Mediterranean Fix at Aris Foods

No one goes to the Agoura Hills Farmers Market without stopping by and sampling from the Aris Foods stall. Charming and persuasive, George Xanthogiorgis can make almost anyone try his dips, pita chips and everything else he has to offer.

“Come here. Try this.” With those four words, people stopped on Tuesday. Armed with toothpicks and bite-size pita chips, Xanthogiorgis then proceeded to describe what was in the various tubs in front of him. He won’t take “no” for an answer.

Dips to chips

Aris Food stall has an array of 30 dips, cheeses and olives to sample and purchase. Most people started with the intriguing sheep cheese. Combined with the sun-dried tomatoes and sampled with the baked pita chips, the result was an explosion of flavors.

“Do you know that sheep milk is healthier than cow’s milk?” asked Xanthogiorgis. Most people didn’t. Sheep milk also costs almost four times more than cow’s milk.

His goat cheese was also an attention-getter. Common in the Middle East and Mediterranean countries, the soft, spreadable cheese was also a hit with the sun-dried tomatoes, pita bread and almost anything in the spread.

“This feta cheese is really from Greece, unlike some of the ones being sold around here,” Xanthogiorgis said, proudly pointing out the tubs that were selling quickly that Tuesday afternoon.

The baked pita chips, available in whole wheat and garlic, were crunchy and just lightly-seasoned. For $3 a container, one can take home the triangle-shaped chips and pair it with any of the dips, priced at $4 to $8.

Not a fan of chips? Lavash bread, a low fat, stone-oven bread, was also available, along with the popular pita bread. Both were priced at $3 a bag.

Oh, olives too

And a Greek family business will not be complete without olives. Aris Foods had four varieties of the versatile fruit, all except one grown in Greece and priced at $4 to $5 per tub.

Kalamata (or Calamata) olives, named after a region in Greece, always sells out, according to Xanthogiorgis. The black-purple olive, cured in brine and packed with vinegar, is known for its rich and fruity taste.

The Sicilian-style olives are the only ones grown in California. Also cured in brine, these medium green olives are salty and crispy.

Black and green olives, also from Greece, completed the selection.

From father to son

The business was ingrained in Xanthogiorgis early on. He had a front row seat as his father built Aris Foods from a small restaurant and catering outfit in Hawthorne to what it is today.

So when it was his father felt it was time to pass on the reins in 2006, it was natural for him to take over.

“You could say my dad was my mentor,” Xanthogiorgis explained. “He showed me how to make all these dips and taught me everything I needed to know about the business.”

Now, even Xanthogiorgis wife and three children are involved, helping him set up and sell in 24 farmers markets around Southern California. Everything is a team effort, including catered events and delivering to Gelson’s Markets weekly.

Believing in his products

When asked what the consistent top-sellers among his products are, he answered without hesitation, “Everything!”

“All of our preservative-free products sell out all the time, because they taste great,” he said. “People come back, because of the taste and because we stand by all of our products.”

*The Agoura Hills Farmers Market is open on Tuesdays, from 3 to 8 pm, at 28914 Roadside Drive, in the Whizin Market Square parking lot.