Stratis continues to flourish as a restaurateur and partner/owner of several additional establishments in New York City - Club Rouge, Gotham Diner, Hilltop Diner, Kids Kingdom and Aubar.
The January 4, 2012 meeting will take place in the grande ballroom at Woodfield Country Club at 12 - noon. To RSVP, contact the organization's Vice-President, Jason Solodkin at JMSOLODKIN@NFP.COM or leading Boca Raton realtor and President, Elliot Koolik at EKOOLIK@KOOLIK.COM.
For four generations the Morfogen family has long been a leading force in the New York restaurant industry. Determined to make their mark and seek their fortunes, the charismatic Morfogen brothers Nick, Sam and Paul emigrated from Greece to the United States in 1900. Together, the brothers opened their first restaurant in New York City, Pappas Restaurant on West 14th Street, where it remained a popular destination until the 1970s.
With the next generation of Morfogens' determination and hard work ethics, the family businesses burgeoned. John Morfogen owned 14 prosperous restaurants in New York City, Queens and Long Island, including 8 Chelsea Houses, Atlantis Diner, Hiltop Diner, Moby Dick, King of the Sea, and Seagrill of the Aegean. With his brothers Peter and George N. Morfogen, John opened his first Chelsea House on 23rd Street in Chelsea and 8th Avenue, New York City in 1956; it's prosperity soon lead to the spawning of more in Flushing, Bellerose, Howard Beach, Rockville Center, Queens and Lawrence. Making the New York Times headlines in 1956, John became the first restaurateur to kick out the hospitality unions. Ultimately, bringing in all of his immigrant patriots to work the restaurant made for a very strong group and catapulted the Chelsea House into a huge celebrity hotspot. In the 1970's, John was aptly named a spokesman for American Express. He is also the father of Nick and Stratis Morfogen.
George P. Morfogen, cousin to John, has many credits to his name. For over 25 years, he was the prominent seafood buyer for the Oyster Bar at Grand Central Station, an author, played the part of "the Foodie" on The Dinah Shore Show (WPIX) in the 1970's, and a regular on Bob Lape's ABC radio station for many years.
Nick Morfogen, a graduate of the Culinary Institute of America, started work in the family enterprise as a child. His passion has taken him from London to New York, Napa Valley and Florida to pursue a career in restaurants, training under notable Chefs the late Gilbert Le Coze (Le Bernardin), Daniel Boulud (Le Cirque), and Michael Chiarello (Tra Vigne, Napa). But, it was in 1994 when Nick opened Ajax Tavern in Aspen, that his career really surged, and he, consequently, was honored Food & Wine Magazine's "Best New Chef in America" in 1995. In 1999, Nick sold Ajax Tavern. Nick currently owns and is the Executive chef at Sol Kitchen and 32 East in Del Ray, Florida.
The Morfogen family never ceases to amaze and seize every opportunity. Most recently, father John will leave his five-year retirement to team up with sons Nick, who plans on returning to NYC, and Stratis for a brand new adventure. Together, the three are currently negotiating a space with a major hotel in the Lincoln Center area (to be announced shortly), in which they will begin a new family chapter - Empire Bar and Grill.
