June 25, 2025 • 48 mins
Greek food isn't simply a cuisine in Salt Lake City—it's a cultural foundation that has shaped our dining landscape for generations. This week, we sit down with Manoli Katsanevas, the culinary force behind Manoli's and Parea, to explore how his family legacy evolved from Crown Burger to James Beard-nominated fine dining.
Born into the family that founded Salt Lake's beloved Crown Burger chain, Manoli shares how scrubbing floors and working the line as a teenager sparked his passion for restaurants. The conversation takes us through his culinary education, the launch of a catering business with his wife Katrina, and the eventual opening of Manoli's on 9th South—a restaurant that would elevate Greek cuisine while honoring traditional flavors and techniques.
What truly resonates throughout our discussion is how deeply intertwined food and community are in Greek culture. "Everything in Greek culture is around food, food and gathering together," Manoli explains. This philosophy guided his pandemic pivot when Manoli's temporarily closed, leading to take-and-bake meal kits that eventually inspired their newest venture, Parea—a fast-casual concept serving authentic Greek street food just half a block from their flagship restaurant.
We also explore Salt Lake's surprisingly robust Greek community, which traces back to early mining operations in Carbon County and has maintained strong traditions through generations. The Greek Festival (mark your calendars for September 5-7) stands as the largest Greek festival west of the Mississippi and showcases the community's enduring cultural pride.
Whether you're already a fan of Manoli's lamb riblets and charred octopus or you've yet to discover authentic Greek cuisine beyond gyros, this episode offers a fascinating glimpse into how one family's culinary traditions have become woven into Salt Lake City's identity. Listen now to understand why quality ingredients and authentic preparation remain non-negotiable, regardless of whether you're enjoying fine dining or street food—and why a Greek wedding with dollar bills flying and ouzo flowing is an experience you shouldn't miss.
Head to www.smalllakepod.com/merchandise for Small Lake City Gear!
Join Erik as he supports Fork Cancer, a night of food, drinks, and live music—all for a great cause. Grab your tickets at utah.acscanforkcancer.org and enter Erik Nilsson to help him hit his $12,000 fundraising goal!
Please be sure to like, review, follow, subscribe and share the podcast with your friends and family! See you next time
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
What is up everybody and welcome back to another
episode of the Small Lake CityPodcast.
I'm your host, eric Nilsson,and this week's guest is someone
who is very active in the Greekcommunity and has founded one
of my personal favorite Greekrestaurants in Salt Lake Manolis
.
So our guest this week is noneother than the man, the myth,
the legend, manoli Katsanevas,born and raised in the family
(00:22):
that founded Salt Lake'sfavorite burger spot, crown
Burger, where he grew upscrubbing the floors working on
the line and made him want towork in a restaurant as his
career.
He graduated from the culinaryprogram at Slick until he
eventually came up with the ideafor Manolis and him with the
love of his life.
They were able to do that, andnot only that, but then start
(00:43):
their most recent restaurantventure, perea, down the street
on 9th South.
Lots to learn from him.
A lot of great insights intothe Greek community and culture
here.
Also, we have the Greekfestival coming up in September.
That's one of the longestrunning cultural festivals in
Salt Lake, so make sure to markyour calendars for that if you
haven't yet.
But without any further ado,let's jump into the episode with
(01:05):
me and Manoli to hear moreabout him and his amazing story
Enjoy.
If there's one thing that I willalways say about Salt Lake,
it's like the Greeks have alwaysheld the backbone of the
culture in Salt Lake, because we, as like I mean in Utah in
general, I mean because, likethe predominant culture becomes
very it's a very conforming wayof life and you have so many
(01:28):
cultures that have come here Imean you take your, 23 and me,
of anybody and there's so manydifferent cultures but there
aren't a lot of people thatdemonstrate those cultures in a
very active way.
And so I mean I have friends, Imean in the Greek community,
like I mean Chris Coombs, forexample, one of my I mean pledge
brothers, fraternity brothers,got um beers with them a couple
of weeks ago to catch up Cause,uh, I mean he does a lot of
(01:49):
things and needs a lot of helppromoting stuff, and I always
love helping promote stuff likecity streets and the Greek
festival, everything that'scoming up.
But and it's also funny to see,like, just like the the, the
comment I always hear the mostfrom people is oh, I know
so-and-so, who's Greek, theirfamily owns Crown Burger, and
I'm like, I'm like, yes, they're, like there's this family and
obviously, like the more kidshappen and like, the more people
(02:12):
can say that it comes from it.
But it's always funny to seethese like claims of fames of
the Greek community and likeespecially um I mean either on
Chris's story on Instagram orlike Elena Saltis is one um that
I got introduced via a friendof mine and like I see like just
like the Greek parties you guyshave like the instruments are
out, like the dollar bills aregetting like thrown out and I'm
(02:32):
just like how do I get in onthis Cause?
This looks like so much fun.
Speaker 2 (02:35):
They are fun, yeah, and then when that goes to it
that's not great, goes to aGreek wedding they always just
go nuts.
They're just like what ishappening right now Everyone's
throwing dollars and dancing anddrinking and yeah, it's just
fun.
We know how to have a good time.
That's one thing about ourculture.
Speaker 1 (02:48):
Yeah, Like I mean, I go to a Mormon wedding and
there's just like a, you knowsome sort of catered vanilla
cake.
Speaker 2 (02:54):
And then there's vanilla cake and a couple of
sandwiches yeah.
Speaker 1 (02:56):
Black eyed peas in the background yeah.
Speaker 2 (03:00):
No, we, we just everything's around.
I mean, everything in Greekculture is around food, food and
gathering together, and sothat's why I feel like we are so
good at running restaurants ordoing anything in the
hospitality industry, because Ifeel like we were like built to
do that, because that's like oneof the things that we love.
We learn it from our parents,our grandparents, just having
people over at your house,feeding them until they can't
eat anymore and they want tothrow up and they're like but
(03:21):
still eat, but still eat.
Yeah, so that's I.
Speaker 1 (03:25):
I feel like it's innately just who we are yeah,
and I love that because, likeany true culture, and like
cultural gathering, familygathering, however you want to
call it, like it's always basedaround food, which I will always
love because I'm a big fan offood.
And like there's one time on mymission there was this simone
family we were meeting with, orthey were just really nice to us
, and before we went in thefirst time, my companion looks
(03:45):
at me.
He's like, just, you know, eatslow.
And I was like what do you mean?
Because I was from Utah, I meanI had Polynesian friends.
I'm like what do you mean?
I love Polynesian food.
Like this is kind of like,feels like home to me.
So we show up, they give us aplate of food waiting right
(04:12):
behind it.
I was like, right, ah, okay, Isee this now.
So you know, you, you live, youlearn, yeah, um, but Manoli
can't name it.
I'm excited because I mean aManoli's is an amazing
restaurant.
The accolades prove it.
I mean James Beardsemi-finalist Um, I mean it's,
it's part of what I would say islike one of the I mean
subjectively so like bestrestaurants on the nine line.
I love going there.
The first time I went I wentwith he's my dentist and
(04:33):
childhood best friend, brandonBowen.
So it was me, my partner at thetime, him and his wife, and we
go I'm going to always have agreat time because they had a
gift card from somewhere.
But then when we were walkingout, there was um.
So I look over and I see JoeIngalls on the patio.
Oh, joe Ingalls, yeah, and I Imean we'd probably had two
bottles of wine between us I goup just like I mean probably
(04:53):
apologetically, so like walkthrough the plants, like Joe,
good to see you man, have a goodnight.
And he's like, yeah, thanks,like whatever.
And my partner at the timeshe's like you just know
everybody and I'm like I do notknow him.
Just to be very clear, I amdrunk and I see someone I
recognize and respect andappreciate.
I'm glad you thought that.
Speaker 2 (05:09):
Yeah, but I'm glad you thought that.
Speaker 1 (05:10):
I mean especially with the expansion of Paraya and
having a more fast casualoption.
It's been fun to see how you'vetaken I mean, let's call it
like the legacy of Greek foodand Greek culture and, for lack
of a better term put it on yourback to keep that, that legacy
going and but also take your ownunique twist on it.
So I'm excited to hear more ofkind of that journey, cause I
know that your story more orless I mean starts with your
(05:32):
Greek family, starts with I mean, for lack of a better term like
mopping floors at Crown Bird.
Speaker 2 (05:37):
Yeah, yeah, no, definitely did I mean.
So I grew up in the industry.
So my dad, when he was younger,he owned a nightclub called the
Athenian in the 70s and hissiblings owned those too, and
then they got out of theAthenian and they started the
Crown Burgers.
Speaker 1 (05:52):
So my uncle, do you know what year that was roughly?
Speaker 2 (05:54):
I think it was 1970.
God, it was 1977, I think, Ibelieve, is when they opened the
first Crown Burger.
It was the one on 2nd, but myuncle, nick, my dad's brother,
and my dad's brother-in-law,John Katsarakis, opened that.
And then the second crownburger.
My dad and his brother, manuel,opened that crown burger.
Okay, and then they, each,sibling kind of, started opening
(06:15):
crown burgers, so now there'sseven.
My dad got out of it in theeighties, I believe, a little
bit before I was born.
So, um, but I was raisedworking at Crown Burgers.
I worked for my cousin, mike,who owns a 33rd South and
Highland Drive Crown Burger.
You know, cleaning tables,doing drinks, things like that.
That's kind of how I got intothe industry, because my parents
had to start working around 13years old.
Um, just so we could, you know,learn work ethics, stay out of
(06:38):
trouble, things like that.
Do you have a lot of siblings?
I have three older brothers,okay, yeah, so, three older
brothers, four boys, wildhousehold, but good, you know.
But yeah, so I started doingtables, drinks, and then, you
know, you keep moving up.
And then when I was about 15 or16, I believe I was 15.
My cousin asked me he's like,hey, I want to teach you how to
(06:58):
start cooking.
I was like, oh okay, and Ialways grew up like my mom's an
amazing cook.
She cooked every night likeeverything from scratch.
She's awesome.
So I always watched her cookand stuff and I was intrigued
(07:18):
with it, but I never really gotinvolved too much, like she'd
have us peel rush things likethat.
I didn't really know what Iwanted to do.
Obviously I was so young, uh.
But once I graduated highschool I was like, god, you know
, I kind of want to get intomaybe cooking and doing more
stuff with cooking, cause Iwanted to open a restaurant.
I was like, I think, I want toopen a restaurant, and so that's
kind of how it all kind ofbegan.
Um, through through crownburger.
Speaker 1 (07:38):
Yeah, it's fun to see it Cause again, again.
Going back to your commentabout Greek culture all circled
around food.
So not only do you have a homewhere your mother's cooking
every night, bringing the familytogether, but then, if you're
not there, you're either atschool or at Crown Burger
cooking or being around somesort of experience.
Speaker 2 (07:55):
Yeah, we were just always around food.
All my family, my aunts, areall awesome cooks.
Everyone just cooks really good, Everyone cooks from scratch.
So we were just I didn'trealize how rare it was to be
around such good food all thetime and for them to cook the
way they did, until I got olderand I was like, holy crap, like
they're using hotel pans, likemy aunts and my mom and stuff,
Like that's like we use inrestaurants.
You know, they're like cookingfor no less than like eight to
(08:16):
10 people at all times andthat's like a small amount.
Yeah, exactly, and I mean wewere in a house with, you know,
five, five guys you know this ismy dad and my three brothers so
, like my mom had to cook a lotbecause we were all just savages
.
So it just yeah, so it was kindof crazy.
But yeah, and then I went todecide to go to culinary school.
So I went to Salt LakeCommunity College and I was like
(08:37):
all right, well, let's givethis a shot and see how it goes.
And I just kind of fell in lovewith it even more and just
started working around at a lotof restaurants.
Speaker 1 (08:44):
When I love your comment about like I didn't
realize what I was experiencingin my family gatherings either
broader family or your own untilyou started to get older, like,
oh, this is more special than Ithought it was.
Yeah, cause, like for me, likegrowing up, so like when I was
younger, my mom was working morepediatrician, so it's usually
come home 30 minute meal, hourmeal, or pick up something along
(09:04):
the way, and then, uh, parentssplit up and she had, uh, I mean
less time then, so a lot moreof those, and then got married
and wasn't got remarried andwasn't working as much.
And so she like because likefood's a big thing in my family
too, like that's my way mygrandma shows love.
I mean, every big holiday we'dgo to is at her house.
Um inspiredired my cousin tobecome a chef.
(09:24):
Now he's a chef up inWillamette Valley in Pacific
Northwest, which then inspiredhis nephew to be a chef.
He went to Oregon State, becamea mechanical or electrical
engineer, graduated and saidhe's like, actually I think I
want to go work at a restaurant,and so now he's a chef at a
restaurant in downtown Portland,and so it's fun how these
experiences and cultures thatyou have growing up like
(09:45):
influence so many people lateron.
So not only just be like, ohcool, I'm going to learn how to
cook a cranberry and be like youknow what.
Actually I think I can dosomething.
And it wasn't like and I had asimilar experience growing up
where I mean I thought that myokay, that's what's going on
with.
So as my mom got more time tocook, she really leaned into it,
started baking a ton, startedmaking I mean, all the bread
that she would have at familyespecially bigger family dinners
(10:06):
was homemade.
Started baking cookies a lot.
My stepdad hates chocolate andso for every family dinner we
have now and since then, it wasalways there's like kind of like
a fruit or vanilla option andthen there's a chocolate option.
I'm always going to gravitatetowards chocolate because that's
who I am, but I didn't realizehow special it was until I'm
going to get in my 20s and startlike dating, going to friends
(10:29):
dinners, and I was like, oh, youmean it's not normal for you
guys on a Sunday dinner or aholiday dinner to have all of
the China out and have name tagsand to like, and I have all of
this because I just gotten sosensitized to it now.
I mean, there's also like thethe pendulum swing can go too
far one way, where it's like,hey, you're worried too much
about the presentation, theexperience, when in reality the
(10:49):
the best part of a meal issitting down and enjoying
people's time, conversing andand having that intimate time
together.
Yeah, and so I love that.
Uh, you, you realized kind ofhow special that was and
especially, like you said, Imean like the energy of a
kitchen is palpable.
I mean it's stressful, it's,it's chaotic, but it's.
Speaker 2 (11:07):
It's still fun and it's where everyone wants to be
right.
Yeah, yeah, it's literallywhere everyone wants to be Like.
When you're in a house,everyone's always around the
kitchen, yes, and then whenyou're in a professional kitchen
, when you're in there, it'sjust the energy that you're just
like God, it just feels good.
Where people are workingtogether, they're together,
where it just brings peopletogether, and I think that's
what always kind of attracted meto it.
Speaker 1 (11:29):
Totally.
I mean even talking, thinkingabout other restaurateurs and
entrepreneurs that I've had onthe podcast.
I mean like Matteo Sonia andhim talking about growing up in
Italy with his family, and Imean similar to Greek culture.
I mean food is everything.
It brings people together andhe wanted to.
I mean, even if I think it'sthe, if you type in
togethernesscom, it takes it toyou to his website and then even
(11:52):
with, like Nick Zocco, I meanhe was kind of.
I mean he was about to graduatehigh school.
I mean Nick Zocco is executivechef at Urban Hill and he's like
I don't teenage kid but thengets connected to guys like hey,
why don't you just come work atthe restaurant in the summer
and see how you like it?
And he's like I actually reallydo like this, and but yeah, I
mean food is one of the fewexperiences that we can all
(12:13):
share and bring together andit's like similar to my opinion
of music.
There is no competition there.
I mean there's obviouscompetition, shout out VFM, um.
But uh, it's.
It's a shared experience whereit brings us all together, just
like music.
It's not like us against them,it's us all together, enjoying
something together, and sothat's something that I've
always grown to appreciate viamy cousin who lives in the
(12:35):
pacific northwest, because Ireally didn't appreciate food
until he was like we're gonna gohave like an adult night out,
we're gonna go have a drinksomewhere, maybe go grab an
appetizer, go put our name on alist, maybe we'll grab another
drink and then we'll go eat andthen we'll maybe go grab dessert
or maybe like a little nightcap, and I was like, oh, this is
fun.
It's like, yeah, this is howit's done.
Yeah, Out of curiosity, what'syour crown burger order?
Speaker 2 (12:55):
Or maybe you don't eat it anymore.
No matter what, I don't know.
I'm a double cheese guy.
No matter where I go get aburger, double cheese is my
thing.
Yeah, I always double cheese,always extra dressing, extra fry
(13:16):
sauce and then normallytomatoes and pickles only, but
it depends on the day and theside of crispy fries.
That's my jam.
I love a good double cheese.
Speaker 1 (13:20):
Yeah, I think there's this moment in my life where
because I would go to Cranbergerperiodically, like my family,
growing up was more of a hiresfamily.
We just live closer Um.
But now, because I live inMarmalade, there's like two
Cranberger's kind of wherever Igo.
Speaker 2 (13:35):
Cause if.
Speaker 1 (13:36):
I go third West, then there's I mean third West North
temple.
And then if I go down secondSouth to get anywhere East, then
I'm like, oh, there's anotherone here, the second one.
Stick a fork in me, I'm done.
But there was like a moment ofmaturity where I saw someone get
it, I mean a crown burger, likea pastrami hamburger.
I was like what is this?
They're like, just get it.
And then I was like I'm in, I'msold.
So yeah, give me a pastramiburger, everything on it, with
(13:59):
an extra dressing or fry sauceto dip it in fries, oreo shake,
maybe a Coke, if I'm feeling it,yep.
And then a nap after.
Oh, it's like and it's funny,like getting older, like I
realized what my comfort foodsare and like I always realized
that they do in fact comfort me.
(14:20):
And so I'll have a crown burgerand I'm just like, ah, you can
go to bed, we can just kind oflike just let this all marinate
for a moment and move on.
No better feeling, right?
Oh yeah, go take a nap on thecouch, especially like family
dinners.
Go take a nap on the couchafter, or that's what we did, oh
yeah.
Speaker 2 (14:31):
And then, as you get older, it just extends because
it starts hurting your stomach.
You're like, oh no, I'm bloatedtoo and I need to take a nap.
I'm really not moving anymore.
Speaker 1 (14:40):
So I love that you realize it's something that you
wanted to do.
I mean, was there any moment intime that you can remember as
far as a memory of being like,oh, this was the moment that I
didn't realize that this was forme, or I wanted to take it
further than working in the lineat Crown Burger.
Speaker 2 (14:54):
When I was working at line at Crown, I realized that
I really enjoyed it.
And then when I started goingto culinary school, I was, you
know, that's where I was like,okay, yeah, this is awesome, I
like like learning about Frenchcuisine and other cuisines
besides you know, burgers andGreek food.
I like learning about Frenchcuisine and other cuisines
besides burgers and Greek food.
And so I started reallyenjoying that.
But when I worked at a placecalled Cafe Niche the guy who
(15:16):
owned it his name's Ethan LaPay.
He owned it at the time.
He owned it for I think, aboutfour years.
He's one of my really closefriends.
When I started working there,that was the moment where I was
like, yes, I always felt like Iwas going to open a restaurant,
but I was like, yeah, I need todo this, Like this is awesome
because I was able to see thoseguys open a restaurant and they
(15:37):
were like one of the firstpeople.
Like when Pago started.
It was like Pago Cafe Niche,copper Onion, where they were
starting like the whole farm totable movement and we haven't
really seen that in Salt Lake,because before that it was like
Market Street, there wasn't aton, and they were the first
ones doing that farm-to-tablething.
I was like God, I love thisbecause this reminds me of how
Greek food is.
It's very simple, ingredients,really good.
(15:57):
They were getting so much localproduce from farmers, every day
, fresh fish, and I was likedude, I could do this, but on a
Greek scale or with Greekcuisine or with my style and
stuff.
So that was like the momentwhere I was like, okay, I think
this is actually going to work.
Uh, salt Lake, I think, reallyneeds this and I think we could
really fill this niche.
Speaker 1 (16:18):
Yeah, and that's one thing.
Like I mean, one feedback Ihave about Salt Lake from a lot
of people is like, oh, the foodisn't great, Food isn't this?
I'm like, listen, if you knowwhere we've what we've come from
into where we are now.
Like, put some respect on it.
All Cause again, like growingup like we would go.
I mean the two restaurants Iremember going to was spaghetti
(16:38):
factory in, uh, trolley square,because I mean you have three
kids, there's no better place.
But yeah, you can have yourMazithra, go have your Spumoni
chop up some bread and drinkyour milk.
Don't understand why we did itthat way, but we did.
And then the other one wasCharlie Chow's, because that was
also in Trolley Square at thetime.
I mean now it's on Four South,but like that was it.
And even thinking about some ofthe other, like you've mentioned
(17:02):
, some of those farm to table,some of those initial
restaurants that came and it'sinteresting to see, like the, I
guess, for lack of a better termcame and it's interesting to
see, like the I guess for lackof a term like table they set
for the rest of people to comein and kind of keep iterating on
these new ideas.
I mean like, for example, youhave you and manolis and having
a true, um, elevated greekexperience compared to kind of
like a lot of the greek foodthat people would sit were
around before.
(17:22):
And like you have people like Imean going back to matteo and
him being like, cool, I'm gonnabring my, I bring my.
I'm literally going to move myfamily out here from Italy to
create another Italianexperience.
And now, like all thesedifferent restaurant groups and
seeing kind of what they'rewilling to do and seeing this
appetite no pun intended forbetter food in Salt Lake, and so
it's fun to see these differentrestaurant tours take these
ideas and run with it.
(17:43):
And even Scott from Pago, I meanseeing what he's now doing with
Sugarhouse Station, and I'm abig fan of it, especially in
Sugarhouse right there.
On that note, we had all of therenovations that happened and a
lot of chains came in.
I mean even that line it waslike Buffalo, wild Wings, cold
Stone, potbelly and just likecorporate ones and then they've
(18:03):
kind of all phased out.
But now we're phasing in a lotof more of these local spots and
so it's fun to see this nextwave kind of reiterate that
point of good quality local foodand people willing to take the
risk to do so.
Speaker 2 (18:15):
Well, that's what people want and that's why 9th
South has been so attractive isbecause all of the landlords,
people that own all thoseproperties on 9th South, are
really good about leasing outlocally, because that's what
Sugarhouse was supposed to beSugarhouse before they remodeled
it.
I don't know if you remember itwas like sugar house, coffee,
luna's italian ice.
It was such a cool place.
And then they said, okay, we'regoing to remodel it and do all
this local business.
(18:35):
And then they're you know, whenyou're charging 35 to 40 bucks
a square foot back in 2014,you're going to price out all
those local guys.
So they put in these chains andnow they're going out.
So, hopefully, I think whatthey're realizing is now let's
bring in some local places and Ithink it'll start hopping a lot
more, because I really thinkthat's why night south is doing
so well, like it feels like likesoutheast portland, like that
where it's just like you know,you have all those local
(18:56):
restaurants like ava, jeans andthings like that.
like you have everything fromcentral ninth market to water,
which to coming up to pereiramonolis, to scott's place and I
don't know.
I just think it's really is andI I'm partially biased,
obviously, because we haverestaurants in that area but
like it really is probably thecoolest, the coolest area in the
city, like it really is sodifferent.
Speaker 1 (19:16):
And it's unique too, because I mean, even using your
example, like you specifically,and even like, I think, like
Will McMaster, like Pizza NonoNono Bistro is you start with
one example.
So you have Manoli's, which Imean I assume was based on the
look of the building, was a newbuild.
You came in and were able to bethe first tenant there, but
then, because it is so, there'sso much opportunity there to be
(19:38):
developed that you're like, ohcool, I do want another
restaurant.
I love being in this area andon the street.
There's a house down the streetthat I can convert into a
restaurant.
Let, that I can convert into arestaurant.
Let's do another concept.
Yeah, and so it's fun to seethese people land and expand and
I mean I've heard of so manyplans right now of people kind
of working on that.
Next, I mean going back toMateo.
Like he's opening up his ownfast, casual spot, the Central
9th guys are doing the oppositeand they're working on getting a
(20:00):
spot on Main Street for more oflike a fine dining restaurant
there.
So it's fun to have this kindof a step above, like leasing
out a kitchen to someone andhaving them test out this idea.
Yeah, A way for again, likelocal people, because even
thinking about, I mean acrossthe entire Nine Line, there is
no chains.
Well, I mean it depends on yourdefinition of chain, because
(20:21):
then there's like vessels, likeprobably the closest thing you
could get to it.
Yeah, that's the closest I meanthey're still considered local.
Speaker 2 (20:28):
But, yeah, one it's funny because, yeah, 9th and 9th
, yeah it's interesting becausethe further west you go from 9th
and 9th, I feel like it'sbuilding even more character.
I don't know it's like reallyinteresting.
Like, even so, kathia Sleimanshe's the one who owns into is
(20:49):
going to be so cool Cause it'slike all local business Like
it's going to be really cool andit's just adding so much
character to that whole blockfrom like second East to like
fifth East.
Speaker 1 (20:58):
And she reached out to me before, honestly, before
like much construction, evenstarted about like hey, I'm
starting this co-op, uh withlike some help promoting.
I'm like we like some helppromoting.
I'm like we'd love to like letme know when there's more going
on and we're still talking abouta little bit.
But I don't think people willappreciate it for what it is
until it's open, cause I mean,everybody knows what a grocery
store is, everybody knowsingredients, but the more that
you can a understand this likelocal aspect, especially like
(21:20):
local farms, local produce Imean you talk to any
restaurateur in the city,especially anybody who runs like
a really good restaurantthey're not buying from.
I mean, the mass producers arebuying local and sometimes it's
hard and you have to be a littlecreative based on what there is
and what season it is, but yeah, I mean the more that we can
support that on I mean all upand down the supply chain of
(21:40):
restaurants and food in general.
A lot more success, a lot, andeverybody just wins.
Speaker 2 (21:44):
Yeah, that's why Utah does so well.
I feel like we're really goodabout supporting our local
economy, like we're Utahns arevery loyal.
That's what I love about beinga neighborhood restaurant is the
loyalty and patronage.
When you're in a neighborhood,it's just, I don't know.
It's really cool, like theneighborhood right there,
liberty Wells, like they've beenso loyal to Manoli's, like I
know.
You know we strive hard to dogood food, good service, have a
good restaurant, but like it'sreally cool.
(22:05):
Like when the pandemic happened, it was really cool to just see
how many people reached outlike, oh, let me just donate
some money, let me give you guysa gift.
Just, the neighborhoods in SaltLake are just so loyal and I
know it goes the same in theavenues throughout Salt Lake,
but it's pretty cool.
Speaker 1 (22:20):
And it's one thing that I think is specific to the
city of Salt Lake and that'spart of why I call myself a Salt
Lake citizen, not a Utahan isbecause the closer you are to
this Salt Lake area, I meanthere are people that support
and want to be part of thatjourney, Like even the story of
Brentley Williams and Old Cuss,which is never evolving roller
(22:42):
coaster in so many ways.
But I mean, there's like two orthree times where he's sitting
in his coffee shop or somewheretalking and he's like oh man, I
really want to do this andreally do want to start a vegan
cafe, and someone overhears it.
They're like hey, listen, Ihave 20 grand I'd like to invest
, because I'd rather that thansitting in a bank account.
I would love to help yousupport this, and so it's fun to
(23:12):
see how much people supporteach other, especially at the
beginning.
Yeah, we're very fortunate here.
So you go to school, you havethis experience at Cafe Niche,
where you're like I can do thisand I want to do this.
I mean, talk to me about fromthere to, I mean, Manoli's.
I mean, did you know it wasgoing to be a Greek spot at that
point, or what was your idea?
Speaker 2 (23:32):
process.
So I worked around at a bunchof different restaurants you
know, fleming's, fresco, cafe,niche, grand America just trying
to get experience, and I wasalso.
So I ran the catering programfor Smith's Food and Drug
downtown.
They have like corporateoffices and stuff like that, so
I ran their catering program fora lot of that stuff and so I
was doing that full-time andworking part-time jobs.
And when we were doing that soI met Katrina, who's my business
(23:56):
partner and wife and we startedManoli's catering I love how
it's business partner first, Iwon't tell her, yeah.
And so we started Manoli'scatering.
And that was around the sametime.
It was like right, when I wasworking at Niche and that's kind
of when we started that.
And so we started Manoli'sCatering and we were just kind
(24:18):
of like, okay, well, we canbuild enough business credit if
we run this for a few years,start getting a clientele, you
know, and then hopefully we canopen a restaurant from there.
So that's kind of where SpurCafe, cafe Nishin and the
catering was kind of all at thesame time.
So we were both workingfull-time jobs and then doing
the catering at night and wewere using different kitchens to
cater out of.
And it was just cool because itjust kind of happened
organically.
(24:38):
I can't remember how ithappened, but someone was just
like, hey, will you cater thisevent?
And I was like, oh, okay, yeah,let's do it.
And then, boom, it just kind ofstarted like that and we just
started catering all kinds ofrandom things, from weddings to
baptisms, to family parties, andit gave us a chance to kind of
build our name a little bit,build some business credit, and
that was kind of the spur.
(24:59):
So we had that for three years.
Speaker 1 (25:01):
And at that point Just purely catering.
Speaker 2 (25:03):
Yeah, just purely catering, and I love catering,
and that's what we're actuallygetting back into catering, now
that we can handle it again.
Speaker 1 (25:07):
It feels like a very great thing to do, to want it
because you're like, listen, Iwant the masses.
Speaker 2 (25:11):
Yeah, let's cook for as many people as possible.
I'm like I don't know how tocook for less than 12 people.
So, yeah, so we we started thecatering company, did that.
And then we went through theEDLF, which is economic
development loan fund.
We went through them to get theloan to start Manoli's Cool.
(25:31):
But yeah, we just startedlooking at spaces and we just
started looking.
Then one day we were justdriving up 9th South and we saw
a space and we were just like,oh my God, that's actually
really cool.
And at that time there was Pigin a Jelly Jar, that.
And then I believe what's VFM'sfirst restaurant, Forage, but I
think they had just closed down, so it was just Forage that had
just barely closed.
Speaker 1 (25:51):
They were closing around that time, kind of a good
time to be like here's thisfirst, yeah.
Kind of set menu, farm to table, like elevated food experience.
Like it's like this indianajones handoff.
Speaker 2 (26:00):
You're like oh, you guys are leaving, cool, we're
coming in, yeah and they werelike two ahead of the curve for
salt lake at the time too, likethey were doing some crazy stuff
that we just weren't ready foryet in Salt Lake.
Like it was really cool whatthey were doing and so, um, yeah
, so, anyways, yeah, it was kindof interesting and that's kind
of how we found the space andkind of how it all transformed
from there.
And with, how did you meetKatrina?
Uh, we were both on a tripledate with people we didn't want
(26:24):
to go with.
We got like set up on thisstupid date and it was just like
go with.
We got like set up on thisstupid date and it was just like
I didn't want to go and I wasdoing it as a, as a favor for my
buddy and anyways, we sat nextto her right, we sat next to
each other and we just like hitit off and yeah, we've been
together 17 years now and, yeah,it's been really good.
We own two restaurants together, a house, uh, has some cats and
(26:44):
yeah.
So, yeah, it's been, it's beengood, it's been a good, it's
been a good run so far.
Speaker 1 (26:48):
And when you met her I mean before Manoli's opened
what did?
Was she working in foodindustry or was she?
Speaker 2 (26:53):
No, so she was actually at that time she just
she was gone to the universityof Utah working on her
bachelor's degree, so she wasjust graduating around the time
we met and she was also workingas a nanny too, but she always
just loved food.
Katrina's like just self-taught.
She's super talented, superartistic, always loved food,
loved drink, loved anything,anything in the art she loves.
(27:14):
She's like a very artisticperson.
Um so, yeah, it was good.
I mean, when we started thecandy company, I mean she didn't
even intend to get into it, shewas.
She was just like, all right,yeah, let's do this, you know,
and I was just very fortunatethat she wanted to, because
she's got like the most amazingwork ethic too.
And, um, yeah, she was.
I am just horrible at anything,pastry too.
I'm like you know I'll do it,but I'm just definitely it's not
(27:40):
my forte.
And she just like, does suchamazing pastry work and she does
amazing savory work, like shedoes.
She has all the menudevelopment with me and stuff.
She's just yeah, she's reallygood.
So it's cool.
It's kind of fun to see ourrelationship and how we've grown
together and business wise andlike running, you know, menus
together and stuff like that.
Speaker 1 (27:54):
So it's yeah, it's been neat and it's fun to see
how you compliment each other inthat where she's like, listen,
I know you hate pastries, I'mgonna do this in the suites.
You go worry about everythingelse, hands middle, go home and
(28:16):
hopefully still have energy foreach other.
And I mean, with a lot ofpeople who couldn't work like
well, wouldn't work, because,again, that's a lot of time, a
lot of friction.
But to see that you guys can, Imean have that partnership
where it's not just I meanromantic but it's professional
and it's friends and just kindof working on this dream
together, so that's gotta be afun experience.
Speaker 2 (28:33):
Yeah, no, I mean it's fun.
I mean it definitely comes withthe challenges.
You know what I mean.
Speaker 1 (28:42):
Like you know from the outside it's like, oh my God
, it looks so dreamy it's like,no, I can.
Speaker 2 (28:46):
So, yeah, it's, it's tough.
You know you got to figure outhow to balance work life,
personal, and how to shut it off.
And you know, the only way youfigure it out is by, you know,
trying to kill each othersometimes, you know.
But at the end of the daythough, like I would never do
with anyone else, and, uh, I'mvery fortunate that we have the
partnership we do, because youcan't do this business alone,
you have to have a partner.
(29:06):
It can't do this business alone, you have to have a partner.
Speaker 1 (29:08):
It's too hard of a business, totally yeah.
And I mean, when you thinkabout Manoli, the menu creating
it, I mean, do you have anycertain process or any favorite
dishes that you, eithercurrently or in the past, are
like ah, that one was special.
Speaker 2 (29:18):
I mean, I love all of our dishes a lot.
The lamb riblets are one of myfavorite and the charred octopus
those are probably two of myfavorite dishes.
Um, I'm trying to think of likesomething that I've just been.
I mean, honestly, when we firstcreated the riblets, I was like
okay, this is gonna sell likeno other.
Um, I remember when we did alineup and one of our servers
(29:41):
started crying and she's likethis is so good and I was like
god, isn't that good.
I was that's awesome.
And then it, and then it endedup being such a hit we put it on
the menu.
But that's probably like one ofmy favorites just overall, just
because I love lamb so much.
Speaker 1 (29:54):
No, I love that.
So you have.
I mean a successful restaurant,I mean neighborhood restaurant.
I mean I'm sure it's nice tosee people continually come in,
especially like, ah, you know,we.
(30:16):
I think I want to do anotherconcept, but something a little
different.
When did that start?
That idea starts doing, or whatmade that want to?
Speaker 2 (30:22):
become more reality.
Well, we had never had anyintention to open a second
restaurant when we startedManoli's.
We're like, okay, this isplenty.
If you open multiplerestaurants, it's too hard to
keep your thumb on it and makesure quality is good and all of
that.
And then the pandemic happened.
Right, we needed to figure outhow the heck are we going to
make money.
We were closed for five monthsand Katrina was like, hey, we
(30:43):
should do a take and bakeconcept and do grab and goes and
we can do pre-orders once aweek.
So we started doing that and itwas like a huge success.
People were like this isawesome Cooking instructions.
They just throw it in the oven.
Feels like they're cooking athome, but they're not.
There's no dishes.
And so we started doing that.
And then we also were like,okay, let's start doing maybe
some pop-ups.
And we're like no one's reallymaking Yidos like fully from
(31:03):
scratch in Salt Lake, homemadepita, hand stacking the meat
like they do in Greece.
So we started doing these, youknow, pop-ups and those really
took off too.
Um, anyways, we were just likeGod, if we ever opened a place,
it'd have to be half a blockaway from the restaurant at
least.
You know, no, like that's theonly way fast forward to 2022.
Our cousin finds a space, uh,literally half a block West of
(31:25):
Manolis, um, and it was a travelagency at the time Renn
International and we went andlooked at it and we're like gosh
, we'd do it.
And so we put an offer on thebuilding and we got it and that
was kind of the start of Parea.
That's kind of how that wholeconcept happened.
So there was no intention atall, it just happened.
It was so weird.
Speaker 1 (31:44):
It just spoke it into existence.
Speaker 2 (31:45):
Yeah, I know it was really weird, but it was good
though, because we were startingto outgrow the Minoli's Kitchen
and we needed more kitchenspace.
We wanted to get back intocatering, so it all kind of
worked out the way we wanted itto work out, which was nice.
I mean, obviously there's a lotof headaches along the way, but
when I look back at it, it'spretty cool that it kind of
happened the way it did.
Speaker 1 (32:06):
Yeah, and it reminds me of so.
When I lived in Seattle wasworking I mean South Lake Union,
like downtown kind of, justaround I mean the Amazon
epicenter of things, and therewas this I can't remember the
name right now, but there wasthis take like just quick, fast,
casual Greek place that I meanyou showed up at 12 and there's
a line of 40 people around thecorner but they can just crank
(32:26):
people out and I missed thatbecause, again, like an easy
quality in and out greet spot.
And then I remember when Iheard that parade was opening, I
was like please, please, please, please, please, please, give
me some semblance of that.
And then I went.
I was like we're back, likethat's exactly what I want, so
touche because don't get mewrong.
Like I mean, I'll still go fora Greek souvlaki or we'll get a
(32:47):
Greek plate at Crown Burger, butthat one was just is
reminiscent of that in all ofthe right ways.
Speaker 2 (33:01):
Thanks, yeah, I mean that's.
I mean that's what like quickand easy for people, but it's
just super high quality, tastesamazing and makes you want to
come back and just feelcomfortable Like it's just like
a super casual spot.
Paday means good company inGreek, like you're good friends
and family and stuff like that.
So we want it to be a placewhere you can bring your Paday
out or you can pick up, grab a,go, take a bakes to have for
your Paday at home, and that'sreally what we want.
I didn't I need to get one ofthose taken.
I haven't done the taken big.
Oh yeah, they're awesome.
So we do like spinach andphyllo pies, greek casseroles.
(33:24):
We also have like arefrigerated section area where
we do like our homemade greekyogurt dips, things like that,
so you can order things onlineor in store.
Um, it's great for when youhave people over, if you want
some prep for the week, so youdon't have to do all the cooking
.
Um, but it's just nice to havesome of that stuff in your
freezer ready to go.
Speaker 1 (33:40):
I'm just like closing my eyes, thinking of my house
just smelling like a Greekrestaurant and that makes me
really excited about that.
Is I mean going back to?
I mean like Elena Salta, I meancontent creator a lot of Greek
cooking, and so like I'll sitthere and I'll watch her be like
damn it, I need to go get, likeI need to go get some Greek
food.
Speaker 2 (33:57):
I'll.
Speaker 1 (33:57):
DM her and be like wait, wait, wait, how's that
different than this?
Or what's this?
She's like oh, this is thefamily recipe, or this is how
this works, or this is how I'mlike damn it, I need to go eat
some more Greek food.
What's your?
Speaker 2 (34:05):
favorite Greek dish, would you say or like is there
something that you're just like?
Speaker 1 (34:08):
I love that more than anything stick a fork in me,
I'm done.
But then even just like it'ssimple I mean lemon chicken rice
like even just like from crownburger, I mean it's, it's so
simple and so good, yeah, uh.
Yeah, it's because it's alwaysthe simple things right, like I
(34:29):
don't need some huge complicateddish, but you give me quality
ingredients made from like thefamily recipe and it's, it's
great.
Speaker 2 (34:36):
I mean that's what people want.
I feel like that's what thepandemic showed people too.
You don't need anything floofy,you just want good quality food
for like a decent price, andthat goes a long way.
Speaker 1 (34:46):
Yeah, yeah, and that's I've yet to meet a chef,
a successful chef, that doesn'tlike number one priority quality
ingredients.
Yeah, I mean, like talking withViet and Pretty Bird, he's like
listen, we don't go get likebad chicken, like this is all
really good chicken, really goodingredients, like we've spent a
lot of time in this, I mean,and every single other person
I've mentioned in the podcast sofar has been similar.
(35:08):
And so it's funny whenever Isee people cooking and they're
like, oh so I went to Walmartand I got all this, like no, no,
no, no, no, no, no, no.
Can't.
Great value does not providegreat taste.
You can taste it, oh yeah, andso it's.
It's fun to see when I meaneven in like my own cooking,
which I do rarely because suchis my life right now but when I
(35:29):
take that extra effort and spendI mean 20 more, 30 more, 100
more, whatever it is I'm like Ican taste this difference and
it's worth every penny.
And so thinking about nextsteps for either you, manolis
Berea, another restaurantconcept that can fall in your
lap, any other plans of growthor change, or really just focus,
not right now.
Speaker 2 (35:50):
I mean, we only opened Padilla in October, so
what is it?
Somewhere between seven andnine months old, so it's still
really new.
So our big thing right now isobviously maintaining and
growing Manolis, but Padillawe're really trying to grow the
market and we're starting to dosome wholesale as well, so you
can find our pitas and dips atCaputo's.
And then we're also trying toexpand on our catering.
(36:11):
So right now we're reallytrying to expand on catering and
some wholesale too, and that'skind of our next steps right now
.
As far as another concept,we're not even thinking about
that right now.
We just, yeah, we're trying tofigure out how to run two places
right now.
So this is a new, new venturefor us, you know.
Speaker 1 (36:27):
Yeah, I would be.
I would be concerned if you'relike we're going to open up five
more parades.
Speaker 2 (36:30):
Yeah, that's just not our style, like you know.
I just I want to.
I want to be able to enjoy whatI'm doing and when you have
that many locations, you're notcooking anymore, and that's what
I don't want to lose.
Speaker 1 (36:46):
That's yeah, the more you're removed from it all, the
I mean hey, you love being inthe kitchen and love being able
to feel that energy, but thenthe more you remove yourself.
Things don't go as well unlesseverything is dialed in, which
is a never evolving process.
Speaker 2 (37:04):
Well, yeah, and like the three things that get you
into the earth that got me intoit is the food and the employees
and the customers.
Like that's like I want to liketalk to our like.
I love talking to our customers, I love, you know, training our
employees, talking to them,being with them, and I love the
food and like, if you open toomany places, it's just too hard.
You're, you're behind, you'rebehind a computer desk and pen
and paper and you know I alreadydo plenty of that and I just I,
(37:29):
I really I don't want to losethat part of it because it's not
worth it.
Speaker 1 (37:32):
If you're not, if you're not doing those three
things, and what's it worth?
Yeah, I'd be really worried.
Speaker 2 (37:42):
if you looked at it's like no, that's not what gives
me life at all.
Speaker 1 (37:45):
Well, and I also know that you're someone who's very
involved in the Greek communityI don't know the correct terms,
I'm going to shoot from the hip,but like the Greek council that
I know Chris is on but I meantalk to me about I mean what
gets talked about there, how youguys prioritize things, how you
support the community.
I mean also, like the one thateverybody thinks about coming up
, the Greek festival.
(38:06):
I mean talk to me a littleabout that experience.
Speaker 2 (38:08):
Yeah, I mean growing up and it was awesome.
I feel like that's like beingpart of the Greek festival at a
young age.
You're always volunteering,you're around so many people all
the time.
That's why I feel like it'sreally interesting to see Greek
kids.
They have such strong socialskills because you're forced
into it with big families andstuff.
But also the community andGreek festival, greek dance
(38:29):
practice, because you're goingto Greek dance practice half of
the year to get ready for Greekfestival.
You're going to Sunday school,so you're around people all the
time and so it creates awesomesocial skills.
But it's just cool to beinvolved in a community.
That's you know, our church isvery correlated with our
community.
Right, they're one in the same.
But it's just cool to beinvolved in a community.
I mean the networking, thefriendships, like I still to
this day hang out with, likemost of my Greek friends still
(38:52):
that we play basketball together, greek dance together, went to
Sunday school together.
If we're not hanging out, wecan call each other if we need
to.
It's an awesome community and Ifeel so fortunate and
especially in Salt Lake, sincewe have such a big Greek
community, even when we open thecatering company or the
restaurant.
Having that backbone of support, I can't tell you how much that
helps spearhead you in thebeginning to get you where you
(39:13):
need to be.
That community aspect of theGreek community is really cool.
It's a very loyal group.
Speaker 1 (39:19):
Yeah, I mean especially nice when you're like
, okay, I'm going to open up arestaurant, we're going to do
this, and if people show up withgloves on being like, hey, how
can I help?
Or what can we cook?
Speaker 2 (39:28):
A lot of people ask me like, hey, what can we do?
How can we help, you know, andit's like, yeah, like it's uh,
it's wild, and I feel likethat's something that a great
community really is good at.
Speaker 1 (39:36):
So, yeah, Super random question.
Um, so price Utah is notorious.
Notorious, famous for being,like, very Greek.
Yeah, like cause.
Someone told me once cause, Imean contact.
So I was one of the first Lyftdrivers in Salt Lake and which
(39:59):
started.
That's when I knew I'd liketalking to people because
someone would hop in the nextthing.
You know, they're like oh, mygosh, this is so great, have a
great day.
But I was talking to someoneand they're like oh, like,
they're going from price utahand I like said something else,
like so, yeah, like, obviouslyI'm greek.
And I was like pause, expand onthat.
She's like well, yeah,everybody in price is greek.
It's like a huge greek area.
Well, my question is like why,like, what made that happen?
Speaker 2 (40:21):
Yeah, so Carbon County, that area.
There's a ton of mining thathappened there in the early
1900s and so that brought a tonof Greeks.
A lot of immigrants came overto work in either the mine in
Kennecott, copper, which iswhere one of my grandfathers
worked, or up in Carbon Countyin the mines up there.
So, like, because you know theywould bring poor immigrants to
work in these mines andbasically enslave them.
You know, um, so that's where,like, a lot of the greeks came.
(40:43):
So a lot of greeks started incarbon county or stayed in
carbon county and then came here.
So there's, yeah, there was aton of greeks from carbon county
.
Speaker 1 (40:49):
Okay, yeah, so the mining is what brought them over
.
Interesting.
I always wanted that.
I mean, I guess I could havelooked it up on my own, but yeah
, I was reminded of that.
So now, now, anybody I meetfrom Price it's usually like a
70, 85% chance Like, oh, I'mfrom Price.
I'm like, oh, so you're Greek.
Speaker 2 (41:03):
They're like how do you know?
I'm like.
I was tipped off once upon atime.
There's a thousand people inthe city, so 750 of them.
Speaker 1 (41:09):
there it's most likely.
Speaker 2 (41:10):
Yeah, my sister-in-law is from Price as
well.
Speaker 1 (41:13):
Yeah, so like not turf war, I want to say, but is
it like, let's say, for example,greek festival comes up and
you're like, ah, those are,there's the price, Greeks,
they're coming in.
Speaker 2 (41:24):
Not that I know of.
I don't think there's a turfwar, but I don't think there'd
be much of a competition.
Like I said, the price is alittle small, but yeah, there's
no turf wars.
It's not like West side story.
So I wish we could snap at eachother, you know, um, but yeah
no.
So there's like an Ogden Greekchurch.
There's price, and then we havethe salt Lake, the prophet
Elias and a holy Trinity, andthen there's one in Sandy, now a
(41:45):
new church, um, but I thinkthose are all the churches in
Utah.
Cool, I believe.
I mean it's gotta be.
Speaker 1 (41:50):
I mean, it's obviously like one of the
biggest outside of thepredominant one as far as like
religious, yeah, no, yeah, Imean we have the biggest Greek
festival west of the Mississippi.
Speaker 2 (41:57):
I mean that's pretty crazy, like we have an enormous
Greek festival.
Speaker 1 (42:02):
And it's one of the I mean one of, if not the longest
running, like festivals in SaltLake, like how many years have
we been going on?
I?
Speaker 2 (42:08):
think it started in the 60s or 70s.
I think the 70s has started.
I think they just did their 50year anniversary, but I'm not
positive.
I I have to don't quote me onthat, but yeah, it's been around
for a while and it's.
I mean it's crazy.
I mean people still come androll the Dolmades in the summer,
do the Tito P test, like I meanthey, as things have gone on,
it's getting a little tougher.
So you know they're orderingsome things in but like there's
(42:37):
still a lot of stuff made from,it's still really cool.
It's cool that it's still um sointact, because nowadays, with
you know everything going on andhow busy everyone's lives are,
you know it's it can be easy tolose track of community and to
kind of fall away from it.
Speaker 1 (42:51):
so it's pretty cool how it still stayed intact yeah,
I mean even like the otherfestival that comes to mind I
mentioned, like the utahfestival, this is the 49th year,
yeah, which puts us in likemid-70s, like in the Greek
festival.
We're going on longer than that, which is great to see, I mean
again, how much bigger it'sgotten, how much it stays a
priority for the community.
Speaker 2 (43:09):
Yeah, it really has.
Speaker 1 (43:11):
Manoli.
I want to end with the twoquestions I always ask everybody
at the end of every episode.
Number one if you could havesomeone on the Small Lake City
podcast and hear more abouttheir story and what they're up
to, who would you want to hearfrom?
Speaker 2 (43:21):
I think Ryan Lauder from Copper Onion.
I think he'd be fun to hear hisstory.
Because me and Ryan are buddies, but I don't really know too
much of his background.
So I think it would be fun tokind of hear that honestly Sick
me out of my life.
Speaker 1 (43:31):
But that's also been the fun thing, even the friends
that I've known.
Like you sit down with peopleyou know and you're like all
right, let's start from thebeginning, chronologically, and
tell me your entire story.
Speaker 2 (43:41):
You meet people on later in life and you're not.
You're not, and especially like, unless you're hanging out all
the time, you're not alwaysknowing their whole background.
So I think, yeah, that would beinteresting cool, yeah, and I
was.
Speaker 1 (43:50):
Uh, that was one place like in a college I
interned at, northwestern mutual, which was at the building
connected to copper onion, andso we go there a but then
there's like this hiatus.
And then a friend reached outwho's just kind of going through
a hard time in life and he'slike, can we grab dinner, just
like to chat?
I'm like, yeah, of course.
He's like where do you want togo?
I was like I want that garlicburger, so I was like I'm going
(44:13):
to go there, but they don't haveit anymore.
Like you said, there's theserestaurants that came in that
were ahead of their time, higherquality.
Yeah, I'd love to talk to them.
Speaker 2 (44:22):
Yeah, no, I think you'd be.
And Mike Block from Table X Ithink it'd be interesting to
talk to.
Ooh, yes, Mike's a really goodguy.
He's awesome.
He's a good person, really goodchef.
I really like him a lot.
He'd be a good one to hear hisbackground.
Speaker 1 (44:45):
Because when they started Table X, time was pretty
far ahead for Salt Lake, soit's really cool to see what
they've done.
Yeah, I mean, I slowly want tobe the Thanos that collects all
the infinity stones of the JamesBeard semifinalist nominees.
We'll get them all.
And then, lastly, if peoplewant to find more information
about Manolis Perea, what's thebest place to find information?
Speaker 2 (44:56):
Yeah, I mean you can go on our websites
ManolisOn9.com or PareaOn9thcom,but best thing to follow us too
is get on our social media andfollow us, cause we're always
doing fun events Like this.
Next Thursday we're doing alamb on the spit at Manolis,
which is awesome.
Do our regular menu plus lambon the spit prefix.
If you want to do that, I carvefresh lamb off the spit for
everyone Local lamb superawesome.
So we're doing that this nextThursday.
(45:18):
And then Padilla we're alwaysdoing really fun specials, new
things in the market, so followus on our social media and
that's the best way to see kindof what's going on in both
restaurants.
Speaker 1 (45:27):
Deal.
I am salvating and way toohungry for 10 am in the morning.
I got to take care of that,manoli.
Thank you so much.
This has been great, yeah,thanks for having me on.
It's been great to hear thestory and, yeah, everybody, go
check out Manoli's, go check outPerea.
Put the Greek.
What's the Greek festival, doyou?
Speaker 2 (45:41):
have the date yet.
Let's see.
I believe it's a fifth throughthe seventh, but don't quote me.
Deal Tentatively, block out thedates for the fifth to the
seventh of September or OctoberSeptember.
It's always September.
Speaker 1 (45:55):
Yeah, that's right, I can always get my months mixed
up for a lot of things, butanyway, yeah, 5th to the 7th of
September Mark your calendars.
If you've been, you know why.
If you haven't been, come findout why, and it's a great
experience.
So, yeah, keep all that in mind, but yeah, yeah, well, thanks
for having me on.
Speaker 2 (46:12):
I appreciate it.
This was nice, thanks forcoming.
What is up everybody and welcome back to another
episode of the Small Lake CityPodcast.
I'm your host, eric Nilsson,and this week's guest is someone
who is very active in the Greekcommunity and has founded one
of my personal favorite Greekrestaurants in Salt Lake Manolis
.
So our guest this week is noneother than the man, the myth,
the legend, manoli Katsanevas,born and raised in the family
(00:22):
that founded Salt Lake'sfavorite burger spot, crown
Burger, where he grew upscrubbing the floors working on
the line and made him want towork in a restaurant as his
career.
He graduated from the culinaryprogram at Slick until he
eventually came up with the ideafor Manolis and him with the
love of his life.
They were able to do that, andnot only that, but then start
(00:43):
their most recent restaurantventure, perea, down the street
on 9th South.
Lots to learn from him.
A lot of great insights intothe Greek community and culture
here.
Also, we have the Greekfestival coming up in September.
That's one of the longestrunning cultural festivals in
Salt Lake, so make sure to markyour calendars for that if you
haven't yet.
But without any further ado,let's jump into the episode with
(01:05):
me and Manoli to hear moreabout him and his amazing story
Enjoy.
If there's one thing that I willalways say about Salt Lake,
it's like the Greeks have alwaysheld the backbone of the
culture in Salt Lake, because we, as like I mean in Utah in
general, I mean because, likethe predominant culture becomes
very it's a very conforming wayof life and you have so many
(01:28):
cultures that have come here Imean you take your, 23 and me,
of anybody and there's so manydifferent cultures but there
aren't a lot of people thatdemonstrate those cultures in a
very active way.
And so I mean I have friends, Imean in the Greek community,
like I mean Chris Coombs, forexample, one of my I mean pledge
brothers, fraternity brothers,got um beers with them a couple
of weeks ago to catch up Cause,uh, I mean he does a lot of
(01:49):
things and needs a lot of helppromoting stuff, and I always
love helping promote stuff likecity streets and the Greek
festival, everything that'scoming up.
But and it's also funny to see,like, just like the the, the
comment I always hear the mostfrom people is oh, I know
so-and-so, who's Greek, theirfamily owns Crown Burger, and
I'm like, I'm like, yes, they're, like there's this family and
obviously, like the more kidshappen and like, the more people
(02:12):
can say that it comes from it.
But it's always funny to seethese like claims of fames of
the Greek community and likeespecially um I mean either on
Chris's story on Instagram orlike Elena Saltis is one um that
I got introduced via a friendof mine and like I see like just
like the Greek parties you guyshave like the instruments are
out, like the dollar bills aregetting like thrown out and I'm
(02:32):
just like how do I get in onthis Cause?
This looks like so much fun.
Speaker 2 (02:35):
They are fun, yeah, and then when that goes to it
that's not great, goes to aGreek wedding they always just
go nuts.
They're just like what ishappening right now Everyone's
throwing dollars and dancing anddrinking and yeah, it's just
fun.
We know how to have a good time.
That's one thing about ourculture.
Speaker 1 (02:48):
Yeah, Like I mean, I go to a Mormon wedding and
there's just like a, you knowsome sort of catered vanilla
cake.
Speaker 2 (02:54):
And then there's vanilla cake and a couple of
sandwiches yeah.
Speaker 1 (02:56):
Black eyed peas in the background yeah.
Speaker 2 (03:00):
No, we, we just everything's around.
I mean, everything in Greekculture is around food, food and
gathering together, and sothat's why I feel like we are so
good at running restaurants ordoing anything in the
hospitality industry, because Ifeel like we were like built to
do that, because that's like oneof the things that we love.
We learn it from our parents,our grandparents, just having
people over at your house,feeding them until they can't
eat anymore and they want tothrow up and they're like but
(03:21):
still eat, but still eat.
Yeah, so that's I.
Speaker 1 (03:25):
I feel like it's innately just who we are yeah,
and I love that because, likeany true culture, and like
cultural gathering, familygathering, however you want to
call it, like it's always basedaround food, which I will always
love because I'm a big fan offood.
And like there's one time on mymission there was this simone
family we were meeting with, orthey were just really nice to us
, and before we went in thefirst time, my companion looks
(03:45):
at me.
He's like, just, you know, eatslow.
And I was like what do you mean?
Because I was from Utah, I meanI had Polynesian friends.
I'm like what do you mean?
I love Polynesian food.
Like this is kind of like,feels like home to me.
So we show up, they give us aplate of food waiting right
(04:12):
behind it.
I was like, right, ah, okay, Isee this now.
So you know, you, you live, youlearn, yeah, um, but Manoli
can't name it.
I'm excited because I mean aManoli's is an amazing
restaurant.
The accolades prove it.
I mean James Beardsemi-finalist Um, I mean it's,
it's part of what I would say islike one of the I mean
subjectively so like bestrestaurants on the nine line.
I love going there.
The first time I went I wentwith he's my dentist and
(04:33):
childhood best friend, brandonBowen.
So it was me, my partner at thetime, him and his wife, and we
go I'm going to always have agreat time because they had a
gift card from somewhere.
But then when we were walkingout, there was um.
So I look over and I see JoeIngalls on the patio.
Oh, joe Ingalls, yeah, and I Imean we'd probably had two
bottles of wine between us I goup just like I mean probably
(04:53):
apologetically, so like walkthrough the plants, like Joe,
good to see you man, have a goodnight.
And he's like, yeah, thanks,like whatever.
And my partner at the timeshe's like you just know
everybody and I'm like I do notknow him.
Just to be very clear, I amdrunk and I see someone I
recognize and respect andappreciate.
I'm glad you thought that.
Speaker 2 (05:09):
Yeah, but I'm glad you thought that.
Speaker 1 (05:10):
I mean especially with the expansion of Paraya and
having a more fast casualoption.
It's been fun to see how you'vetaken I mean, let's call it
like the legacy of Greek foodand Greek culture and, for lack
of a better term put it on yourback to keep that, that legacy
going and but also take your ownunique twist on it.
So I'm excited to hear more ofkind of that journey, cause I
know that your story more orless I mean starts with your
(05:32):
Greek family, starts with I mean, for lack of a better term like
mopping floors at Crown Bird.
Speaker 2 (05:37):
Yeah, yeah, no, definitely did I mean.
So I grew up in the industry.
So my dad, when he was younger,he owned a nightclub called the
Athenian in the 70s and hissiblings owned those too, and
then they got out of theAthenian and they started the
Crown Burgers.
Speaker 1 (05:52):
So my uncle, do you know what year that was roughly?
Speaker 2 (05:54):
I think it was 1970.
God, it was 1977, I think, Ibelieve, is when they opened the
first Crown Burger.
It was the one on 2nd, but myuncle, nick, my dad's brother,
and my dad's brother-in-law,John Katsarakis, opened that.
And then the second crownburger.
My dad and his brother, manuel,opened that crown burger.
Okay, and then they, each,sibling kind of, started opening
(06:15):
crown burgers, so now there'sseven.
My dad got out of it in theeighties, I believe, a little
bit before I was born.
So, um, but I was raisedworking at Crown Burgers.
I worked for my cousin, mike,who owns a 33rd South and
Highland Drive Crown Burger.
You know, cleaning tables,doing drinks, things like that.
That's kind of how I got intothe industry, because my parents
had to start working around 13years old.
Um, just so we could, you know,learn work ethics, stay out of
(06:38):
trouble, things like that.
Do you have a lot of siblings?
I have three older brothers,okay, yeah, so, three older
brothers, four boys, wildhousehold, but good, you know.
But yeah, so I started doingtables, drinks, and then, you
know, you keep moving up.
And then when I was about 15 or16, I believe I was 15.
My cousin asked me he's like,hey, I want to teach you how to
(06:58):
start cooking.
I was like, oh okay, and Ialways grew up like my mom's an
amazing cook.
She cooked every night likeeverything from scratch.
She's awesome.
So I always watched her cookand stuff and I was intrigued
(07:18):
with it, but I never really gotinvolved too much, like she'd
have us peel rush things likethat.
I didn't really know what Iwanted to do.
Obviously I was so young, uh.
But once I graduated highschool I was like, god, you know
, I kind of want to get intomaybe cooking and doing more
stuff with cooking, cause Iwanted to open a restaurant.
I was like, I think, I want toopen a restaurant, and so that's
kind of how it all kind ofbegan.
Um, through through crownburger.
Speaker 1 (07:38):
Yeah, it's fun to see it Cause again, again.
Going back to your commentabout Greek culture all circled
around food.
So not only do you have a homewhere your mother's cooking
every night, bringing the familytogether, but then, if you're
not there, you're either atschool or at Crown Burger
cooking or being around somesort of experience.
Speaker 2 (07:55):
Yeah, we were just always around food.
All my family, my aunts, areall awesome cooks.
Everyone just cooks really good, Everyone cooks from scratch.
So we were just I didn'trealize how rare it was to be
around such good food all thetime and for them to cook the
way they did, until I got olderand I was like, holy crap, like
they're using hotel pans, likemy aunts and my mom and stuff,
Like that's like we use inrestaurants.
You know, they're like cookingfor no less than like eight to
(08:16):
10 people at all times andthat's like a small amount.
Yeah, exactly, and I mean wewere in a house with, you know,
five, five guys you know this ismy dad and my three brothers so
, like my mom had to cook a lotbecause we were all just savages
.
So it just yeah, so it was kindof crazy.
But yeah, and then I went todecide to go to culinary school.
So I went to Salt LakeCommunity College and I was like
(08:37):
all right, well, let's givethis a shot and see how it goes.
And I just kind of fell in lovewith it even more and just
started working around at a lotof restaurants.
Speaker 1 (08:44):
When I love your comment about like I didn't
realize what I was experiencingin my family gatherings either
broader family or your own untilyou started to get older, like,
oh, this is more special than Ithought it was.
Yeah, cause, like for me, likegrowing up, so like when I was
younger, my mom was working morepediatrician, so it's usually
come home 30 minute meal, hourmeal, or pick up something along
(09:04):
the way, and then, uh, parentssplit up and she had, uh, I mean
less time then, so a lot moreof those, and then got married
and wasn't got remarried andwasn't working as much.
And so she like because likefood's a big thing in my family
too, like that's my way mygrandma shows love.
I mean, every big holiday we'dgo to is at her house.
Um inspiredired my cousin tobecome a chef.
(09:24):
Now he's a chef up inWillamette Valley in Pacific
Northwest, which then inspiredhis nephew to be a chef.
He went to Oregon State, becamea mechanical or electrical
engineer, graduated and saidhe's like, actually I think I
want to go work at a restaurant,and so now he's a chef at a
restaurant in downtown Portland,and so it's fun how these
experiences and cultures thatyou have growing up like
(09:45):
influence so many people lateron.
So not only just be like, ohcool, I'm going to learn how to
cook a cranberry and be like youknow what.
Actually I think I can dosomething.
And it wasn't like and I had asimilar experience growing up
where I mean I thought that myokay, that's what's going on
with.
So as my mom got more time tocook, she really leaned into it,
started baking a ton, startedmaking I mean, all the bread
that she would have at familyespecially bigger family dinners
(10:06):
was homemade.
Started baking cookies a lot.
My stepdad hates chocolate andso for every family dinner we
have now and since then, it wasalways there's like kind of like
a fruit or vanilla option andthen there's a chocolate option.
I'm always going to gravitatetowards chocolate because that's
who I am, but I didn't realizehow special it was until I'm
going to get in my 20s and startlike dating, going to friends
(10:29):
dinners, and I was like, oh, youmean it's not normal for you
guys on a Sunday dinner or aholiday dinner to have all of
the China out and have name tagsand to like, and I have all of
this because I just gotten sosensitized to it now.
I mean, there's also like thethe pendulum swing can go too
far one way, where it's like,hey, you're worried too much
about the presentation, theexperience, when in reality the
(10:49):
the best part of a meal issitting down and enjoying
people's time, conversing andand having that intimate time
together.
Yeah, and so I love that.
Uh, you, you realized kind ofhow special that was and
especially, like you said, Imean like the energy of a
kitchen is palpable.
I mean it's stressful, it's,it's chaotic, but it's.
Speaker 2 (11:07):
It's still fun and it's where everyone wants to be
right.
Yeah, yeah, it's literallywhere everyone wants to be Like.
When you're in a house,everyone's always around the
kitchen, yes, and then whenyou're in a professional kitchen
, when you're in there, it'sjust the energy that you're just
like God, it just feels good.
Where people are workingtogether, they're together,
where it just brings peopletogether, and I think that's
what always kind of attracted meto it.
Speaker 1 (11:29):
Totally.
I mean even talking, thinkingabout other restaurateurs and
entrepreneurs that I've had onthe podcast.
I mean like Matteo Sonia andhim talking about growing up in
Italy with his family, and Imean similar to Greek culture.
I mean food is everything.
It brings people together andhe wanted to.
I mean, even if I think it'sthe, if you type in
togethernesscom, it takes it toyou to his website and then even
(11:52):
with, like Nick Zocco, I meanhe was kind of.
I mean he was about to graduatehigh school.
I mean Nick Zocco is executivechef at Urban Hill and he's like
I don't teenage kid but thengets connected to guys like hey,
why don't you just come work atthe restaurant in the summer
and see how you like it?
And he's like I actually reallydo like this, and but yeah, I
mean food is one of the fewexperiences that we can all
(12:13):
share and bring together andit's like similar to my opinion
of music.
There is no competition there.
I mean there's obviouscompetition, shout out VFM, um.
But uh, it's.
It's a shared experience whereit brings us all together, just
like music.
It's not like us against them,it's us all together, enjoying
something together, and sothat's something that I've
always grown to appreciate viamy cousin who lives in the
(12:35):
pacific northwest, because Ireally didn't appreciate food
until he was like we're gonna gohave like an adult night out,
we're gonna go have a drinksomewhere, maybe go grab an
appetizer, go put our name on alist, maybe we'll grab another
drink and then we'll go eat andthen we'll maybe go grab dessert
or maybe like a little nightcap, and I was like, oh, this is
fun.
It's like, yeah, this is howit's done.
Yeah, Out of curiosity, what'syour crown burger order?
Speaker 2 (12:55):
Or maybe you don't eat it anymore.
No matter what, I don't know.
I'm a double cheese guy.
No matter where I go get aburger, double cheese is my
thing.
Yeah, I always double cheese,always extra dressing, extra fry
(13:16):
sauce and then normallytomatoes and pickles only, but
it depends on the day and theside of crispy fries.
That's my jam.
I love a good double cheese.
Speaker 1 (13:20):
Yeah, I think there's this moment in my life where
because I would go to Cranbergerperiodically, like my family,
growing up was more of a hiresfamily.
We just live closer Um.
But now, because I live inMarmalade, there's like two
Cranberger's kind of wherever Igo.
Speaker 2 (13:35):
Cause if.
Speaker 1 (13:36):
I go third West, then there's I mean third West North
temple.
And then if I go down secondSouth to get anywhere East, then
I'm like, oh, there's anotherone here, the second one.
Stick a fork in me, I'm done.
But there was like a moment ofmaturity where I saw someone get
it, I mean a crown burger, likea pastrami hamburger.
I was like what is this?
They're like, just get it.
And then I was like I'm in, I'msold.
So yeah, give me a pastramiburger, everything on it, with
(13:59):
an extra dressing or fry sauceto dip it in fries, oreo shake,
maybe a Coke, if I'm feeling it,yep.
And then a nap after.
Oh, it's like and it's funny,like getting older, like I
realized what my comfort foodsare and like I always realized
that they do in fact comfort me.
(14:20):
And so I'll have a crown burgerand I'm just like, ah, you can
go to bed, we can just kind oflike just let this all marinate
for a moment and move on.
No better feeling, right?
Oh yeah, go take a nap on thecouch, especially like family
dinners.
Go take a nap on the couchafter, or that's what we did, oh
yeah.
Speaker 2 (14:31):
And then, as you get older, it just extends because
it starts hurting your stomach.
You're like, oh no, I'm bloatedtoo and I need to take a nap.
I'm really not moving anymore.
Speaker 1 (14:40):
So I love that you realize it's something that you
wanted to do.
I mean, was there any moment intime that you can remember as
far as a memory of being like,oh, this was the moment that I
didn't realize that this was forme, or I wanted to take it
further than working in the lineat Crown Burger.
Speaker 2 (14:54):
When I was working at line at Crown, I realized that
I really enjoyed it.
And then when I started goingto culinary school, I was, you
know, that's where I was like,okay, yeah, this is awesome, I
like like learning about Frenchcuisine and other cuisines
besides you know, burgers andGreek food.
I like learning about Frenchcuisine and other cuisines
besides burgers and Greek food.
And so I started reallyenjoying that.
But when I worked at a placecalled Cafe Niche the guy who
(15:16):
owned it his name's Ethan LaPay.
He owned it at the time.
He owned it for I think, aboutfour years.
He's one of my really closefriends.
When I started working there,that was the moment where I was
like, yes, I always felt like Iwas going to open a restaurant,
but I was like, yeah, I need todo this, Like this is awesome
because I was able to see thoseguys open a restaurant and they
(15:37):
were like one of the firstpeople.
Like when Pago started.
It was like Pago Cafe Niche,copper Onion, where they were
starting like the whole farm totable movement and we haven't
really seen that in Salt Lake,because before that it was like
Market Street, there wasn't aton, and they were the first
ones doing that farm-to-tablething.
I was like God, I love thisbecause this reminds me of how
Greek food is.
It's very simple, ingredients,really good.
(15:57):
They were getting so much localproduce from farmers, every day
, fresh fish, and I was likedude, I could do this, but on a
Greek scale or with Greekcuisine or with my style and
stuff.
So that was like the momentwhere I was like, okay, I think
this is actually going to work.
Uh, salt Lake, I think, reallyneeds this and I think we could
really fill this niche.
Speaker 1 (16:18):
Yeah, and that's one thing.
Like I mean, one feedback Ihave about Salt Lake from a lot
of people is like, oh, the foodisn't great, Food isn't this?
I'm like, listen, if you knowwhere we've what we've come from
into where we are now.
Like, put some respect on it.
All Cause again, like growingup like we would go.
I mean the two restaurants Iremember going to was spaghetti
(16:38):
factory in, uh, trolley square,because I mean you have three
kids, there's no better place.
But yeah, you can have yourMazithra, go have your Spumoni
chop up some bread and drinkyour milk.
Don't understand why we did itthat way, but we did.
And then the other one wasCharlie Chow's, because that was
also in Trolley Square at thetime.
I mean now it's on Four South,but like that was it.
And even thinking about some ofthe other, like you've mentioned
(17:02):
, some of those farm to table,some of those initial
restaurants that came and it'sinteresting to see, like the, I
guess, for lack of a better termcame and it's interesting to
see, like the I guess for lackof a term like table they set
for the rest of people to comein and kind of keep iterating on
these new ideas.
I mean like, for example, youhave you and manolis and having
a true, um, elevated greekexperience compared to kind of
like a lot of the greek foodthat people would sit were
around before.
(17:22):
And like you have people like Imean going back to matteo and
him being like, cool, I'm gonnabring my, I bring my.
I'm literally going to move myfamily out here from Italy to
create another Italianexperience.
And now, like all thesedifferent restaurant groups and
seeing kind of what they'rewilling to do and seeing this
appetite no pun intended forbetter food in Salt Lake, and so
it's fun to see these differentrestaurant tours take these
ideas and run with it.
(17:43):
And even Scott from Pago, I meanseeing what he's now doing with
Sugarhouse Station, and I'm abig fan of it, especially in
Sugarhouse right there.
On that note, we had all of therenovations that happened and a
lot of chains came in.
I mean even that line it waslike Buffalo, wild Wings, cold
Stone, potbelly and just likecorporate ones and then they've
(18:03):
kind of all phased out.
But now we're phasing in a lotof more of these local spots and
so it's fun to see this nextwave kind of reiterate that
point of good quality local foodand people willing to take the
risk to do so.
Speaker 2 (18:15):
Well, that's what people want and that's why 9th
South has been so attractive isbecause all of the landlords,
people that own all thoseproperties on 9th South, are
really good about leasing outlocally, because that's what
Sugarhouse was supposed to beSugarhouse before they remodeled
it.
I don't know if you remember itwas like sugar house, coffee,
luna's italian ice.
It was such a cool place.
And then they said, okay, we'regoing to remodel it and do all
this local business.
(18:35):
And then they're you know, whenyou're charging 35 to 40 bucks
a square foot back in 2014,you're going to price out all
those local guys.
So they put in these chains andnow they're going out.
So, hopefully, I think whatthey're realizing is now let's
bring in some local places and Ithink it'll start hopping a lot
more, because I really thinkthat's why night south is doing
so well, like it feels like likesoutheast portland, like that
where it's just like you know,you have all those local
(18:56):
restaurants like ava, jeans andthings like that.
like you have everything fromcentral ninth market to water,
which to coming up to pereiramonolis, to scott's place and I
don't know.
I just think it's really is andI I'm partially biased,
obviously, because we haverestaurants in that area but
like it really is probably thecoolest, the coolest area in the
city, like it really is sodifferent.
Speaker 1 (19:16):
And it's unique too, because I mean, even using your
example, like you specifically,and even like, I think, like
Will McMaster, like Pizza NonoNono Bistro is you start with
one example.
So you have Manoli's, which Imean I assume was based on the
look of the building, was a newbuild.
You came in and were able to bethe first tenant there, but
then, because it is so, there'sso much opportunity there to be
(19:38):
developed that you're like, ohcool, I do want another
restaurant.
I love being in this area andon the street.
There's a house down the streetthat I can convert into a
restaurant.
Let, that I can convert into arestaurant.
Let's do another concept.
Yeah, and so it's fun to seethese people land and expand and
I mean I've heard of so manyplans right now of people kind
of working on that.
Next, I mean going back toMateo.
Like he's opening up his ownfast, casual spot, the Central
9th guys are doing the oppositeand they're working on getting a
(20:00):
spot on Main Street for more oflike a fine dining restaurant
there.
So it's fun to have this kindof a step above, like leasing
out a kitchen to someone andhaving them test out this idea.
Yeah, A way for again, likelocal people, because even
thinking about, I mean acrossthe entire Nine Line, there is
no chains.
Well, I mean it depends on yourdefinition of chain, because
(20:21):
then there's like vessels, likeprobably the closest thing you
could get to it.
Yeah, that's the closest I meanthey're still considered local.
Speaker 2 (20:28):
But, yeah, one it's funny because, yeah, 9th and 9th
, yeah it's interesting becausethe further west you go from 9th
and 9th, I feel like it'sbuilding even more character.
I don't know it's like reallyinteresting.
Like, even so, kathia Sleimanshe's the one who owns into is
(20:49):
going to be so cool Cause it'slike all local business Like
it's going to be really cool andit's just adding so much
character to that whole blockfrom like second East to like
fifth East.
Speaker 1 (20:58):
And she reached out to me before, honestly, before
like much construction, evenstarted about like hey, I'm
starting this co-op, uh withlike some help promoting.
I'm like we like some helppromoting.
I'm like we'd love to like letme know when there's more going
on and we're still talking abouta little bit.
But I don't think people willappreciate it for what it is
until it's open, cause I mean,everybody knows what a grocery
store is, everybody knowsingredients, but the more that
you can a understand this likelocal aspect, especially like
(21:20):
local farms, local produce Imean you talk to any
restaurateur in the city,especially anybody who runs like
a really good restaurantthey're not buying from.
I mean, the mass producers arebuying local and sometimes it's
hard and you have to be a littlecreative based on what there is
and what season it is, but yeah, I mean the more that we can
support that on I mean all upand down the supply chain of
(21:40):
restaurants and food in general.
A lot more success, a lot, andeverybody just wins.
Speaker 2 (21:44):
Yeah, that's why Utah does so well.
I feel like we're really goodabout supporting our local
economy, like we're Utahns arevery loyal.
That's what I love about beinga neighborhood restaurant is the
loyalty and patronage.
When you're in a neighborhood,it's just, I don't know.
It's really cool, like theneighborhood right there,
liberty Wells, like they've beenso loyal to Manoli's, like I
know.
You know we strive hard to dogood food, good service, have a
good restaurant, but like it'sreally cool.
(22:05):
Like when the pandemic happened, it was really cool to just see
how many people reached outlike, oh, let me just donate
some money, let me give you guysa gift.
Just, the neighborhoods in SaltLake are just so loyal and I
know it goes the same in theavenues throughout Salt Lake,
but it's pretty cool.
Speaker 1 (22:20):
And it's one thing that I think is specific to the
city of Salt Lake and that'spart of why I call myself a Salt
Lake citizen, not a Utahan isbecause the closer you are to
this Salt Lake area, I meanthere are people that support
and want to be part of thatjourney, Like even the story of
Brentley Williams and Old Cuss,which is never evolving roller
(22:42):
coaster in so many ways.
But I mean, there's like two orthree times where he's sitting
in his coffee shop or somewheretalking and he's like oh man, I
really want to do this andreally do want to start a vegan
cafe, and someone overhears it.
They're like hey, listen, Ihave 20 grand I'd like to invest
, because I'd rather that thansitting in a bank account.
I would love to help yousupport this, and so it's fun to
(23:12):
see how much people supporteach other, especially at the
beginning.
Yeah, we're very fortunate here.
So you go to school, you havethis experience at Cafe Niche,
where you're like I can do thisand I want to do this.
I mean, talk to me about fromthere to, I mean, Manoli's.
I mean, did you know it wasgoing to be a Greek spot at that
point, or what was your idea?
Speaker 2 (23:32):
process.
So I worked around at a bunchof different restaurants you
know, fleming's, fresco, cafe,niche, grand America just trying
to get experience, and I wasalso.
So I ran the catering programfor Smith's Food and Drug
downtown.
They have like corporateoffices and stuff like that, so
I ran their catering program fora lot of that stuff and so I
was doing that full-time andworking part-time jobs.
And when we were doing that soI met Katrina, who's my business
(23:56):
partner and wife and we startedManoli's catering I love how
it's business partner first, Iwon't tell her, yeah.
And so we started Manoli'scatering.
And that was around the sametime.
It was like right, when I wasworking at Niche and that's kind
of when we started that.
And so we started Manoli'sCatering and we were just kind
(24:18):
of like, okay, well, we canbuild enough business credit if
we run this for a few years,start getting a clientele, you
know, and then hopefully we canopen a restaurant from there.
So that's kind of where SpurCafe, cafe Nishin and the
catering was kind of all at thesame time.
So we were both workingfull-time jobs and then doing
the catering at night and wewere using different kitchens to
cater out of.
And it was just cool because itjust kind of happened
organically.
(24:38):
I can't remember how ithappened, but someone was just
like, hey, will you cater thisevent?
And I was like, oh, okay, yeah,let's do it.
And then, boom, it just kind ofstarted like that and we just
started catering all kinds ofrandom things, from weddings to
baptisms, to family parties, andit gave us a chance to kind of
build our name a little bit,build some business credit, and
that was kind of the spur.
(24:59):
So we had that for three years.
Speaker 1 (25:01):
And at that point Just purely catering.
Speaker 2 (25:03):
Yeah, just purely catering, and I love catering,
and that's what we're actuallygetting back into catering, now
that we can handle it again.
Speaker 1 (25:07):
It feels like a very great thing to do, to want it
because you're like, listen, Iwant the masses.
Speaker 2 (25:11):
Yeah, let's cook for as many people as possible.
I'm like I don't know how tocook for less than 12 people.
So, yeah, so we we started thecatering company, did that.
And then we went through theEDLF, which is economic
development loan fund.
We went through them to get theloan to start Manoli's Cool.
(25:31):
But yeah, we just startedlooking at spaces and we just
started looking.
Then one day we were justdriving up 9th South and we saw
a space and we were just like,oh my God, that's actually
really cool.
And at that time there was Pigin a Jelly Jar, that.
And then I believe what's VFM'sfirst restaurant, Forage, but I
think they had just closed down, so it was just Forage that had
just barely closed.
Speaker 1 (25:51):
They were closing around that time, kind of a good
time to be like here's thisfirst, yeah.
Kind of set menu, farm to table, like elevated food experience.
Like it's like this indianajones handoff.
Speaker 2 (26:00):
You're like oh, you guys are leaving, cool, we're
coming in, yeah and they werelike two ahead of the curve for
salt lake at the time too, likethey were doing some crazy stuff
that we just weren't ready foryet in Salt Lake.
Like it was really cool whatthey were doing and so, um, yeah
, so, anyways, yeah, it was kindof interesting and that's kind
of how we found the space andkind of how it all transformed
from there.
And with, how did you meetKatrina?
Uh, we were both on a tripledate with people we didn't want
(26:24):
to go with.
We got like set up on thisstupid date and it was just like
go with.
We got like set up on thisstupid date and it was just like
I didn't want to go and I wasdoing it as a, as a favor for my
buddy and anyways, we sat nextto her right, we sat next to
each other and we just like hitit off and yeah, we've been
together 17 years now and, yeah,it's been really good.
We own two restaurants together, a house, uh, has some cats and
(26:44):
yeah.
So, yeah, it's been, it's beengood, it's been a good, it's
been a good run so far.
Speaker 1 (26:48):
And when you met her I mean before Manoli's opened
what did?
Was she working in foodindustry or was she?
Speaker 2 (26:53):
No, so she was actually at that time she just
she was gone to the universityof Utah working on her
bachelor's degree, so she wasjust graduating around the time
we met and she was also workingas a nanny too, but she always
just loved food.
Katrina's like just self-taught.
She's super talented, superartistic, always loved food,
loved drink, loved anything,anything in the art she loves.
(27:14):
She's like a very artisticperson.
Um so, yeah, it was good.
I mean, when we started thecandy company, I mean she didn't
even intend to get into it, shewas.
She was just like, all right,yeah, let's do this, you know,
and I was just very fortunatethat she wanted to, because
she's got like the most amazingwork ethic too.
And, um, yeah, she was.
I am just horrible at anything,pastry too.
I'm like you know I'll do it,but I'm just definitely it's not
(27:40):
my forte.
And she just like, does suchamazing pastry work and she does
amazing savory work, like shedoes.
She has all the menudevelopment with me and stuff.
She's just yeah, she's reallygood.
So it's cool.
It's kind of fun to see ourrelationship and how we've grown
together and business wise andlike running, you know, menus
together and stuff like that.
Speaker 1 (27:54):
So it's yeah, it's been neat and it's fun to see
how you compliment each other inthat where she's like, listen,
I know you hate pastries, I'mgonna do this in the suites.
You go worry about everythingelse, hands middle, go home and
(28:16):
hopefully still have energy foreach other.
And I mean, with a lot ofpeople who couldn't work like
well, wouldn't work, because,again, that's a lot of time, a
lot of friction.
But to see that you guys can, Imean have that partnership
where it's not just I meanromantic but it's professional
and it's friends and just kindof working on this dream
together, so that's gotta be afun experience.
Speaker 2 (28:33):
Yeah, no, I mean it's fun.
I mean it definitely comes withthe challenges.
You know what I mean.
Speaker 1 (28:42):
Like you know from the outside it's like, oh my God
, it looks so dreamy it's like,no, I can.
Speaker 2 (28:46):
So, yeah, it's, it's tough.
You know you got to figure outhow to balance work life,
personal, and how to shut it off.
And you know, the only way youfigure it out is by, you know,
trying to kill each othersometimes, you know.
But at the end of the daythough, like I would never do
with anyone else, and, uh, I'mvery fortunate that we have the
partnership we do, because youcan't do this business alone,
you have to have a partner.
(29:06):
It can't do this business alone, you have to have a partner.
Speaker 1 (29:08):
It's too hard of a business, totally yeah.
And I mean, when you thinkabout Manoli, the menu creating
it, I mean, do you have anycertain process or any favorite
dishes that you, eithercurrently or in the past, are
like ah, that one was special.
Speaker 2 (29:18):
I mean, I love all of our dishes a lot.
The lamb riblets are one of myfavorite and the charred octopus
those are probably two of myfavorite dishes.
Um, I'm trying to think of likesomething that I've just been.
I mean, honestly, when we firstcreated the riblets, I was like
okay, this is gonna sell likeno other.
Um, I remember when we did alineup and one of our servers
(29:41):
started crying and she's likethis is so good and I was like
god, isn't that good.
I was that's awesome.
And then it, and then it endedup being such a hit we put it on
the menu.
But that's probably like one ofmy favorites just overall, just
because I love lamb so much.
Speaker 1 (29:54):
No, I love that.
So you have.
I mean a successful restaurant,I mean neighborhood restaurant.
I mean I'm sure it's nice tosee people continually come in,
especially like, ah, you know,we.
(30:16):
I think I want to do anotherconcept, but something a little
different.
When did that start?
That idea starts doing, or whatmade that want to?
Speaker 2 (30:22):
become more reality.
Well, we had never had anyintention to open a second
restaurant when we startedManoli's.
We're like, okay, this isplenty.
If you open multiplerestaurants, it's too hard to
keep your thumb on it and makesure quality is good and all of
that.
And then the pandemic happened.
Right, we needed to figure outhow the heck are we going to
make money.
We were closed for five monthsand Katrina was like, hey, we
(30:43):
should do a take and bakeconcept and do grab and goes and
we can do pre-orders once aweek.
So we started doing that and itwas like a huge success.
People were like this isawesome Cooking instructions.
They just throw it in the oven.
Feels like they're cooking athome, but they're not.
There's no dishes.
And so we started doing that.
And then we also were like,okay, let's start doing maybe
some pop-ups.
And we're like no one's reallymaking Yidos like fully from
(31:03):
scratch in Salt Lake, homemadepita, hand stacking the meat
like they do in Greece.
So we started doing these, youknow, pop-ups and those really
took off too.
Um, anyways, we were just likeGod, if we ever opened a place,
it'd have to be half a blockaway from the restaurant at
least.
You know, no, like that's theonly way fast forward to 2022.
Our cousin finds a space, uh,literally half a block West of
(31:25):
Manolis, um, and it was a travelagency at the time Renn
International and we went andlooked at it and we're like gosh
, we'd do it.
And so we put an offer on thebuilding and we got it and that
was kind of the start of Parea.
That's kind of how that wholeconcept happened.
So there was no intention atall, it just happened.
It was so weird.
Speaker 1 (31:44):
It just spoke it into existence.
Speaker 2 (31:45):
Yeah, I know it was really weird, but it was good
though, because we were startingto outgrow the Minoli's Kitchen
and we needed more kitchenspace.
We wanted to get back intocatering, so it all kind of
worked out the way we wanted itto work out, which was nice.
I mean, obviously there's a lotof headaches along the way, but
when I look back at it, it'spretty cool that it kind of
happened the way it did.
Speaker 1 (32:06):
Yeah, and it reminds me of so.
When I lived in Seattle wasworking I mean South Lake Union,
like downtown kind of, justaround I mean the Amazon
epicenter of things, and therewas this I can't remember the
name right now, but there wasthis take like just quick, fast,
casual Greek place that I meanyou showed up at 12 and there's
a line of 40 people around thecorner but they can just crank
(32:26):
people out and I missed thatbecause, again, like an easy
quality in and out greet spot.
And then I remember when Iheard that parade was opening, I
was like please, please, please, please, please, please, give
me some semblance of that.
And then I went.
I was like we're back, likethat's exactly what I want, so
touche because don't get mewrong.
Like I mean, I'll still go fora Greek souvlaki or we'll get a
(32:47):
Greek plate at Crown Burger, butthat one was just is
reminiscent of that in all ofthe right ways.
Speaker 2 (33:01):
Thanks, yeah, I mean that's.
I mean that's what like quickand easy for people, but it's
just super high quality, tastesamazing and makes you want to
come back and just feelcomfortable Like it's just like
a super casual spot.
Paday means good company inGreek, like you're good friends
and family and stuff like that.
So we want it to be a placewhere you can bring your Paday
out or you can pick up, grab a,go, take a bakes to have for
your Paday at home, and that'sreally what we want.
I didn't I need to get one ofthose taken.
I haven't done the taken big.
Oh yeah, they're awesome.
So we do like spinach andphyllo pies, greek casseroles.
(33:24):
We also have like arefrigerated section area where
we do like our homemade greekyogurt dips, things like that,
so you can order things onlineor in store.
Um, it's great for when youhave people over, if you want
some prep for the week, so youdon't have to do all the cooking
.
Um, but it's just nice to havesome of that stuff in your
freezer ready to go.
Speaker 1 (33:40):
I'm just like closing my eyes, thinking of my house
just smelling like a Greekrestaurant and that makes me
really excited about that.
Is I mean going back to?
I mean like Elena Salta, I meancontent creator a lot of Greek
cooking, and so like I'll sitthere and I'll watch her be like
damn it, I need to go get, likeI need to go get some Greek
food.
Speaker 2 (33:57):
I'll.
Speaker 1 (33:57):
DM her and be like wait, wait, wait, how's that
different than this?
Or what's this?
She's like oh, this is thefamily recipe, or this is how
this works, or this is how I'mlike damn it, I need to go eat
some more Greek food.
What's your?
Speaker 2 (34:05):
favorite Greek dish, would you say or like is there
something that you're just like?
Speaker 1 (34:08):
I love that more than anything stick a fork in me,
I'm done.
But then even just like it'ssimple I mean lemon chicken rice
like even just like from crownburger, I mean it's, it's so
simple and so good, yeah, uh.
Yeah, it's because it's alwaysthe simple things right, like I
(34:29):
don't need some huge complicateddish, but you give me quality
ingredients made from like thefamily recipe and it's, it's
great.
Speaker 2 (34:36):
I mean that's what people want.
I feel like that's what thepandemic showed people too.
You don't need anything floofy,you just want good quality food
for like a decent price, andthat goes a long way.
Speaker 1 (34:46):
Yeah, yeah, and that's I've yet to meet a chef,
a successful chef, that doesn'tlike number one priority quality
ingredients.
Yeah, I mean, like talking withViet and Pretty Bird, he's like
listen, we don't go get likebad chicken, like this is all
really good chicken, really goodingredients, like we've spent a
lot of time in this, I mean,and every single other person
I've mentioned in the podcast sofar has been similar.
(35:08):
And so it's funny whenever Isee people cooking and they're
like, oh so I went to Walmartand I got all this, like no, no,
no, no, no, no, no, no.
Can't.
Great value does not providegreat taste.
You can taste it, oh yeah, andso it's.
It's fun to see when I meaneven in like my own cooking,
which I do rarely because suchis my life right now but when I
(35:29):
take that extra effort and spendI mean 20 more, 30 more, 100
more, whatever it is I'm like Ican taste this difference and
it's worth every penny.
And so thinking about nextsteps for either you, manolis
Berea, another restaurantconcept that can fall in your
lap, any other plans of growthor change, or really just focus,
not right now.
Speaker 2 (35:50):
I mean, we only opened Padilla in October, so
what is it?
Somewhere between seven andnine months old, so it's still
really new.
So our big thing right now isobviously maintaining and
growing Manolis, but Padillawe're really trying to grow the
market and we're starting to dosome wholesale as well, so you
can find our pitas and dips atCaputo's.
And then we're also trying toexpand on our catering.
(36:11):
So right now we're reallytrying to expand on catering and
some wholesale too, and that'skind of our next steps right now
.
As far as another concept,we're not even thinking about
that right now.
We just, yeah, we're trying tofigure out how to run two places
right now.
So this is a new, new venturefor us, you know.
Speaker 1 (36:27):
Yeah, I would be.
I would be concerned if you'relike we're going to open up five
more parades.
Speaker 2 (36:30):
Yeah, that's just not our style, like you know.
I just I want to.
I want to be able to enjoy whatI'm doing and when you have
that many locations, you're notcooking anymore, and that's what
I don't want to lose.
Speaker 1 (36:46):
That's yeah, the more you're removed from it all, the
I mean hey, you love being inthe kitchen and love being able
to feel that energy, but thenthe more you remove yourself.
Things don't go as well unlesseverything is dialed in, which
is a never evolving process.
Speaker 2 (37:04):
Well, yeah, and like the three things that get you
into the earth that got me intoit is the food and the employees
and the customers.
Like that's like I want to liketalk to our like.
I love talking to our customers, I love, you know, training our
employees, talking to them,being with them, and I love the
food and like, if you open toomany places, it's just too hard.
You're, you're behind, you'rebehind a computer desk and pen
and paper and you know I alreadydo plenty of that and I just I,
(37:29):
I really I don't want to losethat part of it because it's not
worth it.
Speaker 1 (37:32):
If you're not, if you're not doing those three
things, and what's it worth?
Yeah, I'd be really worried.
Speaker 2 (37:42):
if you looked at it's like no, that's not what gives
me life at all.
Speaker 1 (37:45):
Well, and I also know that you're someone who's very
involved in the Greek communityI don't know the correct terms,
I'm going to shoot from the hip,but like the Greek council that
I know Chris is on but I meantalk to me about I mean what
gets talked about there, how youguys prioritize things, how you
support the community.
I mean also, like the one thateverybody thinks about coming up
, the Greek festival.
(38:06):
I mean talk to me a littleabout that experience.
Speaker 2 (38:08):
Yeah, I mean growing up and it was awesome.
I feel like that's like beingpart of the Greek festival at a
young age.
You're always volunteering,you're around so many people all
the time.
That's why I feel like it'sreally interesting to see Greek
kids.
They have such strong socialskills because you're forced
into it with big families andstuff.
But also the community andGreek festival, greek dance
(38:29):
practice, because you're goingto Greek dance practice half of
the year to get ready for Greekfestival.
You're going to Sunday school,so you're around people all the
time and so it creates awesomesocial skills.
But it's just cool to beinvolved in a community.
That's you know, our church isvery correlated with our
community.
Right, they're one in the same.
But it's just cool to beinvolved in a community.
I mean the networking, thefriendships, like I still to
this day hang out with, likemost of my Greek friends still
(38:52):
that we play basketball together, greek dance together, went to
Sunday school together.
If we're not hanging out, wecan call each other if we need
to.
It's an awesome community and Ifeel so fortunate and
especially in Salt Lake, sincewe have such a big Greek
community, even when we open thecatering company or the
restaurant.
Having that backbone of support, I can't tell you how much that
helps spearhead you in thebeginning to get you where you
(39:13):
need to be.
That community aspect of theGreek community is really cool.
It's a very loyal group.
Speaker 1 (39:19):
Yeah, I mean especially nice when you're like
, okay, I'm going to open up arestaurant, we're going to do
this, and if people show up withgloves on being like, hey, how
can I help?
Or what can we cook?
Speaker 2 (39:28):
A lot of people ask me like, hey, what can we do?
How can we help, you know, andit's like, yeah, like it's uh,
it's wild, and I feel likethat's something that a great
community really is good at.
Speaker 1 (39:36):
So, yeah, Super random question.
Um, so price Utah is notorious.
Notorious, famous for being,like, very Greek.
Yeah, like cause.
Someone told me once cause, Imean contact.
So I was one of the first Lyftdrivers in Salt Lake and which
(39:59):
started.
That's when I knew I'd liketalking to people because
someone would hop in the nextthing.
You know, they're like oh, mygosh, this is so great, have a
great day.
But I was talking to someoneand they're like oh, like,
they're going from price utahand I like said something else,
like so, yeah, like, obviouslyI'm greek.
And I was like pause, expand onthat.
She's like well, yeah,everybody in price is greek.
It's like a huge greek area.
Well, my question is like why,like, what made that happen?
Speaker 2 (40:21):
Yeah, so Carbon County, that area.
There's a ton of mining thathappened there in the early
1900s and so that brought a tonof Greeks.
A lot of immigrants came overto work in either the mine in
Kennecott, copper, which iswhere one of my grandfathers
worked, or up in Carbon Countyin the mines up there.
So, like, because you know theywould bring poor immigrants to
work in these mines andbasically enslave them.
You know, um, so that's where,like, a lot of the greeks came.
(40:43):
So a lot of greeks started incarbon county or stayed in
carbon county and then came here.
So there's, yeah, there was aton of greeks from carbon county
.
Speaker 1 (40:49):
Okay, yeah, so the mining is what brought them over
.
Interesting.
I always wanted that.
I mean, I guess I could havelooked it up on my own, but yeah
, I was reminded of that.
So now, now, anybody I meetfrom Price it's usually like a
70, 85% chance Like, oh, I'mfrom Price.
I'm like, oh, so you're Greek.
Speaker 2 (41:03):
They're like how do you know?
I'm like.
I was tipped off once upon atime.
There's a thousand people inthe city, so 750 of them.
Speaker 1 (41:09):
there it's most likely.
Speaker 2 (41:10):
Yeah, my sister-in-law is from Price as
well.
Speaker 1 (41:13):
Yeah, so like not turf war, I want to say, but is
it like, let's say, for example,greek festival comes up and
you're like, ah, those are,there's the price, Greeks,
they're coming in.
Speaker 2 (41:24):
Not that I know of.
I don't think there's a turfwar, but I don't think there'd
be much of a competition.
Like I said, the price is alittle small, but yeah, there's
no turf wars.
It's not like West side story.
So I wish we could snap at eachother, you know, um, but yeah
no.
So there's like an Ogden Greekchurch.
There's price, and then we havethe salt Lake, the prophet
Elias and a holy Trinity, andthen there's one in Sandy, now a
(41:45):
new church, um, but I thinkthose are all the churches in
Utah.
Cool, I believe.
I mean it's gotta be.
Speaker 1 (41:50):
I mean, it's obviously like one of the
biggest outside of thepredominant one as far as like
religious, yeah, no, yeah, Imean we have the biggest Greek
festival west of the Mississippi.
Speaker 2 (41:57):
I mean that's pretty crazy, like we have an enormous
Greek festival.
Speaker 1 (42:02):
And it's one of the I mean one of, if not the longest
running, like festivals in SaltLake, like how many years have
we been going on?
I?
Speaker 2 (42:08):
think it started in the 60s or 70s.
I think the 70s has started.
I think they just did their 50year anniversary, but I'm not
positive.
I I have to don't quote me onthat, but yeah, it's been around
for a while and it's.
I mean it's crazy.
I mean people still come androll the Dolmades in the summer,
do the Tito P test, like I meanthey, as things have gone on,
it's getting a little tougher.
So you know they're orderingsome things in but like there's
(42:37):
still a lot of stuff made from,it's still really cool.
It's cool that it's still um sointact, because nowadays, with
you know everything going on andhow busy everyone's lives are,
you know it's it can be easy tolose track of community and to
kind of fall away from it.
Speaker 1 (42:51):
so it's pretty cool how it still stayed intact yeah,
I mean even like the otherfestival that comes to mind I
mentioned, like the utahfestival, this is the 49th year,
yeah, which puts us in likemid-70s, like in the Greek
festival.
We're going on longer than that, which is great to see, I mean
again, how much bigger it'sgotten, how much it stays a
priority for the community.
Speaker 2 (43:09):
Yeah, it really has.
Speaker 1 (43:11):
Manoli.
I want to end with the twoquestions I always ask everybody
at the end of every episode.
Number one if you could havesomeone on the Small Lake City
podcast and hear more abouttheir story and what they're up
to, who would you want to hearfrom?
Speaker 2 (43:21):
I think Ryan Lauder from Copper Onion.
I think he'd be fun to hear hisstory.
Because me and Ryan are buddies, but I don't really know too
much of his background.
So I think it would be fun tokind of hear that honestly Sick
me out of my life.
Speaker 1 (43:31):
But that's also been the fun thing, even the friends
that I've known.
Like you sit down with peopleyou know and you're like all
right, let's start from thebeginning, chronologically, and
tell me your entire story.
Speaker 2 (43:41):
You meet people on later in life and you're not.
You're not, and especially like, unless you're hanging out all
the time, you're not alwaysknowing their whole background.
So I think, yeah, that would beinteresting cool, yeah, and I
was.
Speaker 1 (43:50):
Uh, that was one place like in a college I
interned at, northwestern mutual, which was at the building
connected to copper onion, andso we go there a but then
there's like this hiatus.
And then a friend reached outwho's just kind of going through
a hard time in life and he'slike, can we grab dinner, just
like to chat?
I'm like, yeah, of course.
He's like where do you want togo?
I was like I want that garlicburger, so I was like I'm going
(44:13):
to go there, but they don't haveit anymore.
Like you said, there's theserestaurants that came in that
were ahead of their time, higherquality.
Yeah, I'd love to talk to them.
Speaker 2 (44:22):
Yeah, no, I think you'd be.
And Mike Block from Table X Ithink it'd be interesting to
talk to.
Ooh, yes, Mike's a really goodguy.
He's awesome.
He's a good person, really goodchef.
I really like him a lot.
He'd be a good one to hear hisbackground.
Speaker 1 (44:45):
Because when they started Table X, time was pretty
far ahead for Salt Lake, soit's really cool to see what
they've done.
Yeah, I mean, I slowly want tobe the Thanos that collects all
the infinity stones of the JamesBeard semifinalist nominees.
We'll get them all.
And then, lastly, if peoplewant to find more information
about Manolis Perea, what's thebest place to find information?
Speaker 2 (44:56):
Yeah, I mean you can go on our websites
ManolisOn9.com or PareaOn9thcom,but best thing to follow us too
is get on our social media andfollow us, cause we're always
doing fun events Like this.
Next Thursday we're doing alamb on the spit at Manolis,
which is awesome.
Do our regular menu plus lambon the spit prefix.
If you want to do that, I carvefresh lamb off the spit for
everyone Local lamb superawesome.
So we're doing that this nextThursday.
(45:18):
And then Padilla we're alwaysdoing really fun specials, new
things in the market, so followus on our social media and
that's the best way to see kindof what's going on in both
restaurants.
Speaker 1 (45:27):
Deal.
I am salvating and way toohungry for 10 am in the morning.
I got to take care of that,manoli.
Thank you so much.
This has been great, yeah,thanks for having me on.
It's been great to hear thestory and, yeah, everybody, go
check out Manoli's, go check outPerea.
Put the Greek.
What's the Greek festival, doyou?
Speaker 2 (45:41):
have the date yet.
Let's see.
I believe it's a fifth throughthe seventh, but don't quote me.
Deal Tentatively, block out thedates for the fifth to the
seventh of September or OctoberSeptember.
It's always September.
Speaker 1 (45:55):
Yeah, that's right, I can always get my months mixed
up for a lot of things, butanyway, yeah, 5th to the 7th of
September Mark your calendars.
If you've been, you know why.
If you haven't been, come findout why, and it's a great
experience.
So, yeah, keep all that in mind, but yeah, yeah, well, thanks
for having me on.
Speaker 2 (46:12):
I appreciate it.
This was nice, thanks forcoming.
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