The Kouklas Greek Eatery team, including Audrey Witte, Kevin Stack and Jimmy Bannos, Jr.
Photo by Nikki Allen Creative
Standout dishes include flaming bone marrow, finished tableside as Metaxa is poured over the marrow and ignited. Guests can then enjoy an authentic Greek ritual as tsipouro is poured down the hollowed bone.
The menu also highlights quintessential Greek staples: warm housemade pita, sesame bread and spreads and traditional mezze, including grilled oysters and tempura-style butternut squash and celery root with feta ranch. Taverna favorites appear alongside modern interpretations, such as mussels saganaki with ouzo and fennel, baked feta wrapped in a fig leaf and phyllo, topped with Greek thyme-infused honey and a contemporary half-brick chicken.
The beverage program is designed to complement the cuisine, featuring highlights like the frozen Ouzo Frappe and Kouklas Old Fashioned.
Photo by Nikki Allen Creative
Lesser-known Greek traditions are also showcased, including housemade pasta. Tsouchti with myzithra, toasted breadcrumbs and a slow-cooked egg in Greek olive oil, sits alongside pastitsio—herb-infused green pasta with Greek-style bolognese and light béchamel foam—and butternut squash gnocchi with Maine lobster and Greek saba. Each course reinterprets classic Greek techniques while highlighting peak-season produce, responsibly sourced proteins and imported Greek ingredients.
The restaurant also features a micro-regional olive oil program, sourcing high-quality oils from across Greece to elevate seafood, meats and vegetables. Bannos and Stack are collaborating directly with importers to create one of the country’s most forward-looking olive oil programs, emphasizing authenticity.
The dining destination’s Greek Martini made with Kastra Elion and finished with whipped-feta-stuffed olives.
Photo by Nikki Allen Creative
The beverage program mirrors this Greek focus, featuring libations such as the Kastra Elion-infused Greek Martini, made with Greek olives and whipped-feta-stuffed olives, alongside creative offerings like the frozen Ouzo Frappe and the Kouklas Old Fashioned, crafted with rye, chocolate cookie syrup and tobacco bitters. A curated selection of spirit-free cocktails highlights seasonal, high-quality ingredients. General manager and partner Audrey Witte has developed a complementary wine program that emphasizes Greek producers, coastal Mediterranean selections, European wines and a limited number of domestic options.
Greek culture and tradition are reflected in the 7,200-square-foot space, which underwent a comprehensive transformation led by Stack and Witte. Textured plaster walls, soft neutral hues and an overhead “flying carpet” LED installation by Brooklyn artist Jason Krugman—the only one of its kind in Illinois—create a contemporary coastal aesthetic.
The 7,200-square-foot space draws inspiration from coastal Greece with textured plaster walls, soft neutral tones and an inviting open layout.
Photo by Nikki Allen Creative
The atmosphere is further enhanced by a long sculpted concrete bar and softly illuminated Mediterranean niches carved into the plaster walls, displaying curated ceramics, vessels, lush greenery and natural textures.
Dining and Cooking