George Mavrothalassitis
Encyclopedia
George Mavrothalassitis is a chef
and restaurateur known as one of the cofounders of Hawaii Regional Cuisine
in the early 1990s. Mavrothalassitis is particularly known for individual pairings of wines with each dish in a multicourse meal.
, and moved to the United States in 1985. In 1988 he came to Hawaii
when he was recruited to be the executive chef of La Mer at the Halekulani Hotel
in Honolulu, Hawaii
. From 1995-1998 he was executive chef of the Four Seasons Hotel in Maui
, and the chef de cuisine of Seasons Restaurant. In 1998 he opened his own restaurant, named for his nickname, Chef Mavro in Honolulu, at 1969 S. King Street, 21°17.698′N 157°49.834′W. In April 2007, Mavrothalassitis opened Cassis, a casual dining restaurant with French and Hawaiian influences, also in Honolulu.
magazine as one of six selected chefs. In October 2002, Gourmet Magazine named his restaurant one of "America's Best Restaurants," the only mention from Hawaii. In 2003 the James Beard Foundation
awarded Mavrothalassitis Best Chef: Northwest/Hawaii. Chef Mavro was the only Hawaii restaurant to make a place on Esquire Magazine’s America’s Best New Restaurants list.
One of the dishes at Chef Mavro are the lilikoi malasada
s, or Portuguese donuts. They are served floating in a pool of fuchsia-hued guava coulis with pineapple-coconut ice cream. Mavrothalassitis has tried to remove them from the menu several times but they have always returned by popular demand.
He has made numerous television appearances such as on CNN
, The Food Channel, the PBS series Great Chefs in America, France's Antenne 2, and the Food Network
.
, which can be purchased at Hawaiian supermarkets. He also hosts his own cooking classes.
Chef
A chef is a person who cooks professionally for other people. Although over time the term has come to describe any person who cooks for a living, traditionally it refers to a highly skilled professional who is proficient in all aspects of food preparation.-Etymology:The word "chef" is borrowed ...
and restaurateur known as one of the cofounders of Hawaii Regional Cuisine
Hawaii regional cuisine
Hawaii regional cuisine, abbreviated to HRC, is two concepts; It's the moniker for a style of cooking, and secondly, it’s the name a group of twelve chefs gave their organization which began as a drinking club....
in the early 1990s. Mavrothalassitis is particularly known for individual pairings of wines with each dish in a multicourse meal.
Life
Mavrothalassitis was born in ProvenceProvence
Provence ; Provençal: Provença in classical norm or Prouvènço in Mistralian norm) is a region of south eastern France on the Mediterranean adjacent to Italy. It is part of the administrative région of Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur...
, and moved to the United States in 1985. In 1988 he came to Hawaii
Hawaii
Hawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of...
when he was recruited to be the executive chef of La Mer at the Halekulani Hotel
Halekulani hotel
Halekulani is a U.S. luxury hotel located on Waikiki Beach in Honolulu, Hawaii. It has 453 rooms in five buildings on of property. Halekulani is a Hawaiian word meaning "House Befitting Heaven"....
in Honolulu, Hawaii
Honolulu, Hawaii
Honolulu is the capital and the most populous city of the U.S. state of Hawaii. Honolulu is the southernmost major U.S. city. Although the name "Honolulu" refers to the urban area on the southeastern shore of the island of Oahu, the city and county government are consolidated as the City and...
. From 1995-1998 he was executive chef of the Four Seasons Hotel in Maui
Maui
The island of Maui is the second-largest of the Hawaiian Islands at and is the 17th largest island in the United States. Maui is part of the state of Hawaii and is the largest of Maui County's four islands, bigger than Lānai, Kahoolawe, and Molokai. In 2010, Maui had a population of 144,444,...
, and the chef de cuisine of Seasons Restaurant. In 1998 he opened his own restaurant, named for his nickname, Chef Mavro in Honolulu, at 1969 S. King Street, 21°17.698′N 157°49.834′W. In April 2007, Mavrothalassitis opened Cassis, a casual dining restaurant with French and Hawaiian influences, also in Honolulu.
Awards and accolades
In 2000, he appeared in the November cover story of Wine SpectatorWine Spectator
Wine Spectator is a lifestyle magazine that focuses on wine and wine culture. It publishes 15 issues per year with content that includes news, articles, profiles, and general entertainment pieces...
magazine as one of six selected chefs. In October 2002, Gourmet Magazine named his restaurant one of "America's Best Restaurants," the only mention from Hawaii. In 2003 the James Beard Foundation
James Beard Foundation
The James Beard Foundation is a New York-based national professional non-profit organization named in honor of James Beard that serves to promote the culinary arts by honoring chefs, wine professionals, journalists, and cookbook authors at annual award ceremonies and providing scholarships and...
awarded Mavrothalassitis Best Chef: Northwest/Hawaii. Chef Mavro was the only Hawaii restaurant to make a place on Esquire Magazine’s America’s Best New Restaurants list.
One of the dishes at Chef Mavro are the lilikoi malasada
Malasada
A malasada is a Portuguese confection. They were first made by inhabitants of Madeira Island. Malasadas are made of egg-sized balls of yeast dough that are deep-fried in oil and coated with granulated sugar. A popular variation is where they are hand dropped into the oil and people have to guess...
s, or Portuguese donuts. They are served floating in a pool of fuchsia-hued guava coulis with pineapple-coconut ice cream. Mavrothalassitis has tried to remove them from the menu several times but they have always returned by popular demand.
He has made numerous television appearances such as on CNN
CNN
Cable News Network is a U.S. cable news channel founded in 1980 by Ted Turner. Upon its launch, CNN was the first channel to provide 24-hour television news coverage, and the first all-news television channel in the United States...
, The Food Channel, the PBS series Great Chefs in America, France's Antenne 2, and the Food Network
Food Network
Food Network is a television specialty channel that airs both one-time and recurring programs about food and cooking. Scripps Networks Interactive owns 70 percent of the network, with Tribune Company controlling the remaining 30 percent....
.
Other Ventures
Mavrothalassitis has his own line of organic Kona coffeeKona coffee
Kona coffee is the market name for coffee cultivated on the slopes of Hualalai and Mauna Loa in the North and South Kona Districts of the Big Island of Hawaii. It is one of the most expensive coffees in the world. Only coffee from the Kona Districts can be described as "Kona"...
, which can be purchased at Hawaiian supermarkets. He also hosts his own cooking classes.
External links
- Chef Mavro
- Wine Spectator
- James Beard also see award link