Michael Psilakis Owes it all to T.G.I. Friday's

Posted by Sarah DiGregorio at 1:15 PM, April 3, 2008

Food and Wine's Best New Chefs 2008 has been announced. Michael Psilakis is the lone New Yorker in the bunch (above, with business partner Donatella Arpaia).

From F&W's bio we learn that Psilakis "earned a degree in accounting and finance before a job as a waiter at T.G.I Friday's led him to reconsider..." Those goblet-sized Long Island iced teas will do that to a young man. We can only imagine that Psilakis is feeling on top of the world these days. (Or he's having anxiety-ridden dreams of losing it all, à la David Chang)

Psilakis' Anthos is a nominee for James Beard's Best New Restaurant award, and the chef's newest restaurant, Mia Dona, has just been glowingly two starred by the Bruni.