The man behind the success of the Purple Pig, Jimmy Bannos Jr., will open his first solo venture in Niles this summer with Kouklas Greek Eatery.
A James Beard Award-winning chef who started working at age 5 in his father’s popular restaurant, Heaven on Seven, Bannos Jr. left the Pig in Streeterville about two years ago. There, he focused on Mediterranean ingredient-driven cuisine. But this time around, the focus is on Greek food. Inspired in part by his own roots, Kouklas will be a tribute to Greek hospitality and Bannos Jr.'s two young daughters, who helped name the restaurant.
About a year and a half ago, Bannos Jr. was in the car with his girls, Olivia, 9, and Gianna, 11, when he was brainstorming names for the new spot. The three went back and forth for a bit.
“What else you got?” Bannos asked his daughters.
“You should call it Kouklas,” Gianna said. Bannos Jr. immediately knew what he’d name his restaurant.
Kouklas, a Greek term of endearment meaning “doll” or “beautiful girl,” is a word Bannos Jr. often uses when addressing his kids — and it’s that spirit of family and warmth that will be central to the restaurant.
It’s taking over the 9,000-square-foot site of the now-closed Amici Ristorante, at 7620 N. Milwaukee Ave. in Niles, which served authentic Italian food for more than 30 years. There are 150 seats in the dining room, a bar with room for 18 guests and a 100-seat all-season terrace. The restaurant’s decor and atmosphere will be inspired by the Mediterranean.
Diners can expect locally sourced ingredients, homemade pita and handmade pastas on the ever-evolving menu, complemented with cocktails and wines inspired by and imported from the motherland. The menu will feature seafood items sourced from some longtime connections and meats purchased from Chicago-area butchers.
Seasonal ingredients are extremely important to Bannos Jr., and that philosophy has left an impact everywhere he’s worked.
“That’s how I was trained,” he said. Tomatoes are big in Greek cuisine, but they’re not always in season in Illinois. Using a February tomato for a Greek salad, for example, would be a “disservice,” he said.
“I wouldn’t be able to look at a Greek salad go out of the kitchen 50 times a night and know that it’s just not as good as it could be. It would drive me insane,” he continued.
Bannos Jr. and his team also had an oversized grill custom-built and installed in the kitchen for open-fire cooking. You won’t find your typical woods and charcoal in it, though.
“We want to make this authentic and bring out the best flavors and techniques that we possibly can out of a given product,” Bannos Jr. told the Sun-Times, adding that he’s exploring the use of olive wood, lemon wood and grapevine trimmings. He’s done a lot of “digging deep” into what’s common in Greece so he can replicate it here.
The custom grill features an electric rotisserie, too, which means executive chef Kevin Stack, who worked at the Purple Pig alongside Bannos Jr., can cook chickens and lamb using traditional recipes and styles.
Dishes will also feature “high quality” and “rare” olive oils straight from Greece in its dishes, the restaurant said.
Bannos Jr., 40, and his father, Jimmy Bannos Sr., have worked together at many restaurants, including the Pig.
For this venture, Bannos Sr. is helping his son in any way he can, but is mostly taking the back seat. Dad will be around to bounce ideas off and keep an eye on things, as he is an industry veteran.
“It’s very lucky at this age that we’re still able to work together,” Bannos Jr. said.
Bannos Jr. said he’s inspired by his great-grandparents and his grandfather, who “busted his butt” in the old days, working in Greek diners.
“This is kind of like a salute to them,” he said.
