LIFT UP LOCAL 028
Written by Pamela Patton
📷 courtesy of Amber Rose Photography
My Big Fat Greek Salad Dressing
If you’ve seen the movie “My Big Fat Greek Wedding,” then you’re already familiar with the story of Christina Kalfaian and her father, Jimmy, who is affectionally called by everyone “Papa.”
“Papa immigrated from Greece to America with his mother when he was 12. He started his first restaurant when he was only 17 years old. He met my mother, Cleo, when he was 22, and they started Sophia’s Family Dining together. And yes, I worked in the restaurant. I was just four years old and could count change back to customers. Just like in the movie.”
But Christina’s life was full of interesting twists—literally. She was born with malrotation, a rare congenital disability that affects the position and rotation of the intestine in the abdomen. In 2019, she was only the 64th person ever to undergo a unique procedure to put her intestines where they belong—all 21 feet of them.
📷 courtesy of Amber Rose Photography
“While in the hospital, I had a lot of time to think. I reflected on what matters most: family. And how hard my dad worked for over 45 years in the restaurant. I wondered if there was something I could do to show my love and appreciation. He had created a unique pink salad dressing, a metro Detroit favorite. I wondered if I could bottle and sell it.”
Although her father liked to tinker with recipes, adding this and that, his famous pink dressing was created entirely by accident. He was blending his recipe for his Greek dressing in a five-gallon bucket. Nearby, he opened a can of beets, and some juice spilled into the bucket. At first, he was upset, but then he became intrigued by the pink color added by the beets. And the taste was nothing like he had created before. He poured more beet juice, adding sweetness and the dressing’s signature pink color.
“He ran into the dining room carrying this five-gallon bucket of pink dressing. He said to my mom, ‘Taste this!’ And truth be told, Cleo thought it was disgusting,” Christina recalls, laughing.
📷 courtesy of Amber Rose Photography
But she was probably the only person who didn’t like the dressing. Papa’s Kitchen Original Pink Greek dressing blends sweet and savory, combining fresh Grecian herbs, oils, red wine vinegar, beets, and a touch of love. “I call it the original because many Coney Island restaurants carry a similar recipe. But they don’t quite get it right, and I wanted customers to know that ours is the original.”
Christina knew she needed more than one dressing flavor to launch the line. One Thanksgiving, searching for something new and seasonally appropriate, she devised Papa’s Kitchen Harvest Vinaigrette Dressing: A bountiful blend of olive oil, apple cider vinegar, brown sugar, maple syrup, Dijon mustard, and pumpkin. “I knew it would be a hit because all my friends wanted the recipe.”
Christina had done her homework. She worked with the Michigan State University Product Center to do her market research and design packing. She was ready to launch—then COVID hit.
“I reflected on what matters most: family. And how hard my dad worked for over 45 years in the restaurant. I wondered if there was something I could do to show my love and appreciation.””
📷 courtesy of Amber Rose Photography
Undeterred, Christina did a soft launch of Papa’s Kitchen Original Pink Dressing, announcing its availability on Facebook. “We sold over 500 bottles in just one month,” she recalls. But the dressing wasn’t in stores, and there was no distribution. So, she and her business partner and mother, Cleo, hand-delivered bottles to eager customers. “We’re not doing that again!” She adds.
In June 2021, Papa’s Kitchen was truly open for business. Christina and Cleo went to store after store to introduce their dressings. They did demonstrations at farmer’s markets. Soon, Papa’s Kitchen was available in stores throughout Michigan, including all four Meijer Market Format locations. Her company is certified as a woman-owned business.
📷 courtesy of Amber Rose Photography
Papa’s Kitchen now offers five dressings, all of which are gluten-free. Papa’s Kitchen Fresh Herb Vinaigrette is made with fresh chopped oregano, parsley, mint, basil, and garlic infused into oil and red wine vinegar. Papa’s Kitchen also makes a Green Goddess Dressing. “Most Green Goddess dressings on the market today are made with avocado, which I feel messes with the flavor and does not allow the herbs to stand out. So, instead, I decided to try chickpeas, which we blend with olive oil, lemon, and fresh herbs. It’s the prettiest emerald color, and the chickpeas add body without an overwhelming flavor, like avocado does.”
Christina’s favorite is the Creamy Dill Dressing. It’s a balanced blend of fresh dill, sour cream, mayonnaise, and a hint of garlic. “I was amazed that it is only 80 calories per two tablespoons. I love it as a veggie dip, but my eight-year-old daughter, my foodie-in-the-making, suggested we try it on lobster. It is great!”
📷 courtesy of Amber Rose Photography
Christina’s family is devoted to creating new recipes using Papa’s dressings, which are frequently posted on the company website and the company’s Facebook page. “And if you go to the Facebook page, you’ll see my papa grilling lamb chops, brushing them with Fresh Herb Vinaigrette.”
Christina has big plans for Papa’s Kitchen. “I’m working on something right now that’s very exciting,” she says. “But I’m limiting the dressings to five flavors. We don’t want to lose the distinction we have right now.”
And did Papa retire? “Yes, he retired and has nothing to do with the company besides the name. But seriously, family is important to us, even though I did marry a 6’7” non-Greek, just like the movie,” she laughs.