Top-Rated Speakers Bureau and Entertainment Booking Agency for Corporate Meetings and Business Events. Book an AAE Speaker Today.
Top-Rated Speakers Bureau and Entertainment Booking Agency for Corporate Meetings and Business Events. Book an AAE Speaker Today.
Click to Open Search Bar

Michael Psilakis

Greek-American Chef, Owner of Kefi, Fishtag and MP Taverna. Co-Star of BBC America's "No Kitchen Required"

REQUEST BOOKING INFORMATION

Michael Psilakis Biography

Michael Psilakis has acquired many of the food world’s highest honors in the short time he has been on the culinary scene. In 2008 alone, Psilakis was awarded Food & Wine’s Best New Chef and Bon Appetit’s Chef of the Year distinctions; nominated for A-List Chef by Bravo TV; and had his upscale Greek restaurant, Anthos, nominated for a James Beard Award in the category of Best New Restaurant. He was also named “Chef of the Year” by Esquire Magazine and his restaurant Anthos was awarded a Michelin star and named the third of ten best new restaurants by The New York Times restaurant reviewer, Frank Bruni. A tremendous cook, the chef’s mother taught him everything about the flavors and techniques of classic Greek cooking and remains his greatest influence in the kitchen. “Even today, the flavors of my dishes are my mother’s flavors,” says Psilakis. “And my instincts for taking Greek cuisine in new directions—these I’ve inherited from her.” In college he earned a BBA in accounting and finance as per his father’s wishes, but after found work as a waiter at T.G.I. Fridays, where the possibilities of a career in restaurant management first became apparent. Later he worked his way up the ranks at Café Angelica, a trattoria on Long Island, and eventually bought out the owners. Psilakis renamed it Ecco and established himself as a bona fide restaurateur.

Psilakis ran the front-of-house at Ecco for two years until one day when his chef and cook simply didn’t show. With reservations pending that evening, Psilakis stepped into the kitchen. This moment of crisis allowed his innate and indisputable talent as a chef to finally be revealed. One year later, with Psilakis in the kitchen, Ecco received a two-star rating from The New York Times.

The opening of his next venture Onera on Manhattan’s Upper West Side allowed Psilakis to realize a longtime dream and return to the cuisine that first ignited his passion for cooking. The unique upscale Greek-inspired cuisine he served at Onera earned him a reputation as a rising culinary star.

In 2006 he joined restaurateur Donatella Arpaia to open Dona restaurant, where he served First Generation cuisine—food that blended their modern American experiences with the cuisines of their parents’ Mediterranean homelands of Italy and Greece. The restaurant received two stars from The New York Times and was named one of Esquire’s Best New Restaurants in 2006.

Already in the works were plans for the two to bring new additions to the New York dining scene. Psilakis transformed Onera into Kefi, a rustic cozy neighborhood spot serving the Greek food he ate as a child. He moved his upscale Greek cooking from Onera to the Anthos in midtown. Meaning rebirth or blossoming, Anthos featured Psilakis’ signature Greek cuisine and has also earned numerous accolades. The restaurant was awarded a coveted Michelin Star, being one of only three Greek restaurants in the world to hold that honor, and was nominated for a James Beard Award in 2008.

In July 2009, Psilakis opened Gus & Gabriel, a gastropub honoring the two most influential men in his life, his late father Gus and four-year-old son Gabriel. This restaurant opened in the space on 79th Street that has served as an incubator for concepts Onera and Kefi. In the same space, Psilakis opened FISHTAG, a wine bar meets seafood restaurant.

Little, Brown published Psilakis’ first cookbook, How to Roast a Lamb, in October 2009. It has since gone on to win countless awards such as the Gourmand World Cookbook Award for Best Foreign Cuisine. Psilakis opened the first of three MP Taverna restaurants, his modern interpretation of a traditional Greek tavern, in May 2011 in Roslyn, NY followed by a second location in Irvington, NY a year late. In April 2013 he opened the third restaurant in the historic Hellenic epicenter of Astoria, Queens.

Psilakis was the Co-Executive Producer and Co-Star of BBC AMERICA’s original adventure cooking competition series, No Kitchen required, which premiered in April 2012. The show followed three chefs as they were dropped into the most exotic and remote places on Earth. Psilakis has appeared on “TODAY” show, “Good Morning America,” “Live with Kelly,” as well as in numerous publications including The New York Times, Men’s Health, and Food & Wine magazine.

Videos
Books
How to Roast a Lamb: New Greek Classic Cooking

How to Roast a Lamb: New Greek Classic Cooking

News
FAQs
  • How do I book Michael Psilakis to speak at my event?

    Our experienced booking agents have successfully helped clients around the world secure speakers like Michael Psilakis for speaking engagements, personal appearances, product endorsements, or corporate entertainment since 2002. Click the Check Availability button above and complete the form on this page to check availability for Michael Psilakis, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536 to discuss your upcoming event. One of our experienced agents will be happy to help you get speaking fee information and check availability for Michael Psilakis or any other speaker of your choice.
  • What are the speaker fees for Michael Psilakis

    Speaking fees for Michael Psilakis, or any other speakers and celebrities, are determined based on a number of factors and may change without notice. The estimated fees to book Michael Psilakis are $20,000 - $30,000 for live events and available upon request for virtual events. For the most current speaking fee to hire Michael Psilakis, click the Check Availability button above and complete the form on this page, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536 to speak directly with an experienced booking agent.
  • What topics does Michael Psilakis speak about?

    Michael Psilakis is a keynote speaker and industry expert whose speaking topics include Authors, Celebrity Chefs, Food, Lifestyle.
  • Where does Michael Psilakis travel from?

    Michael Psilakis generally travels from New York, NY, USA, but can be booked for private corporate events, personal appearances, keynote speeches, or other performances. For more details, please contact an AAE Booking agent.
  • Who is Michael Psilakis’s agent?

    AAE Speakers Bureau has successfully booked keynote speakers like Michael Psilakis for clients worldwide since 2002. As a full-service speaker booking agency, we have access to virtually any speaker or celebrity in the world. Our agents are happy and able to submit an offer to the speaker or celebrity of your choice, letting you benefit from our reputation and long-standing relationships in the industry. Please click the Check Availability button above and complete the form on this page including the details of your event, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536, and one of our agents will assist you to book Michael Psilakis for your next private or corporate function.
  • What is a full-service speaker booking agency?

    AAE Speakers Bureau is a full-service speaker booking agency, meaning we can completely manage the speaker’s or celebrity’s engagement with your organization from the time of booking your speaker through the event’s completion. We provide all of the services you need to host Michael Psilakis or any other speaker of your choice, including offer negotiation, contractual assistance, accounting and billing, and event speaker travel and logistics services. When you book a speaker with us, we manage the process of hosting a speaker for you as an extension of your team. Our goal is to give our clients peace of mind and a best-in-class service experience when booking a speaker with us.
  • Why is AAE Speakers Bureau different from other booking agencies?

    If you’re looking for the best, unbiased speaker recommendations, paired with a top-notch customer service experience, you’re in the right place. At AAE Speakers Bureau, we exclusively represent the interests of our clients - professional organizations, companies, universities, and associations. We intentionally do not represent the speakers we feature or book. That is so we can present our clients with the broadest and best performing set of speaker options in the market today, and we can make these recommendations without any obligation to promote a specific speaker over another. This is why when our agents suggest a speaker for your event, you can be assured that they are of the highest quality with a history of proven success with our other clients.
Check Availability

Tell us about your event!

During normal business hours, we respond to most inquiries within 4 hours.

Users also viewed these speakers:

This website is a resource for event professionals and strives to provide the most comprehensive catalog of thought leaders and industry experts to consider for speaking engagements. A listing or profile on this website does not imply an agency affiliation or endorsement by the talent.

All American Entertainment (AAE) exclusively represents the interests of talent buyers, and does not claim to be the agency or management for any speaker or artist on this site. AAE is a talent booking agency for paid events only. We do not handle requests for donation of time or media requests for interviews, and cannot provide celebrity contact information.

If you are the talent and wish to request a profile update or removal from our online directory, please submit a profile request form.

Greek-American Chef, Owner of Kefi, Fishtag and MP Taverna. Co-Star of BBC America's "No Kitchen Required"

Travels From:
New York, NY, USA
Speaking Fee:

Michael Psilakis Biography

Michael Psilakis has acquired many of the food world’s highest honors in the short time he has been on the culinary scene. In 2008 alone, Psilakis was awarded Food & Wine’s Best New Chef and Bon Appetit’s Chef of the Year distinctions; nominated for A-List Chef by Bravo TV; and had his upscale Greek restaurant, Anthos, nominated for a James Beard Award in the category of Best New Restaurant. He was also named “Chef of the Year” by Esquire Magazine and his restaurant Anthos was awarded a Michelin star and named the third of ten best new restaurants by The New York Times restaurant reviewer, Frank Bruni. A tremendous cook, the chef’s mother taught him everything about the flavors and techniques of classic Greek cooking and remains his greatest influence in the kitchen. “Even today, the flavors of my dishes are my mother’s flavors,” says Psilakis. “And my instincts for taking Greek cuisine in new directions—these I’ve inherited from her.” In college he earned a BBA in accounting and finance as per his father’s wishes, but after found work as a waiter at T.G.I. Fridays, where the possibilities of a career in restaurant management first became apparent. Later he worked his way up the ranks at Café Angelica, a trattoria on Long Island, and eventually bought out the owners. Psilakis renamed it Ecco and established himself as a bona fide restaurateur.

Psilakis ran the front-of-house at Ecco for two years until one day when his chef and cook simply didn’t show. With reservations pending that evening, Psilakis stepped into the kitchen. This moment of crisis allowed his innate and indisputable talent as a chef to finally be revealed. One year later, with Psilakis in the kitchen, Ecco received a two-star rating from The New York Times.

The opening of his next venture Onera on Manhattan’s Upper West Side allowed Psilakis to realize a longtime dream and return to the cuisine that first ignited his passion for cooking. The unique upscale Greek-inspired cuisine he served at Onera earned him a reputation as a rising culinary star.

In 2006 he joined restaurateur Donatella Arpaia to open Dona restaurant, where he served First Generation cuisine—food that blended their modern American experiences with the cuisines of their parents’ Mediterranean homelands of Italy and Greece. The restaurant received two stars from The New York Times and was named one of Esquire’s Best New Restaurants in 2006.

Already in the works were plans for the two to bring new additions to the New York dining scene. Psilakis transformed Onera into Kefi, a rustic cozy neighborhood spot serving the Greek food he ate as a child. He moved his upscale Greek cooking from Onera to the Anthos in midtown. Meaning rebirth or blossoming, Anthos featured Psilakis’ signature Greek cuisine and has also earned numerous accolades. The restaurant was awarded a coveted Michelin Star, being one of only three Greek restaurants in the world to hold that honor, and was nominated for a James Beard Award in 2008.

In July 2009, Psilakis opened Gus & Gabriel, a gastropub honoring the two most influential men in his life, his late father Gus and four-year-old son Gabriel. This restaurant opened in the space on 79th Street that has served as an incubator for concepts Onera and Kefi. In the same space, Psilakis opened FISHTAG, a wine bar meets seafood restaurant.

Little, Brown published Psilakis’ first cookbook, How to Roast a Lamb, in October 2009. It has since gone on to win countless awards such as the Gourmand World Cookbook Award for Best Foreign Cuisine. Psilakis opened the first of three MP Taverna restaurants, his modern interpretation of a traditional Greek tavern, in May 2011 in Roslyn, NY followed by a second location in Irvington, NY a year late. In April 2013 he opened the third restaurant in the historic Hellenic epicenter of Astoria, Queens.

Psilakis was the Co-Executive Producer and Co-Star of BBC AMERICA’s original adventure cooking competition series, No Kitchen required, which premiered in April 2012. The show followed three chefs as they were dropped into the most exotic and remote places on Earth. Psilakis has appeared on “TODAY” show, “Good Morning America,” “Live with Kelly,” as well as in numerous publications including The New York Times, Men’s Health, and Food & Wine magazine.

Michael Psilakis Videos

  • Interview with Chef Michael Psilakis
  • Chef Michael Psilakis: Heat Up The Start of The Season with a ...
  • Michael Psilakis promotes "How to Roast a Lamb" on Martha ...

Michael Psilakis Books

FAQs on booking Michael Psilakis

  • How do I book Michael Psilakis to speak at my event?

    Our experienced booking agents have successfully helped clients around the world secure speakers like Michael Psilakis for speaking engagements, personal appearances, product endorsements, or corporate entertainment since 2002. Click the Check Availability button above and complete the form on this page to check availability for Michael Psilakis, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536 to discuss your upcoming event. One of our experienced agents will be happy to help you get speaking fee information and check availability for Michael Psilakis or any other speaker of your choice.
  • What are the speaker fees for Michael Psilakis

    Speaking fees for Michael Psilakis, or any other speakers and celebrities, are determined based on a number of factors and may change without notice. The estimated fees to book Michael Psilakis are $20,000 - $30,000 for live events and available upon request for virtual events. For the most current speaking fee to hire Michael Psilakis, click the Check Availability button above and complete the form on this page, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536 to speak directly with an experienced booking agent.
  • What topics does Michael Psilakis speak about?

    Michael Psilakis is a keynote speaker and industry expert whose speaking topics include Authors, Celebrity Chefs, Food, Lifestyle.
  • Where does Michael Psilakis travel from?

    Michael Psilakis generally travels from New York, NY, USA, but can be booked for private corporate events, personal appearances, keynote speeches, or other performances. For more details, please contact an AAE Booking agent.
  • Who is Michael Psilakis’s agent?

    AAE Speakers Bureau has successfully booked keynote speakers like Michael Psilakis for clients worldwide since 2002. As a full-service speaker booking agency, we have access to virtually any speaker or celebrity in the world. Our agents are happy and able to submit an offer to the speaker or celebrity of your choice, letting you benefit from our reputation and long-standing relationships in the industry. Please click the Check Availability button above and complete the form on this page including the details of your event, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536, and one of our agents will assist you to book Michael Psilakis for your next private or corporate function.
  • What is a full-service speaker booking agency?

    AAE Speakers Bureau is a full-service speaker booking agency, meaning we can completely manage the speaker’s or celebrity’s engagement with your organization from the time of booking your speaker through the event’s completion. We provide all of the services you need to host Michael Psilakis or any other speaker of your choice, including offer negotiation, contractual assistance, accounting and billing, and event speaker travel and logistics services. When you book a speaker with us, we manage the process of hosting a speaker for you as an extension of your team. Our goal is to give our clients peace of mind and a best-in-class service experience when booking a speaker with us.
  • Why is AAE Speakers Bureau different from other booking agencies?

    If you’re looking for the best, unbiased speaker recommendations, paired with a top-notch customer service experience, you’re in the right place. At AAE Speakers Bureau, we exclusively represent the interests of our clients - professional organizations, companies, universities, and associations. We intentionally do not represent the speakers we feature or book. That is so we can present our clients with the broadest and best performing set of speaker options in the market today, and we can make these recommendations without any obligation to promote a specific speaker over another. This is why when our agents suggest a speaker for your event, you can be assured that they are of the highest quality with a history of proven success with our other clients.

Michael Psilakis is a keynote speaker and industry expert who speaks on a wide range of topics . The estimated speaking fee range to book Michael Psilakis for your event is $20,000 - $30,000. Michael Psilakis generally travels from New York, NY, USA and can be booked for (private) corporate events, personal appearances, keynote speeches, or other performances. Similar motivational celebrity speakers are Sara Moulton, Ben Roche, Kelsey Nixon, Buddy Valastro and Adam Richman. Contact All American Speakers for ratings, reviews, videos and information on scheduling Michael Psilakis for an upcoming live or virtual event.

Michael Psilakis Speaker Videos

  • Interview with Chef Michael Psilakis
    Chef Michael Psilakis: Heat Up The Start of The Season with a ...
  • Michael Psilakis promotes "How to Roast a Lamb" on Martha ...
    Chef Michael Psilakis creates healthy Greek dishes on Better TV ...
  • Chef Michael Psilakis from Kefi on Food(ography) - YouTube
    Greek Branzino Recipe with Michael Psilakis - YouTube

Michael Psilakis News

Tell us about your event!

During normal business hours, we respond to most inquiries within 4 hours.

  • Customized Service

    Our agents find the right fit for your event

  • Unparalleled Database

    Full access to all speakers & celebrities

  • One Stop Shopping

    A reliable and unbiased point of contact

  • Logistics Management

    Your personal Logistics Manager who takes care of all event details

Speakers Similar to Michael Psilakis

This website is a resource for event professionals and strives to provide the most comprehensive catalog of thought leaders and industry experts to consider for speaking engagements. A listing or profile on this website does not imply an agency affiliation or endorsement by the talent.

All American Entertainment (AAE) exclusively represents the interests of talent buyers, and does not claim to be the agency or management for any speaker or artist on this site. AAE is a talent booking agency for paid events only. We do not handle requests for donation of time or media requests for interviews, and cannot provide celebrity contact information.

If you are the talent and wish to request a profile update or removal from our online directory, please submit a profile request form.

TOP