The lasagna recipe at The Open Kitchen hasn't changed since 1952. Neither has much else, and that's exactly the point.
Christina Skiouris's father and uncle opened the place on West Morehead Street in Wesley Heights, blending Greek and Italian cooking into something that doesn't quite belong to either tradition alone — chicken livers Grecque next to a Supreme Pizza Pie, eggplant parmigiana next to chicken scallopini. Christina runs it now, and her answer for what keeps a restaurant going more than 70 years is almost suspiciously simple: good food, a relaxed room, and genuinely caring about the people who walk in.
It's cash-friendly, no-frills, the kind of place where the neon sign out front hasn't needed updating in decades because it never needed fixing. Regulars don't just eat here, they become part of the room — the sense of community built up over 70-plus years is as much the draw as the pizza.
Charlotte's restaurant scene turns over fast. The Open Kitchen just keeps cooking the same lasagna it's been making since Truman was president.
1318 W Morehead St, Charlotte. Closed Fridays for lunch, open into the evening most nights.
