Raised in Giannitsa and of Pontian descent, Dimos Kalaitsidis started working at the age of fifteen, determined to earn his own money. He began by working at a local liquor store, unloading drinks for shops and small, makeshift taverns. This constant movement between kitchens shaped his future. About a year later, he told his father he wanted to become a chef. Without hesitation, his father secured him a position at a tripe restaurant in Thessaloniki, in the Vardar area, opposite the courts. Already seasoned from his previous experience in the liquor store, Dimos threw himself into the work. During the morning shift, he boiled pasta and assisted the chef, Mr. Giorgos. In the evenings, to make ends meet, he served the customers. The restaurant was open twenty-four hours a day, and he got to know all kinds of people, an invaluable experience that would shape his future.
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Day by day, he explored the world of cooking, learning not only how to work in the kitchen but also how to interact with customers. When it was time to serve in the military, he was selected for the Presidential Guard. There, he met the then-chef of the President of the Republic, Thanasis Skouras, who took him along to some official receptions. Dimos recalls at least two, one with Konstantinos Karamanlis and another with Kostis Stephanopoulos. The spark for cooking grew even stronger. After being discharged, he enrolled at the School of Tourism Professions in Peraia, where he did his internship at two hotels. Corfu was his first professional stop in the culinary world. He worked as a saucier and trained, as he recalls, "next to an incredible master of the pot. I was fortunate because he made me love slow cooking and understand the value of flavour."
