Michael Malliotakis, owner of Michael’s Bar & Grill, died Tuesday, January 18, at age 77.
A native of the Greek island of Rhodes, Malliotakis opened the restaurant in 1979. According to the Riverfront Times, the space previously housed a “raucous neighborhood tavern called Nick’s Little Pebble,” run by Malliotakis’ then–father-in-law. Malliotakis—or “Big Mike,” as he was sometimes called—changed the atmosphere, the music, and the menu, serving the Greek dishes that he grew up eating.
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Over time, the restaurant drew a range of customers, from families to business lunches. The balance of American and Greek fare allowed such combos as hot wings with tzatziki or avgolemono soup before liver and onions. Malliotakis’ daughter, Katina, who now runs the restaurant, says she thought it was crazy when her father suggested putting liver and onions on the menu, but it’s now one of the most popular items. Malliotakis also insisted that he or Katina taste each dish on a daily basis to ensure that it was consistent. Consistency, he emphasized, is important not only with food but with service, too.
As his daughter Katina talks about him, it’s easy to be reminded of the ancient Greeks arguing in the agora. “Just because you agree with one side,” Malliotakis would say, “doesn’t mean you can’t argue the other.” There were plenty of spirited discussions across the bar, though Katina describes him as open-minded and understanding of human nature.
Malliotakis loved politics and watermelon, reports a friend, who recalls the time that a fellow came in to ask permission to sell watermelons in the lot across the street. Malliotakis agreed on condition that the man give him a melon. The watermelon vendor, however, neglected to ask whether Malliotakis, who’d already consumed the melon, owned the lot. The vendor found another place to do business.
Besides his family and his family of employees, Malliotakis is survived by a plethora of regular customers who are glad that his life work remains.
Visitation will be held at St. Nicholas Family Life Center (12550 S. Forty) this Sunday, January 23, from 4–8 p.m.
