![]() | |
Industry | Restaurant |
---|---|
Founded | 1948 |
Founder | Sam Chrys |
Headquarters | , |
Owner | Chrys Chrys |
Website | papacristos |
Papa Cristo's is a taverna styled Greek restaurant and market located in the Byzantine-Latino Quarter across the street from Saint Sophia's Church Greek Orthodox Church in Los Angeles, California. [1] [2]
Papa Cristo's was founded in October 1948 as an importing and exporting company bringing produce from Greece. [2] [3] The company, which was initially called C & K Importing, was founded by Greek immigrant Sam Chrys. [4] In 1968, Sam Chrys's son Chrys carried on the business and opened a Greek restaurant in addition to the importing business. [3] Chrys eventually traveled across many different parts of Greece in order to attain a better understanding of Greek food and its specialties. In the 1990s, the taverna was opened. The restaurant uses ingredients and foods brought directly from Greece through the importing company. [3] In 1990 the restaurant established a catering service which serves the Great Los Angeles area and Orange County. [3] In 2010 Chrys Chrys' youngest daughter Annie joined the management becoming the third generation of the family to run the business. [3]
The restaurant features a "My Big Fat Greek Family-Style Dinner" every Thursday night which includes various types of entertainment including live bouzouki performances and belly dancing. [5] [6] Due to its popularity, the event is usually sold-out. [5]
The restaurant serves many different types of Greek food and desserts including:
The market includes 3,000 imported goods from Greece such as frappé coffee, olive oil, various ouzo's spanakopita, feta and kasseri cheeses and tiropita. [7] [8] The market also features dozens of selections of imported Greek wine such as Retsina and Muscat from the island of Samos. [9] The market also features many Ethiopian foods and products. [9]
In 2011 Papa Cristo's was awarded Best Greek Restaurant in Los Angeles by Zagat. [10]
It was considered one of the top 7 family styled restaurants in Los Angeles by ABC 7 news in 2007. [11]
In 2010 Los Angeles Magazine featured Papa Cristo's Roasted Lamb and Feta sandwich as one of the top 17 great sandwiches in Los Angeles. [12]
The food appearing in the 2002 film My Big Fat Greek Wedding and the 2003 CBS TV series My Big Fat Greek Life was provided by Papa Cristo's. [9]
Papa Cristo's was featured in the Los Angeles Times as one of "the most delicious deals you'll find around town." [13]
In June 2020, rapper Ja Rule made a commercial for Papa Cristo's as part of the TBS reality show Celebrity Show-Off . The commercial went viral on social media and helped to bring more business to the restaurant so it wouldn't fall victim to the COVID-19 pandemic. [14]
Papa Cristo's will mix up a frappe for you too.
The taverna serves hard-to-find Greek specialties, and the catering side of the business produced the food featured in the TV series and indie hit "My Big, Fat Greek Wedding."
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