Papa Cristo's facts for kids
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| Industry | Restaurant |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1948 |
| Founder | Sam Chrys |
| Headquarters | , |
| Owner | Chrys Chrys |
Papa Cristo's is a popular Greek restaurant and market in Los Angeles, California. It's like a traditional Greek taverna, which is a cozy place to eat. You can find it in the Byzantine-Latino Quarter, right across from Saint Sophia's Church.
Contents
History of Papa Cristo's
Papa Cristo's started in October 1948. It was first an importing and exporting company called C & K Importing. The founder was Sam Chrys, who was a Greek immigrant.
From Importing to Restaurant
In 1968, Sam Chrys's son, Chrys, took over the business. He decided to open a Greek restaurant alongside the importing company. Chrys traveled all over Greece to learn more about Greek food and its special dishes.
Growth and Family Business
The taverna part of the business opened in the 1990s. The restaurant uses fresh ingredients and foods brought directly from Greece by the importing company. In 1990, Papa Cristo's also started a catering service. This service delivers Greek food to events all over the greater Los Angeles area and Orange County. In 2010, Chrys Chrys's youngest daughter, Annie, joined the team. She became the third generation of the family to help run the business.
The Papa Cristo's Restaurant Experience
The restaurant is famous for its "My Big Fat Greek Family-Style Dinner" every Thursday night. This special event includes fun entertainment. You can enjoy live bouzouki music, which is played on a Greek string instrument. There are also exciting belly dancing performances. This dinner is very popular and often sells out!
Delicious Greek Food Menu
Papa Cristo's serves many different kinds of Greek food and desserts. Here are some of the tasty options you might find:
- Chicken and lamb Gyros (meat cooked on a vertical spit)
- Souvlaki (grilled meat on a skewer)
- Loukaniko (Greek sausage)
- Falafel (fried chickpea patties)
- Tsipoura (a type of fish)
- Kefta (spiced meatballs)
- Oktapodakia (Grilled Octopus)
- Loukoumades (Greek doughnuts with syrup)
- Taramosalata (a creamy dip made from fish roe, sometimes called Greek caviar)
- Gigandes plaki (baked giant beans)
The Papa Cristo's Market
The market at Papa Cristo's is a treasure trove of Greek products. It has over 3,000 imported goods from Greece. You can find items like:
- Frappé coffee (a popular iced coffee)
- High-quality olive oil
- Different kinds of ouzo (a Greek alcoholic drink)
- Spanakopita (savory spinach pie)
- Feta and kasseri cheeses
- Tiropita (cheese pie)
The market also offers many imported Greek wines. These include Retsina and Muscat wine from the island of Samos. Besides Greek items, the market also sells many Ethiopian foods and products.
See also
- List of Greek restaurants
