Building a neighborhood restaurant that lasts

After years defined by iconic New York restaurants, chef Michael Psilakis is stepping into a new chapter with Klema in Larchmont, his first new restaurant in a decade, opening this spring. The opening marks both a personal and professional reset: a return to hands-on cooking, a deep dive into Westchester’s evolving dining scene and a space built—literally—from the ground up. Here, Psilakis reflects on timing, place and how his Greek culinary DNA is shaping a restaurant he hopes becomes a true neighborhood fixture.

—Interview by Kelly Dobkin, edited by Bianca Prieto

What inspired you to open Klema in Larchmont—and why now?

It was time. I always had multiple restaurants, my whole career, and after Kefi closed during Covid, I only had MP Taverna in Irvington. Now, after these last five or so years, I really feel like that restaurant can be successful without me being there all of the time, and it gave me the opportunity to look for something else. I knew I wanted to stay in Westchester, and after spending some time in Larchmont, I really fell in love with it.

Tell me about the process of finding the building that housed the space, demolishing it and discovering what was underneath? 

It took a couple of years to find the right location. And I knew I wanted to buy the building wherever it was I opened next; that was always to be part of the equation. When I found this building, there was another restaurant in the space, with about six months left on the lease, so I initially took on the role of landlord. This worked in my favor because it gave me the opportunity to file permits and hit the ground running, but then the structural integrity of the building couldn't withstand the changes that we needed done. We tried some bandaids but ultimately had to knock the building down and start from the ground up. That took the better part of 18 months.

Your restaurants in NYC have been celebrated for blending Greek heritage with bold flavors. How will that legacy inform the concept, menu and overall experience at your new Larchmont restaurant?

That is my style of food. I really like being able to take things from my childhood and integrate them into the dishes that I create. The flavor profiles that you see on my menus are consistent with what I remember eating growing up from my mother—all a combination of our Greek heritage and her hands! I have always prided myself on creating dishes that are unique and different from a lot of the other Greek restaurants that you see. I really enjoy thinking about flavors and the evolution of taste and texture on the palate. 

Larchmont has its own local dining culture. How are you balancing staying true to your own culinary voice while responding to the expectations and tastes of this community?

Food is just one component of a restaurant. It's part of a package where the environment, the music and design are all hitting the same notes, reinforcing the identity. This, along with the needs and wants of the customer, hopefully becomes part of the fabric of the community. I think that is the goal of every good restaurant. Klema will be positioned to really capture that identity. Like with my other restaurant in Irvington, we hope to become the 'Cheers' of Larchmont and the surrounding towns.

In my 15 or so years in Irvington, I have seen an evolution in the way people dine in Westchester County. There are a lot of sophisticated diners, and the migration during Covid of those from Manhattan and Brooklyn has really worked to help elevate the dining scene. People want to feel comfortable and welcome in a space, and they want to be excited and maybe even challenged a bit by the menu. It's exciting to be in a new kitchen and cooking again in a new space. I have to tell you, I am really amped up! 

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The Prep is written by Kelly Dobkin and edited by Bianca Prieto.