Chef and proprietor of the best restaurant in Hawai
Achievements

Chef and proprietor of the best restaurant in Hawai

George Mavrothalassitis, better known as Chef Mavro, is a multi award winning chef and restaurateur known as one of the cofounders of Hawaii Regional Cuisine in the early 1990s. George is the chef/proprietor of Chef Mavro, Honolulu’s fine dining, top-rated restaurant and holds the prestigious James Beard award, considered the “Oscars” of the culinary world

George Mavrothalassitis was born in Marseilles to an Italian mother and Greek father, who both moved to France as young children. Chef Mavro is well-versed in Provencal cooking, and trained under Jean and Pierre Troisgros, Gerard Vie, and Alain Senderens.

Having already run his eponymous restaurant in Marseilles, Mavrothalassitis decided to adopt the Hawaiian islands as his home. He worked first at La Mer and then as executive chef of the Four Seasons Resort in Maui. Finally, a decade after moving to Hawaii, Mavrothalassitis opened his own restaurant, the “Chef Mavro”.

“Chef Mavro” is the only independently owned Hawaii restaurant to earn the 2015 American Automobile Association (AAA) Five Diamond status (every year since 2008), as well as the only Hawaii restaurant with Gayot Three Toques 18/20 rating and on their “2015 Top 40 Restaurants in the U.S.”. Also the restaurant holds numerous Top 10 awards including “Top 10 Restaurants in the World” based on a vote of the editors of Fodor’s guidebooks, and “Top 10 Seafood Restaurants in the U.S.” by Gayot. “Chef Mavro” restaurant was tapped as the only fine dining restaurant in America to be honoured by the national fresh produce trade organization, United Fresh, for innovative and influential use of fresh produce.

“Sometimes buying local means the cost is higher and sometimes it takes more time but the reward is huge. Local farmers succeed and my guests enjoy fresh, regional ingredients and a dining experience they could have only in Hawaii,” Mavrothalassitis explains.

Gourmet Magazine’s veteran restaurant critic Caroline Bates noted, “Honolulu has never had a chef like George Mavrothalassitis, his creative cooking and high standards have given the city a dining experience comparable to a three-star restaurant’s in France.” Gourmet editors also singled out “Chef Mavro” as where we would eat if we had only one night in Honolulu.”

He is a founding member of Hawaii Regional Cuisine and was recognized by Wine Spectator as one of the eleven most important French chefs working in America in the company of Alain Ducasse, Daniel Boulud, Joel Robuchon, and others.

In 2009, he created Restaurant Reality, a twice-a-year program for culinary students that focuses on both in-kitchen training and local farm tours.

Mavrothalassitis recently launched his first product, Chef Mavro Signature LION Organic Kona blend coffee.

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