowledge he brings to the table is greatly appreciated! Join us as we get to know a little more about Mike Nikitas!

We had a great talk with Maria Lappas & Fay Katsanou, the founders and administrators of the wonderful Olive Tree Greek Education & Cultural Center. We learned more about the amazing program they are running for youth to learn about their culture, history, and language. Join us as we chat with Maria & Fay!

We hung out with the one and only Alex "NRG" Nirgianakis to discuss his journey from hip hop fanboy to current "FIRST CLASS" Greek rap superstar! Join us on this journey with Alex!

We hung out with one of the original kings of Boston nightlife - the one and only Frankie Stavrianopoulos! We discuss how he started out, the journey he took along the way, and what he's up to today. Join us as we chat with Frankie!

We sat down with the one and only DJ Dimitri Soteropoulos. As one of the most in-demand wedding DJs around, we discussed the ins and outs of what goes into creating a successful wedding event, with tips and recommendations on how to make sure you are asking the right questions and hiring the right people. Although he is a DJ, he has wonderful insight into the entire process and offers great advice. Join us!

Join us as we chat with Elaine Setas, founder of Taste and Art of Greece. Elaine runs the USA side of Taste and Art of Greece, also known as TAG. She started this business with her dear friend Stratis Vougioukas who was born and raised and still lives on the island of Lesvos where they met many years ago.  With the support of their families they have built this business on love, friendship, and a desire to share all the wonderful things about Greece and Greek culture with the world!  

We had the pleasure of chatting with a truly inspiring figure - the Alpha Omega Council President Costa Sideridis. Costa shared with us some great insight into the Alpha Omega Council and why it is such an important tool for our Hellenic community. We are absolute fans of Alpha Omega and this interview will inspire you to learn more about it! Yasou Costa! 

We had a wonderful talk with Ismini Soteropoulos, MS, RDN, who is a dietician and nutritionist, about good habits to develop for health and wellness. We chat about proper diet, fasting, and of course wine, which is a topic close to our hearts! Join us in learning some great diet and health tips by the wonderful Ismini! 

We sit down for round 2 (or as we like to call it, "Greek DJs Unite 2 Electric Boogaloo!") of our Boston Greek DJ series and get a little more in depth with the history and stories that make up our panel of DJs - Peter Souhleris, Chris Paragios, John Speridakos, Arthur Markos, Dimitri Soteropoulos, and George Kotzamanis. It was an absolute pleasure to catch up with these guys and we think you will enjoy it as much as we did! Sit back, get your favorite mix queued up, and join us on episode 2 of our Greek DJ series on the Boston Greeks Podcast!  

Manny is the son of the founder of Costas Provisions, the largest privately-owned food distribution company in the northeast. Growing up in Westwood, MA, he spent summers and weekends learning every aspect of the business. As a member of the purchasing department, he specialized in following the oil markets and predicting market trends.

This interest in global markets and commodities trading led Manny to pursue a B.A. in Finance at Bryant University. After graduating, he began his career in wealth management at Morgan Stanley as an Assistant Financial Advisor, where he applied his financial expertise to working with family-owned businesses and high net worth individuals. In 2014, he co-founded Twelve Points, a Registered Investment Advisor (RIA) firm that assumes fiduciary responsibility. In February 2015, Manny became an Accredited Investment Fiduciary® designee, considered the gold standard for fiduciary care in the financial services industry. This enables him to put his clients’ needs first and create financial plans based on their own unique needs and values.

Independent-minded yet conservative, Manny believes you find the best value where others aren’t necessarily looking, and applies this to his work. He provides wealth advice to small business owners as the financial reporter for the Grecian Echoes radio program and has written for Restaurant Report, Restaurant Hospitality and Foodservice East.

In his spare time, he enjoys golfing, cooking, and spending time with friends and his big, loud Greek family. Manny is on the planning committee for the Community Servings annual Lifesavor Gala and is an avid supporter of the Best Buddies program, his alma mater and the football program at Bryant University. He currently resides in Boston.

Tony Kariotis is a true renaissance man and he loves his work, which mostly revolves around his love of Greece and his pride in his Greek heritage. He is well known as the director of the Teddy K Classic, the largest Greek-American basketball tournament ever. Founded along with his family and named in honor of his late father, Teddy Kariotis, the tournament each year awards a scholarship from its proceeds to a deserving student. Tony is also the founder of Greece Media, a platform promoting Greece through various media, including film and photography produced by Kariotis himself. 

We had the absolute pleasure of speaking with the Consul General of Greece in Boston - Stratos Efthymiou. Stratos' prior roles as the spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Athens and as diplomat at the Greek Embassies in Ankara and Moscow have solidified his comprehensive perspective on international affairs and Greece’s role within it. He is an impressive individual, but still very down to earth and takes the Greek community of Boston very seriously. Please join us as we get to know a little more about Stratos Efthymiou!

We had a great chat with the one and only Eric Papachristos of Trade, Porto, & Saloniki fame, among many other accomplishments. If you don't know, Eric is a self-made restaurateur whose interest in the hospitality industry formed at an early age. Although born in Boston, he spent the first nine years of his life in Thessaloniki, Greece—a formative experience that fostered his affinity for Mediterranean cuisine and his desire to bring people together over a good meal. Kick back and listen in as we chat with Eric Papachristos!

We have been part of the Boston Greek cultural scene for a loooong time. We've introduced most most Greeks in Boston and New England to the internet and social networking. Now we're back to make the Greek scene in Boston cool again! Check out our welcome episode to learn more about what we have in store for all you Greeks in the Boston and New England area!