That’s So Cincinnati with Peter Rodish and Cathy Stavros from the Panegyri Greek Festival

·44 min·4 clips

Why are many Cincinnati diners Greek-owned, and how does that lead to the city's biggest Greek festival?

The episode begins with host Burl Gilyard introducing guest host Keith Pandolfi, a food writer, to discuss recent food news. They start by talking about Keith's feature on Cincinnati diners, noting that many are Greek-owned, such as Santorini Diner in Cheviot and Blue Jay Restaurant in Northside. Keith explains that a diner having its own Cincinnati chili recipe often indicates Greek ownership. The conversation shifts to the James Beard Awards, where Cincinnati was shut out again, with finalists losing to Chicago and New York. They then discuss the passing of Matula Gregory, co-founder of Montgomery Inn, who created the famous barbecue sauce recipe. The main segment features interviews with Panegyri Greek Festival organizers Pete Rodish and Kathy Stavros. They detail the festival's 50th edition, highlighting food like gyros, souvlaki, pastitsio, and village salad, as well as activities like Greek dancing, church tours, and cooking demonstrations. Pete describes the festival as feeling like walking into Greece, with a DJ from Greece and live music. Kathy talks about her involvement in dancing and a cooking demo with her daughter. They cover practical details like free parking at St. Xavier High School, admission fees, and tips supporting local ministries. The episode also includes fun facts, such as the Chicago origin of flaming saganaki cheese. Keith Pandolfi shares his festival food picks: Greek pizza and loukoumades. The episode wraps with a call to subscribe to Cincinnati.com.

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