With great pain we were informed this morning by all his friends but also by the general public, the news of his death George Hatzigiannakis, of pioneer of Greek cuisine, the man who first dealt with the emergence of Santorini cuisine, and consequently signaled the importance of place and locality in gastronomy. We all mourn a friend, a visionary, a fighter, an important, but also a noble and humble person.

If you asked me for a title I would put it "Farewell to the first and last romantic pragmatist of Greek gastronomy." I was lucky enough to be his friend, for forty years, when he and I were professionally engaged in the art of furniture making! Since the time he settled in Santorini, every year for 30 years we met on the island or in winters in various forums, exchanged views and had fruitful discussions about the present and the future of our new art, without avoiding talking about the beauties of life. and our country.

5 years ago George Hatzigiannakis celebrated the 30th anniversary of the Moon in Santorini and I had written an article summarizing his contribution. I think it has not lost track of its importance and topicality:

The years when all of Greece was obsessed with French cuisine, in the various foreign standards of the time or the Greek tourist stereotypes - having a sense of shame for the local cuisines that represented the poverty of the old days - George and Evelyn Hatzigiannaki followed their own their way. Creating the Moon on the Caldera, they humbly bowed to the Santorini products, the fava beans, the tomatoes, the white eggplant, the capers and the chlorotyri. They searched for old recipes, learned from local cooks, experimented and made dishes that first won the hearts of foreigners and much later of Greeks. THE success and recognition they did not take long to come. Dozens of journalists came to get acquainted with the creative Santorini cuisine. At the same time, however, it became an example, not only for Santorini but for all of Greece.

His second major contribution was trying to pass on his values ​​to his colleagues and instill in them the spirit of cooperation, to unite them so that the gastronomy sector (producers, winemakers, restaurants, hoteliers, travel agents) operates collectively. It is no coincidence that Santorini has become the first gastronomic destination in Greece. He made Selini (the restaurant opened in 1986) his home and purpose in life to promote local gastronomy and its products internationally. And it became the first example for the development of local gastronomy!

His third contribution is that while with his moderation and meekness he was a pioneer in synergies and collective actions, he was very angry with the chatter, with the selfish behaviors, with the indifference to the collective action and he became arrogant. He scolded the wrong texts to professionals, as she criticized many new commentators of Greek gastronomy, but also various "institutions" who approached it theoretically and abstractly, trying to land them in the Greek reality.

His fourth contribution was that he provided free field to great Greek chefs (Chrysanthos Karamolegos, Konstantina Faklari, Nikos Boukis, Thodoris Papanikolaou, Panos Tsikas, Vassilis Zacharakis and Alexandros Tsiotinis among others), to develop their talent, or to collaborate creatively and present excellent works in Seli.

His fifth and final contribution was its very existence. With all his virtues and weaknesses he was a man, straightforward, suffering (from Evelyn's loss), good-natured, optimistic, a model of morality and an open heart where good reason could be matched by fair and harsh criticism. For his friends he became a stone to be trampled on and for the lamogia stone to be stoned. Lucky those who felt the imprint of its existence in their lives.

Him Hatzigiannaki we have loved for forty years. The inspirer, a pioneer in theory and practice, but also the grounded pragmatist. The man who loved and served with passion the gastronomy of Santorini. The professional who became the good example.

Have a good trip, friend George.