Michigan Avenue - Niche Media - Michigan Avenue magazine is a luxury lifestyle magazine centered around Chicago’s finest people, events, fashion, health & beauty, fine dining & more!
Issue link: http://www.ifoldsflip.com/i/461818
photography by adam alexander photography GREEKTOWN GO-TOS Alexi Giannoulias shares the neighborhood's Hellenic spots that continue to inspire him. Greek Islands "A classic—welcoming, inclusive, fun, and low-key." (200 S. Halsted St., 312-782- 9855; greekislands.net) santorInI "One of the most underrated restaurants in the city." (800 W. Adams St., 312-829-8820; santorinichicago.com) artopolIs "A great place for Greek sweets and coffee." (306 S. Halsted St., 312-559-9000; artopolischicago.com) 9 Muses "A great place to be for the Greek Independence Day Parade." (315 S. Halsted St., 312-902-9922; 9museschicago.com) natIonal HellenIc MuseuM "Best Greek museum in the United States." (333 S. Halsted St., 312-655-1234; nationalhellenicmuseum.org) elea MedIterranean Food Market "It stocks items that make you think of the homeland." (309 S. Halsted St., 312-207-1655; eleafoodmarket.com) atHenIan candle "Legendary—one of the original Greek stores on Halsted." (300 S. Halsted St., 312-332-6988; atheniancandle.com) welcoming, inclusive, fun, and low-key, and to me the best part of it is the people who work there. I always start with the avgolemono—egg lemon soup—and then basically [have] every appetizer and some sort of fish; they've got great sea bass. And then there's santorini right across the street, which is one of the most underrated restaurants in the city. It's a little qui- eter and more conversation-friendly. Plus, you can walk out the front door of one and you're facing the other—that's what makes Greektown so great. "Greeks go to get their strong coffee at artopolis. And it's also the place where, when there's a big Greek soccer game, the whole community goes to watch it. It's a great place to get Greek sweets, coffee, see some friends, and feel like you're back in Greece. "9 Muses is the place to go if you want to have a drink or meet up with some fellow Greeks, and it's a great place to be for the Greek Independence Day Parade. It's impossible to talk about Greektown without talking about the parade—generations have participated in it. It seems like yesterday that my brothers and I were dressed up and marching in it, and now I get to watch my nephew and nieces and goddaughter march in it. The national "THe Greek cOmmUnITy In cHIcAGO IS AS STrOnG AnD VIBrAnT AS eVer. THe PrIDe IS PHenOmenAL, AnD I DOn'T THInk I'Ve Seen THAT kInD Of cOHeSIOn AnyWHere eLSe In THe US." — alexi giannoulias Hellenic Museum is another great neighborhood attraction and a real source of pride. It's the best Greek museum in the United States. My nieces and nephews go to Greek school there, and we hope that ultimately our kids and great-grandkids will be visiting the museum. "elea Mediterranean is a cross between a gour- met shop and a tiny grocery store, and it stocks items that make you think of the homeland—Greek olives, olive oil, coffee, chocolates, taramasalata. If you can't make it to Greece, you go there. And athenian candle is a legendary shop where fami- lies get candles for Greek Easter and weddings. It's a very special place that's been around for nearly 100 years, and you don't find a store like that in other parts of the country. It's one of the original Greek stores on Halsted. "The Greek community in Chicago is as strong and vibrant as ever. You're part of a very large community, and Greeks try to help each other out and do business with them. The pride is phenomenal, and I don't think I've seen that kind of cohesion and sense of commu- nity anywhere else in the United States." MA The Greektown Peristyle greets visitors to the neighborhood. Greek Islands has a fun, welcoming ambiance— even if you're not Greek. right: Artopolis is famous for its strong Greek coffee. 72 michiganavemag.com PEOPLE Native