As The World Churns

By Bob Nicolaides

Every child knows the ready-made spaghetti brand Chef Boy-ar-dee, but how many know that is now owned by C. Dean Metropoulos?...Egyptiot-Greek .John Lartides who now lives in London, Canada, and who spent most of his life owning restaurants has turned to painting now that he is a pensioner…

Tom Hanks and his Greek wife Rita Wilson are the proud grandparents to son Colin and daughter-in-law Samantha Bryant’s new baby girl, Charlotte. Hanks, who has just finished a successful run in Broadway’s “Lucky Guy” and is playing Walt Disney in his next movie, posted a sweet picture of the baby, born last week, with her feet poking out from under goldfish-print sheets. He captioned the image, “Less than a month old. New Granddaughter, Will rule world @ year 2033. Hanx.” Charlotte is their second grandchild….. According to RadarOnline, Aniston and Justin Theroux were not talking about wedding plans. Aniston reportedly wanted to remain in Los Angeles, while Theroux badly wanted to move to New York City. At last report, the two had a meeting of the mind and will have their nuptials the end of this year in LA, which looks like a clear victory for her. In fact, Justin wants her to forget her mother’s past indiscretions about the actress and invite her to their wedding. What caused Theroux to give in? Maybe the fact that Jen has developed a baby bump in the last few months which becomes more visible every day as she’s filming in NYC Squirrels to the Nuts, a movie whose title has been uttered by Charles Boyer in a movie quite old for Jen to remember. By the way, did you notice her short tress? Oh, it’s just a wig…..…Actress Sofia Vergara celebrated Bastille Day (July 14) on the beach in Mykonos with her beau, Nick Loeb…..

“It makes me happy to know “told me Adam Grimanis “that other Greeks are listening to the show I work on every morning, and they appreciate it when I speak about my Greek heritage and customs.  The best part is when they also can relate to what I am describing on air!” Grimanis is part of the team that airs on the Chris & The Crew morning program on WPST  94.5, a Philadelphia/So Jersey Radio station in which he’s known as Adam…..Discussing her ‘no restrictions’ artistic approach to her latest album Artpop Lady Gaga uttered: ‘I’m not one icon. I’m every icon.’ The album’s first single, Applause came out August 19^th. What more, Russia’s severe new anti-gay laws have earned the outrage of human rights groups, American vodka-drinkers and now, appropriately, pop star and part-time LGBT activist Lady Gaga. Gaga took to Twitter to slam the laws and the “criminal” Russian government after news that authorities are investigating the visas both she and Madonna used to play concerts in St. Petersburg last year…..The 100@100 survey examined attitudes between other issues about pop culture. It found that Favorite Singing groups for the past are the Andrews Sisters for centenarians and the Beatles for boomers…. Tickets are on sale for Scorpions, the German heavy metal band that decided to give a series of three concerts in Greece at the Lycabettus Theatre in Athens on September 11, 12 and 14 despite a recent decision to stop large-scale touring...The Comedy show of Angelo Tsarouchas is coming to Chicago on Wednesday, September 25^rd, at Rivers Casino’s Cube at 9:30 pm. Tsarouchas, a nice guy making friends everywhere, has been seen with the Vince Vaughn Roadshow and has appeared in the movie Fred & Vinnie. 

Annapolis Mayoral Candidate Mike Pantelides held a special Greek Breakfast on Thursday, August 1 with food prepared by Master Chef Sotos Christoforou at Chris' Charcoal Pit….And candidate Van Argyrakis is running in next year’s Nebraska Attorney General race…A thematic Exhibition on the Greek gastronomy entitled "Greece, a variety of tastes" will be organised for the first time in the framework of the 78th Thessaloniki International Fair (TIF) from 7 to 15 September. The exhibition that will be hosted in a special pavillion will include food, beverages and wines aims to bring together Greek and foreign visitors. The exhibition will be organised by "Butterfly Communication" company in cooperation with TIF-Helexpo. "This exhibition which is an innovation of Helexpo-TIF will offer the opportunity to Greek producers to promote and to sell directly their products to over 200,000 visitors from Greece and abroad that are expected to visit TIF" said the organizers announcement...……My good friend Josh Ozersky writes in the New York Eater: A greasy spoon, in my mind, is neither defined by the fact that it has spoons (although it usually does) or even grease (which it also does, and in abundance.) For me, the greasy spoon is a place with low ambition, low standards, and an absence of pretense or even self-awareness. A Greek diner doesn't seem to fit that description; its Hellenic references and vast menus preclude spoonitude. You shouldn't be able to order surf and turf, even a bad one, in a greasy spoon. Likewise, a coffee shop or luncheonette that traffics in wraps, salads, and other modern contrivances, isn't a greasy spoon. Greasy spoons are dirty. Greasy spoons are dark. Greasy spoons are run by unkempt men in spotted white cook shirts and checkered pants, who generally look like they just came off a bender. Greasy spoons serve watery coffee and are open all night. Greasy spoons are for nighthawks. Greasy spoons are refuges for the sad and the defeated, who slump in chairs in the corner, shuddering at painful dreams….Maria Loi’s .Manhattan Loi Restaurant celebrates summer with a $49.00 special that includes a salad called Dakos, Solomos Marinatos, Lavraki, topping it off with Yaourti Me Meli…..New York Magazine recently featured Café Boulis’ Loukoumades, the Astoria place which sells that commodity ring-shaped instead of ball-like…

Word of the Month: Pseudonym-Pen name, from pseudo and onymon meaning fake name, ψευδόνυμον.