Michael Psilakis has accrued many of the food world’s highest honors in the short time he has been part of the culinary world. In 2008, Psilakis was awarded Food & Wine’s Best New Chef and Bon Appetit’s Chef of the Year distinctions; nominated for A-List Chef by Bravo TV; and had his upscale Greek restaurant, Anthos, nominated for a James Beard Award in the category of Best New Restaurant. He was also deemed “Chef of the Year” by Esquire Magazine and Anthos was awarded a Michelin star and named the third of ten best new restaurants by The New York Times restaurant reviewer Frank Bruni.

As the eldest first generation son in a traditional Greek family on Long Island, Michael Psilakis was destined to embody the hospitality and appreciation for food so highly valued by his party-loving family. When his father installed an immense BBQ in the backyard, he taught young Michael to roast whole lambs on a spit.

A tremendous cook, Michael’s mother taught him everything about the flavors and techniques of classic Greek cooking and remains his greatest influence in the kitchen. “Even today, the flavors of my dishes are my mother’s flavors,” says Psilakis. “And my instincts for taking Greek cuisine in new directions — these I’ve inherited from her.”

Post-college, where he has earned a BBA in accounting and finance as per his father’s wishes, Michael found work as a waiter at T.G.I. Friday’s, where the possibilities of a career in restaurant management first became apparent. Later, he worked his way up the ranks at Café Angelica, a trattoria on Long Island, and eventually bought out the owners. He renamed it Ecco and established himself as a bona fide restaurateur.

Michael ran the front-of-house at Ecco for two years. Then, one life-changing day, his chef and cook simply didn’t show up. With reservations pending that evening, Michael stepped into the kitchen. This moment of crisis allowed Michael’s innate and indisputable talent as a chef to finally be revealed. A year later, with Michael in the kitchen, Ecco received a two-star rating from The New York Times.

The opening of his next venture, Onera, on Manhattan’s Upper West Side, allowed Michael to realize a long-time dream and return to the cuisine that first ignited his passion for cooking. The unique upscale Greek-inspired cuisine Michael served at Onera earned him a reputation as a rising star chef.

His next project took flight when he joined his long-time friend and well-known restaurateur, Donatella Arpaia, to open Dona restaurant. There he served “First Generation” cuisine — food that blended their modern American experiences with the cuisines of their parent’s homelands (Italy and Greece). The restaurant received two stars from The New York Times, was named one of Esquire’s Best New Restaurants in 2006, and Bon Appetit magazine named its Gnudi “Dish of the Year.” Unfortunately, in early 2007, Dona was forced to close due to real estate circumstances. The building in which Dona was housed was sold to a developer.

Already in the works were plans for the two to bring another gem to the New York dining scene. Psilakis transformed Onera into Kefi, a rustic cozy neighborhood spot serving the Greek food he ate as a child, and moved his upscale Greek concept to a larger stage. Anthos, which means rebirth or blossoming, stars Psilakis’ signature Greek cuisine and has also earned numerous accolades. The restaurant was awarded a coveted Michelin Star, one of only two Greek restaurants in the world to hold that honor, and was nominated for a James Beard Award in 2008.

Mia Dona was the pair’s next restaurant. An homage to the shuttered Dona, Mia Dona is a chic, casual Upper East Side enclave meant to evoke a Sunday supper at Donatella’s home that was named one of 2008’s Best New Restaurants by The New York Times. In December of 2008, Psilakis and Arpaia relocated Kefi to a larger space, tripling the beloved taverna in size. May 2009 brought a partnership with Kor Hotel Management to open Eos, a striking Mediterranean-inspired small-plates restaurant at the new Viceroy Miami at the Icon Brickell urban resort enclave on Biscayne Bay.

Most recently, Psilakis has opened Gus & Gabriel, a gastropub honoring the two most influential men in his life: Gus, Psilakis’ late father, and Gabriel, his three-year-old son, in the space on 79th Street that has served as an incubator for concepts like Onera and Kefi. Little, Brown will publish Psilakis’ first cookbook, “How to Roast a Lamb,” in October 2009.