The chef behind Ithaki Mediterranean Restaurant in Peabody is returning to his roots.
Petros Markopoulos, who moved Ithaki from Ipswich to Peabody in 2022, is launching a brand new concept in the original Ipswich space at 25 Hammatt St, reports Wicked Local. Luna Mare Cuisine, slated to open by the end of June 2025, marks a fresh chapter for the local restaurateur—one driven more by joy than ambition.
“One night, I said, ‘Before you die, let’s do something fun, something different,” Markopoulos told What Now Boston. With Luna Mare, he explained, “It’s not just about growing a business… I’m thinking, ‘How can I make the best plate for this week?'”
The name—pronounced Loo-nah Mah-ray— means “moon sea” in Italian, a poetic nod to the easy rhythm of coastal life. “I’m a romantic guy,” Markopoulos shared. “If it is a good night with the full moon, you can see that from everywhere. It’s a romantic thing.”
The new restaurant will feature a playful, tapas-style menu infused with Markopoulos’ signature Mediterranean flair. Small plates, all priced at $30 or less, will draw inspiration from Spain, France, Italy, Greece, Turkey, Morocco, and the Middle East. Alongside the tapas, guests can expect a few hearty dishes built for sharing, like paella and generous platters of meats.
Markopoulos hopes to capture the spirit of traditional Greek gatherings, where meals are less about structure and more about connection. “You know, sometimes you’re tired, you go to a restaurant, and you have to order a salad, and after comes the main courses, and you never finish. I don’t want that anymore,” he said. “If you’re at a Sunday dinner with family and friends, there are a million different small plates on the table… The food brings people together.”
Long before he became a restaurant owner, Markopoulos studied interior design in Greece. He moved to the U.S. for graduate school, but instead found himself pulled back to his childhood passion. “Always, since I was a kid, I was next to my yaya, next to my mother—always with the food. It came to be my living, and I’m happy with that.”
He’s also deeply grateful to the Ipswich community, which embraced him from the very start. “They believe in me,” he said. “The Greeks never came, by the way, okay? The Americans came from the beginning.”
Now, after breathing new life into the cozy Ipswich space where his culinary career took flight, Markopoulos is ready to cook for the community that stood by him from the beginning.
