Flaming Saganaki Shirt
$29.00
60% COTTON, 40% POLYESTER
SUPER SOFT RINGSPUN FABRIC
UNISEX FIT. PRESHRUNK. HEATHER STYLE.
DESIGNED AND HAND-PRINTED IN CHICAGO
THE STORY
Opa! Keep your hands and eyebrows at a safe distance, because by customer requests, we've got Flaming Saganaki for ya! It's true, this dangerously delicious appetizer did not originate in Greece, but rather was invented in 1968 at The Parthenon restaurant in Chicago's Greektown.
According to Chris Liakouras (the owner at the time), he was sitting in the restaurant brainstorming ways to innovate their menu. When cheese was mentioned, one of the guests suggested setting it on fire, taking inspiration from the era's trendy flambéed dishes. The flaming cheese became a massive draw that helped revitalize and define the neighborhood after the construction of the Eisenhower Expressway and the University of Illinois at Chicago displaced the city's original Greek community at that time.