About Chef Mari
Chef Mari grew up in a household where family dinner was the most important part of the day. Chef Mari's father is a Greek immigrant who has been in the foodservice industry for over 30 years, and her mother is of Scots-Irish descent, where Sunday supper was served on fine china every week. With such an emphasis on food in her life, it was natural for Chef Mari to follow in her father's footsteps and do what has been a source of so much happiness and love for her entire family; that is, cook.
After working in her father's restaurants since the age of ten, Chef Mari graduated from The Art Institute of Atlanta's culinary program in 2005. During her culinary school education, Chef Mari worked at the award winning Bluepointe asian fusion restaurant, part of the Buckhead Life Restaurant Group, in Atlanta , Georgia . She was blessed during this time to work for the world renowned Chef Ian Winslade, now the executive chef at Tom Catherall's Posh, also in Atlanta , Georgia . She also worked on the opening team as Director of Sales and Catering for Marswood Hall in Athens , Georgia , for Epting Events catering.
After graduating culinary school with an Associate's of Sciences degree and several certifications, Chef Mari was given the once in a lifetime chance to finish her Baccalaureate degree at Hellenic College Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology in Brookline, Massachusetts. She did so, graduating in May of 2007 as valedictorian of Hellenic College with a degree in Religious Studies.
Chef Mari is now living in Brookfield , Wisconsin with her husband, Father Christos, who is a Greek Orthodox priest at Annunciation Greek Orthodox Church in Milwaukee , and their adorable dog, Bonnie.
Chef Mari is a Certified Culinarian with the American Culinary Federation. She is also ServSafe certified, the industry standard in sanitation and safety. In addition, she holds certifications in Nutrition as well as Management and Supervision. Chef Mari is a proud member of the American Personal and Private Chef Association.