Greek food — with its foundational ingredients like olive oil, lemon, vegetable, beans, lamb and seafood — is a shining culinary example of America’s melting pot of immigrant food. The drink, food and culture of Greece shine in Charleston, which offers many ways to enjoy Mediterranean cuisine.
From best friends to restauranteurs
Charleston-based Justin Hunt and Dimitri Hatgidimitriou grew up together on Long Island and have been best friends since first grade. Hatgidimitriou’s family is from Karpathos, a Greek island in the Aegean Sea, and every summer, the family would return. Because of their close friendship, Hunt joined the tradition.
“When I went to the island where Dimitri’s family has been for six generations, it was just flooring. At that moment, I fell in love with the place. Our experiences there, especially dining, are what created what we have at Philosophia [and Taverna].”
This means great seafood and meat, shared plates and a desire to find joy through the act and art of a meal, be it while dining with one companion or a giant table of friends and family.
The two men took different paths in the food and beverage world before coming back together to open Philosophia in 2022 and Taverna Philosophia in 2024. Since school, Hatgidimitriou worked front of house in his family’s New York restaurant. Hunt started at College of Charleston before going to Art Institute for culinary school. He then cooked with Bobby Flay in New York and Thomas Keller at The French Laundry, before the Lowcountry lured him back. He was in the kitchen at the Macintosh before dual roles as executive chef and food and beverage director at the Mills House Hotel…