Athens on 4th Ave - athenson4thave.com

Andreas Delfakis, Founder & Executive Chef

Andreas Delfakis was born in 1942 on a farm in Dara, Greece during WW2 and the Greek civil war. His father owned a butcher shop in the city (Tripoli, Greece) and his family was fortunate to enjoy farm-fresh ingredients at a time when the area experienced food shortages as a result of the wars. After graduating from carpentry trade school in Greece, he emigrated to Montreal, Canada in the 1950s and then to Los Angeles, Sacramento and Chicago where he worked in exclusive hotel restaurants like the Drake, and where he cemented the second phase in his future as a premier chef and restaurateur. In 1974 Andreas moved his family to Tucson, Arizona where he later formed Bearclaw Construction Co. and where he built and owned several restaurants before opening Athens on 4th Avenue in 1993.

Besides offering a balanced sampling of truly authentic Greek cuisine, Andreas' trade secrets are founded in top quality ingredients such as extra virgin olive oil, imported cheeses, prime grade meats and the freshest hand-selected seafood, punctuated by cooking techniques reminiscent of those exclusive hotel restaurants in the sixties. The combination placed Athens on 4th Avenue in City Magazine's top 100 restaurants in the United States, and in number one position in the opinion of the loyal guests who have been returning to Athens since it opened over 21 years ago!