About Christos Bisiotis

Born and raised in Athens, Greece, Christos graduated from the culinary school in Greece, OTEK – the private Greek government’s highly regarded hospitality school which only allows in the best of the best. Like many of his tattoos, cooking is etched in him for life. Being influenced at a child, Christos spent much of his time cooking with his dear grandmother Terpsichore who taught him how to, “cook from the heart and give smell to memories.” At the age of 12, he began to tend to his parents’ bakery, and work at neighboring restaurants, starting as a dishwasher (yes, at 12 years old), and working his way up the ranks to cook, and never looking back.
 

Finding himself crossing the Atlantic over to the United States on Christmas Day 2007, “because that was the day that had the cheapest flights,” Christos landed in NYC, but not his luggage. Knowing little to no English, and also knowing little to nobody, he slept in Astoria Park his first night – and possibly the coldest night of the year. Picking up the Daily News and looking at job advertisements, he cut out Burger King 2-for-1 coupons to fill his daily quota of lunch and dinner cravings, giving him only nutritional strength to go and apply from restaurant to restaurant. Bumping into rude and crude Greek owners, one specifically being ‘very annoyed’ that Christos came in to chat with him while he was eating his lunch, he was offered his first job by the late George Stergiopoulos, owner of Christos Steakhouse in Astoria. Warmly and sincerely welcomed in, Christos got his shot and after several months of hard work, he was offered a position at Edison Ballroom, which under mutual ownership, he worked on massive catering events, celebrity birthdays and galas.

“The goal for me was to cook nice food. All I can do is cook,” Christos states, however there was more to come, and the brakes were not going to be pressed anytime soon. 

Christos eventually landed as Chef de Cuisine at Eataly NYC Flatiron. Working there for four years and learning the art and love of Italian cooking and food hall operations, during his time there he also assisted with the opening Eataly Chicago and international locations. Years after, he found himself in skillful, high-pressure positions, including leading culinary and gourmet efforts under MINA Group for Locale Market, located in St. Petersburg, Florida which was the Group’s first entry into food hall operations.

In-between the years, Christos had several achievements including, being Nominated for Michelin Star at The Greek (2014), being the First and Youngest Greek Chef to cook at the White House (2012, by invitation from the White House Executive Chef) which also included cooking several times during the Obama administration and for the Annual United States Congress Dinner, he was hand chosen by the late, great French Chef Alain Sailhac to teach a culinary class at the legendary De Gustibus Cooking School at Macy’s Herald Square, NYC (2018), participated and competed with head chefs in the International Gastronomic Festival in Athens (2007), and was a Consulting Chef of EL AL Airlines, Tel Aviv, Israel (2017).

It was a matter of time before he found himself back to what he loves the most -- cooking Greek. Coming back full circle, 10 years later in 2017, he was hired as Executive Chef at Avra Madison, and soon after, launching Avra Beverly Hills in 2018, their first West Coast location. In 2019, Christos was tasked to open international seafood Greek restaurant Estiatorio Milos - Hudson Yards. At $25 billion, the most expensive real-estate development in U.S. history, there he managed a 120-person brigade, curating an unparalleled culinary destination for the 230-seat dining room.

On the high of his life, what could go wrong? Towards the end of 2019 and early part of 2020, Christos was offered the opportunity and worked towards opening up his first restaurant which was called, ‘Egéo.’ Located on a bustling 31st street corner of Astoria, Queens, it was set to soft launch on March 25, 2020 in celebration of Greek Independence Day. With tons of press attention, social media buzz and high community anticipation, it didn’t happen. With the NYC shutdown, an onset of challenges due to the pandemic, plus, a “bad partnership,” Christos walked away in the Summer 2020, putting his dreams of his own endeavor aside, leaving NYC entirely. 

Rethinking his path, he moved down to Miami spending the next two years opening Carbone Miami, and working as a personal chef throughout the endless high-rise condos in Miami Beach, hosting private dinners, and ultimately, rebranding and rebuilding his own path on his own terms. As buzz started to re-emerge about Christos, in 2021 he was profiled in Good Morning America’s ‘Fare from Afar: Greece’, sharing authentic ingredients, dishes of Greek cuisine to transport your taste buds.
 

In the Summer 2022, more than 800 days since what it felt like the entire world tried to force him off his entrepreneurial course, Christos created Terpsi Hospitality, focusing on cooking and delivering the freshest weekly meals throughout all of South Florida, catering for events, and executing personal chef services.

In 2023, Christos was approached to be the first Greek Chef based in the United States to take part in Greek Chefs Abroad with Marbella Collection Greece. Exclusively presenting a 6-course menu packed with over 20 years of ingredients and flavor influences for a one-night luxury, sit-down fine dining experience at one a five-star restaurant, the private event took place at 

Marbella Nido Apaggio (Corfu, Greece) and was a sold out, huge success.

Now in 2024, you'll find Christos in the creative process of creating his own product line, Bellita Pasta (inspired by his daughter, Bella). 

Christos is based between South Florida & New York with his wife Laura and has three loving children Christos Brendan, Anne Bella and Andonios Christos.

Still, you will never see him wearing his name on his chef's jacket ("it's all about the people's experience, not my experience"). He'll always be more comfortable in a dishwasher's jacket because that is what he started as. With values based on family, tradition, faith, respect, hard work and relentlessness, his volunteer efforts remain strong volunteering to cook for children with cancer at the Ronald McDonald House in New York and Ronald McDonald's House of Charities Cyprus.