Cooking Greek, Becoming American

When UW professor Taso G. Lagos began to memorialize his family’s beloved University District Greek restaurant The Continental, he wrestled with 40 years of history and a clientele that stretched for generations. His family bought into the operation without a clue how to run an eatery, yet in time they became linchpins of their Seattle neighborhood. Customers became friends, and meals turned into memories. It wasn’t only the food or the company, though. The Continental also served as an entry point into mainstream culture for a family who had just arrived in the United States as Greek immigrants a few years prior. While the Lagoses cooked and cared for many people, they also learned valuable lessons about what it means to be “American.”

Lagos’s memoir illuminates life in a Greek restaurant through the experiences of one member of a family of restaurateurs. It also emphasizes the role of restaurants as vital social institutions that often provide immigrants with a dynamic space for acculturation. The book will be available for purchase from University Book Store with the 10% UWRA member discount.

Register now! Attendance is limited to allow for adequate spacing among attendees.

This program is currently planned as an in-person event. UWRA’s COVID-19 policy for in-person events, including proof of vaccination or a recent negative COVID test, will be followed. To allow for spacing of attendees, the event is limited to 75 guests. Masks are required at all times (no food or drink will be served). We will continue to monitor public health guidance and make changes as warranted.