When a chef starts talking about “minimalist manipulation,” about showing “love and respect” for old-fashioned techniques, and about “multi-day prepping” for his dishes, you quickly realize you are in for a special conversation.
Such is the case with John Iatrellis, the new restaurant chef at Paralía, the open-air, beachfront restaurant at The Ritz-Carlton Key Biscayne, Miami, inspired by the coastal traditions of the Aegean.
Iatrellis has been at the resort for only a short time, but he is already making an impact. You can hear it in the enthusiasm of Paralía’s servers, who have quickly gravitated to his contagious personality and love for his craft.
Iatrellis talks about the mantra behind how he runs his kitchen and mentors his team, instilling in them to “speak the truth, act with love, confidence and courage.” He empowers them to grow while paying attention to the smallest of details, down to the specific positioning of food on the plate, which varies by what is being served. He speaks with pride of the sous chefs he helped mentor who today are enjoying success as lead chefs in great restaurants or venturing on their own.
Iatrellis, the youngest of three boys, was born and raised in Miami and graduated from Palmetto Senior High School. Iatrellis credits his parents with shaping him early on. His father, born on the Greek island of Lesbos, located in the northeastern Aegean Sea, served in the Greek military before meeting his mother in Miami. Asked where his passion for cooking began, Iatrellis recalls the annual festival at St. Andrew Greek Orthodox Church in Southwest Miami.
One of Chef Iatrellis’ menu items: the spanakopita, a the flaky phyllo pastry with spinach and feta cheese.
(IN Photo / JR)
“While some kids were preparing parts of the festival, it seemed I always ended up helping with the food and working the kitchen,” he said.
Even his memories of Hurricane Andrew, in 1992, center on food. As the neighborhood struggled to recover, his parents helped not only repair broken homes but also hosted cookouts to feed neighbors in the difficult days after the storm. His father helped him get a job at a local Greek diner, which was the start of a varied culinary career that also included time as an industry consultant, where he focused on “growing brands and improving profits and efficiencies.”
Iatrellis brings that varied experience and knowledge to Paralía. Much of who he is today was earned in some of Miami’s best-known kitchens. Most recently, he was chef de cuisine at Claudie, where he helped open the restaurant and ran its kitchen for a year and a half. Before that, as corporate executive chef for Life House Hotels, he helped launch three Miami concepts: Layla, Terras and Pretty Swell. Terras was named Best Rooftop Restaurant by Miami New Times in 2022.
Earlier in his career, he opened Lure Fishbar at Loews Miami Beach as executive chef, earning praise in the industry. He also spent a decade at the iconic Forge Restaurant & Wine Bar, including its 2010 relaunch. Among his career highlights is a collaboration dinner with celebrated chef Ignacio Mattos during the 20th anniversary of the Food Network South Beach Wine & Food Festival. Through it all, his cooking has stayed traditional and rustic. Braised lamb and octopus are among his specialties. Dill and sumac, which he calls his favorite, are among his go-to ingredients. His soft spot for Spain’s Basque region still finds its way onto the plate.
These days, in addition to making it a point to get to know Paralía’s patrons, “I want them to feel that I truly want to cook for them,” he is working on a revised menu, to debut in early November. When asked for his views on the new menu, Iatrellis waves a hand towards the beach behind his restaurant and says, “We do not have enough fish on the menu.”
Of developing the menu, he talks about spending time in his “happy place,” the kitchen.
“Quality cuisine takes time, for example, my hummus is a 2-day process,” adding that lots of dishes require a “multi-day prep” as you “bring many flavors together.”
The new menu will maintain some of Paralía’s present options, tweaked “with his flavors,” and add more vegetables to the options. He plans to add perhaps 12 to 15 dishes, including desserts and focus on a “communal dining experience” where food is brought as they are ready so guests can share dishes at the table.
He was guarded when pressed to name some items, smiling when saying we will just have to come back. He did allow us to taste one of his new mezedes, his special take on spanakopita, a flaky phyllo pastry filled with spinach and feta cheese. The flavors were incredible.
Can’t wait to see what else Chef John, as he is known, comes up with, especially his avocado mousse and his “famous baklava” which we did not get to taste but, we will be back!
If you go: Paralía is located inside The Ritz-Carlton Key Biscayne, at 455 Grand Bay Drive. They open daily or lunch 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. and dinner 5 to 9 p.m. For reservations, visit paraliakeybiscayne.com or call (305) 365-4500, Ext. 4622.
Dining and Cooking