Greek on the Street: Alec Giannakopoulos explores Giannis’s effect on Milwaukee Greek culture

It’s hard not to like Giannis the more you hear from him.

So I had an idea; to get a sense of how the Greek Freak has cemented himself and his Greek culture in Wisconsin, I sent our resident Greek Alec Giannakopoulos out on the Milwaukee streets.

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Well there’s no way around it Giannis Antetokounmpo has had a huge impact on the Bucks and Basketball in the Milwaukee Area. But my question was what does this guy do for Greek culture in Milwaukee?

To find out, I went to the best place I know– Greek Restaurant.

We start out at Brothers Gyros and Pizza…and right away, you can see the Greek Freak.

“We’re big Bucks fans, Giannis is in our hearts. We met him when he first came here.”

The owners Steve and Chrisanti Itsines–

“We’ve got a little Souvlaki here too.”

–Are sharing their family recipes and culture with the greater Milwaukee Area. Allowing people to try authentic Gyros Bowls, Souvlaki, and Greek Fries.

“People love the food, the love the quantity they love that we’re a family.”

And the Greek Freak helps people come through the door.

“And that they call him the Greek Freak and we’re Greek, it can’t hurt us right?”

Once I finished stuffing my face there, I was off to my next spot, Cosmos Cafe, where it won’t take you long to see where their basketball loyalties lie

“When the Bucks are playing? It’s crazy in here everyone wants to eat Gyros Everyone wants Greek Food. I don’t know if they have Giannis to thank for it
or the food but I feel like they go hand-in-hand.”

A part of the family-owned restaurant, Spyrangelo Tselentis noticed that the more Giannis dominates, the more interest there is in Greek Food.

“Before people would only want to get Gyros or something recognizable, but now people are saying ‘want you most authentic thing I want something I’ve never had before’
and we have tons of stuff about that, and people are chowing that stuff down and I’m happy about that because there’ so much good Greek food out there.”

Including their Avgolemono, or egg-lemon soup, and Pork Souvlaki. Which are both top notch.

It’s safe to say that the Greek Freak has many in Milwaukee looking to learn more about Greek Culture, and the food is incredible, almost as good as my YiaYia’s, which the highest compliment anyone can get. –Alec Giannakopoulos

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