09/07/2026
Meet Tony. 🇬🇷
The heart — and the hands — behind Koutouki.
Born and raised in Havertown, Tony grew up with strong Greek roots and a connection to Kefalonia, where his family is from.
His life in the kitchen started early. In 2000, at just 16 years old, Tony began cooking at Lourdas Greek Taverna in Bryn Mawr, a family restaurant he was part of from the very beginning. After graduating from high school at 17 in 2002, he went on to attend The Restaurant School in Philadelphia — continuing an education that had already begun behind the line.
Tony would spend nearly two decades cooking at Lourdas. Along the way, his connection to Greece grew even stronger. He lived there for a year, cooking at a hotel, and spent years traveling back and forth to Kefalonia — cooking, eating, learning, and experiencing the kind of food and hospitality that would eventually inspire Koutouki.
In 2018, Tony stepped away from restaurant kitchens and into construction. For nearly eight years, cooking became something he did mostly at home, with some catering on the side. But in 2025, he found himself back in the kitchen at Lourdas part-time — and the spark came right back with him.
This time, he knew he wanted to build something of his own.
Tony’s philosophy about food is simple: don’t overcomplicate it. Start with the best ingredients you can find, and do simple things really well. His food is rooted in the traditional Greek dishes he’s spent much of his life cooking, with his own touch woven in along the way.
The idea for Koutouki was inspired by the little tavernas Tony loved in Greece — especially one he frequented in Argostoli, Kefalonia. When he and his wife came across a little space available back home in Havertown, it just fit.
A small dining room. An open kitchen. A handful of tables. Really good Greek food.
The little kitchen he’d been dreaming about.
After a long way around, Tony is back home in Havertown — bringing everything he’s learned, cooked, and loved along the way to a place of his own.
We can’t wait to welcome you to Koutouki. 🇬🇷💙
