Boca Raton, FL -- December 16, 2011 -- The Boca Raton Executive Club is celebrating the New Year by serving up the heat - taking into you into the kitchen with Stratis Morfogen. His family's restaurant empire includes its most recent addition, bringing the hot, chic, sophisticated yet unpretentious Chinese restaurant ‘Philippe' to Boca Raton to match its other locations in the Upper East Side of Manhattan and in Mexico City.
Stratis continues to flourish as a restaurateur and partner/owner of several additional establishments in New York City - Club Rouge, Gotham Diner, Hilltop Diner, Kids Kingdom and Aubar.
The January 4, 2012 meeting will take place in the grande ballroom at Woodfield Country Club at 12 - noon. To RSVP, contact the organization's Vice-President, Jason Solodkin at JMSOLODKIN@NFP.COM or leading Boca Raton realtor and President, Elliot Koolik at EKOOLIK@KOOLIK.COM.
Since the early 1900's, for four generations the Morfogen family has long been a leading force in the New York restaurant industry. Determined to make their mark and seek their fortunes, the charismatic Morfogen brothers Nick, Sam and Paul emigrated from Greece to the United States in 1900. Together, the brothers opened their first restaurant in New York City, Pappas Restaurant on West 14th Street, where it remained a popular destination until the 1970s.
With the next generation of Morfogens’ determination and hard work ethics, the family businesses burgeoned. John Morfogen owned 14 prosperous restaurants in New York City, Queens and Long Island, including 8 Chelsea Houses, Atlantis Diner, Hiltop Diner, Moby Dick, King of the Sea, and Seagrill of the Aegean. With his brothers Peter and George N. Morfogen, John opened his first Chelsea House on 23rd Street in Chelsea and 8th Avenue, New York City in 1956; it’s prosperity soon lead to the spawning of more in Flushing, Bellerose, Howard Beach, Rockville Center, Queens and Lawrence. Making the New York Times headlines in 1956, John became the first restaurateur to kick out the hospitality unions. Ultimately, bringing in all of his immigrant patriots to work the restaurant made for a very strong group and catapulted the Chelsea House into a huge celebrity hotspot. In the 1970’s, John was aptly named a radio & TV spokesman for American Express. He is also the father of Nick and Stratis Morfogen.
George P. Morfogen, cousin to John, has many credits to his name. For over 25 years, he was the prominent seafood buyer for the Oyster Bar at Grand Central Station, an author, played the part of “the Foodie” on The Dinah Shore Show (WPIX) in the 1970’s, and a regular on Bob Lape’s ABC radio station for many years.
Nick Morfogen, a graduate of the Culinary Institute of America, started work in the family enterprise as a child. His passion has taken him from London to New York, Napa Valley and Florida to pursue a career in restaurants, training under notable Chefs the late Gilbert Le Coze (Le Bernardin), Daniel Boulud (Le Cirque), and Michael Chiarello (Tra Vigne, Napa). But, it was in 1994 when Nick opened Ajax Tavern in Aspen, that his career really surged, and he, consequently, was honored Food & Wine Magazine’s “Best New Chef in America” in 1995. In 1999, Nick sold Ajax Tavern. Nick currently owns and is the Executive chef at 32 East in Del Ray, Florida.
Following in the family tradition, Stratis, brother of Nick, always knew he would eventually shape the future of the New York hospitality industry. . Stratis was nominated "Entrepreneur of the Year" in 1999 by Deloite & Touche by bringing NY's famed Fulton Fish Market to the internet in 1997 with FultonStreet.com
Stratis won numerous awards in customer service which were highlighted in the New York Times' best seller Customers.com by Patricia Seybold.
Today, the hard-working third generation Morfogen is flourishing as a restaurateur and partner/owner of several establishments in New York City – Club Rouge, Gotham City Diner, Seagrill of the Aegean, Hilltop Diner, Kids Kingdom Amusement Park, Aubar, Sessa, The Grand and, most recently Ciano Restaurant with 3 Star NY Times' chef Shea Gallante in Gramercy, NY (cianonyc.com)
Stratis has made his most significant mark in the hospitality industry by creating, designing and developing Philippe with chef Philippe Chow. Stratis is also currently expanding Philippe, a chic and sophisticated yet unpretentious Chinese restaurant in the Upper East Side of Manhattan, Miami, Los Angeles, Jericho, NY, Mexico City, Boca Raton and now Fort lauderdale .. Stratis continually improves and expand his visions, yet still preserves the quality of food and service that has proven so successful. Plans to launch Philippe Chow Express in shopping malls and airports worldwide is in pre stages and will launch test pilots in 2012... International license deals are in the works for Dubai, Abu Dabi, Sao Paulo, Brazil, Turkey, London & Moscow.
Boca Raton Executive Club members receive maximum exposure and a chance to develop new business contacts within Woodfield, Boca Raton and the surrounding area. Meetings are held in the ballroom at Woodfield Country Club in Boca Raton and begin at 12:00 noon and run until 1:30 pm. A buffet luncheon will be served during the meeting for the cost of $20.00 for members and $35.00 for non-members. The cost of annual membership is $250.00 per person. If you are interested in learning more about the Executive Club or would like to become a member of this dynamic group, please contact our Executive Director, Michelle Clubb at MClubb@Koolik.com or via phone at 561-245-4609.