Dining 2008: Newsmakers

Donatella Arpaia and Michael Psilakis

Behold, the conquering hero. Psilakis kicked off his roller-coaster year in February, when he and partner Arpaia opened Midtown Italian eatery Mia Dona to great acclaim. A Bon Appetit Chef of the Year accolade followed for Psilakis, whose Anthos is one of only two Greek restaurants in the world to hold a Michelin star. 2008 was not without its headaches: The dynamic duo’s plans to relaunch Kefi in the fall were delayed thanks to construction woes, and the opening of a new restaurant in the old Kefi space is also up in the air. Which just makes us even more excited for 2009, when Kefi will finally open, and Psilakis’ plans for a cookbook and a restaurant in Athens will most likely take shape.