INGOOD TASTE
Candid conversations with the dining scene’s most engaging chefs
John Yianni Papageorgiou, Chef and Co-Owner,
Acropolis Gyro House & Grille
Acropolis Gyro House & Grille
630 Allegheny River Boulevard, Verona;
412.828.3108, acropolisgyrohouse.com
On the Menu: Authentic Greek fare, including
roasted leg of lamb, gyros, Souvlaki, grilled
chicken, Greek potatoes and rice pilaf among
the variety of everyday Mediterranean
specialties available.
Why did you become a chef?
As a young boy growing up in a
village in Greece, I played soccer
and had a successful career in
it—until I was injured in a game.
Once I couldn’t play anymore I decided to attend
culinary school in Greece for six months and it
was there I learned the basics of cooking. But, I
didn’t work as a chef then. Instead, I joined the
Greek Navy. After my discharge, I worked at
GM as a mechanic. There were layoffs just three
months after I started and with not much else to
do, I decided to try my hand at cooking again and
enrolled in culinary school in New York City. In
1975, I moved to Pittsburgh and put my culinary
skills to good use as a chef.
QA
Photos courtesy of Acropolis Gyro House & Grille
Who has influenced your cooking the
most?
My mother, Sunday, was my biggest influence.
She raised six kids—I am the youngest. She
would make me lamb chops with a side of overeasy eggs. She showed me how to make roast leg
of lamb, spinach pie, shish kabob with chicken,
pork and lamb on skewers, rice pilaf and Greek
potato wedges in the oven. Everything you
experience on our menu has come from my
experience as a child.
What led you to open Acropolis Gyro
House & Grille?
I opened seven restaurants prior to Acropolis
and my business partner and I decided to open
this in October 2015. But, it’s my 4-year-old
granddaughter, Vasilia, who runs the place. She’s
the boss.
Acropolis Gyro House & Grille in Verona
Chef John Yianni Papageorgiou
What kitchen tool can’t you live without?
I can’t live without a whisk. It’s how I make rice
pudding. There is no way I could mix the boiled
milk and rice with the eggs, lemon, vanilla and
sugar—my mother’s