Our History
Our story begins on Ereikoussa.
The story begins on Ereikoussa, moves through New York, and continues at the corner of 75th and Madison with the same family values, recipes, and service.
Our story begins on Ereikoussa, a small green island off the northwest coast of Corfu, under four square kilometers, surrounded by clear water and olive groves.
Fewer than a few hundred people live there year-round. The name comes from the heather, ereiki, that blooms purple across the island in the fall.
Old roots, preserved traditions.
Ereikoussa has been settled since at least the second century, mentioned by the ancient geographer Ptolemy.
It was permanently resettled in 1571 by refugees fleeing Ottoman raids on the neighboring island of Othoni. The locals preserve their memories and traditions, including a traditional olive press from generations ago that still operates today.
It is where our family is from, and where the restaurant's sense of welcome starts.
From the island to New York.
Like generations of Greek families before them, ours left the island for New York in search of something larger.
They brought with them what mattered most: the recipes, the technique, and the sense that a kitchen is also a family.
1976
Three Guys opened on the corner of 75th and Madison in 1976. The Upper East Side was a different neighborhood then.
The recipes came directly from the island. The ingredients were the freshest we could find. The service came from family. Fifty years later, those three things have not changed.
Three generations have walked through our doors. The kids who came in for grilled cheese after school are bringing their own kids now.
The recipes are still ours. The kitchen still runs the way Ereikoussa taught us. Every plate that leaves the counter carries a piece of a small green island most people have never heard of.