Maria Loi Hopes to Turn Michelin-Starred Austrian Restaurant Seasonal Into a Greek Spot

Maven of Greek food Maria Loi is on the verge of taking over the kitchen at Seasonal, and transforming the Michelin-starred Austrian restaurant run by chef Wolfgang Ban and Eduard Frauneder into a Greek concept. "We are very close to a deal for me to operate the place; it's 99 percent there,'' Loi tells Eater. "They have a fantastic stove Wolfgang brought from Europe, and when I saw it I couldn't believe it was in the middle of Manhattan. I can cook real Greek food there.'' Loi, whose eponymous Upper West Side restaurant shuttered in July, is also still planning a higher end East Side restaurant and a more casual downtown spot, but she hopes to have a mid-priced menu in place at Seasonal by January. It will feature fish, market driven vegetable pies, and Greek yogurt with seasonal desserts. "When you taste the way the phyllo dough comes out of that oven, you won't believe it!'' she insists.