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Growing up in a Greek Family Chris Spirtos learned the love of cooking from his relatives. “My grandparents were straight from Greece,” he shares. “They were always in the kitchen, and being in the kitchen was always a great memory… everyone would just gather there and cook. I think that’s really what got me into cooking.”
He attended Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts in Chicago and then came back to the the Dayton area to share his love of food with his hometown.
In 2015 he launched his food truck serving up lamb, chicken, and pork belly gyros, as well as “Greek fries” and baklava.
The food truck was so popular he decided to open an actual restaurant and in May of 2022 Greek Street opened at 101 E. Alex Bell Road, Suite 186 in the Cross Pointe Center.
Items on the restaurant menu include gyros, spanakopita, souvlaki, rice bowls and platters, greek fries, dolmades and Keftedes. 
At Greek Street, the desserts are a true family affair. For nearly a decade, the restaurant’s signature pastries like baklava and Finikia (Honey-dipped spice cookies) have been handmade by Kali Spirtos, the mother of founder and executive chef Chris Spirtos.
Chris took some time out of his busy days to answer our 10 ?’s interview:
(The restaurant uses whole muscle meats, such as whole legs of lamb braised for four to five hours, rather than processed alternatives.)
JENIS ICE CREAM,
Pastitsio- picture layers of pasta, a flavorful meat sauce tinged with cinnamon and nutmeg, all beneath a heavenly béchamel layer.
1.) Anthony Bourdain because he didn’t just eat food, he understood it as a culture, history and identity. 2.) Bert Kreischer because he would instantly break the ice, make people laugh and keep conversations going. 3.) My Yiayia (grandmother in Greek) who is no longer with us. She sparked my interest in cooking at a young age. 4.) José Andrés – For his humanitarian work and showing how chefs can make an impact beyond the kitchen.
home made baklava
I’ve been fortunate to learn from a few chefs who really shaped who I am today. The first is Sung Oh, the owner of Dolsot Bistro. He took a chance on me when I was 23 and hired me as a sous chef, even though I had no background in Korean cuisine. He taught me resilience—how to push through long hours, stay disciplined, and really embrace the grind. More than anything, he helped mold my mindset and work ethic early in my career.
Before that, I had just come from L’Auberge as a lone cook, so that transition was a huge turning point for me.
Chef Art Smith
The second group would be the chefs I worked with at Table 52 in Chicago. I worked under Art , along with Chef de Cuisine Rey Viallobos and Sous Chef Jon Vermiglio. Art was the personal chef to Oprah Winfrey and Jon now owns Grey Ghost, Little Ghost, Basan and Second Best in Detroit Michigan. That kitchen pushed me technically in a way no other place has. They gave me the freedom to create, but at the same time, they were incredibly critical—in the best way. That constant feedback forced me to refine my skills and think at a higher level. I genuinely felt like I was improving every single day working there.
There is really never a full day off, but I do enjoy supporting local restaurants.
One story that really stuck with me happened when I first started at Table 52. It was right before service—everything was moving fast, and I was trying to keep up with the pace of the kitchen.
In the middle of prep, I made a careless mistake and wiped my knife on the towel hanging from my apron. The blade was so sharp it went straight through the towel, my pants, and into my leg. At first, I didn’t even process it—I just felt the blood running down my leg.
I stepped off the line and went to the bathroom, and that’s when I realized how bad the cut actually was. I didn’t want to let the team down during service, so I cleaned it up as best I could, put super glue on it, wrapped it, and went right back to work. 🤦🏻♂️
