Maria Menounos Returns to Fenway Park, Debuts “Maria’s Greek Kitchen”

With an eye towards the post-season, Red Sox fans have yet another reason to visit Fenway Park this season. Aramark, Fenway Park’s food and beverage partner, and Maria Menounos, Emmy winner, CEO of the AfterBuzz TV Network, Author of the New York Times best-selling EveryGirls’ Guide to book series, Host of SiriusXM’s Conversations with Maria and renowned Boston sports’ fan, today announced a partnership to open a new “pop-up” concessions concept at Fenway Park, featuring Menounos’ authentic Greek family recipes she uses to entertain guests and fuel her active lifestyle.

The opening of “Maria’s Greek Kitchen” marks a return of sorts to Fenway for Menounos, who grew up in nearby Medford, MA, attended Emerson College in Boston, and sold sausages behind a cart outside Fenway Park, before and after Red Sox games.

A self-professed foodie, Menounos’ collaboration with Aramark brings together two of her greatest passions – cooking and Boston sports.

The new concept showcases Menounos’ Greek heritage and love of food, and features a line-up of homemade Mediterranean specialties fit for a ballpark, such as gyros, lettuce wraps, hummus plates and kabobs. Located on Yawkey Way, the stand – debuting September 4th — is a first-of-its-kind for Menounos. The development of “Maria’s Greek Kitchen” with Aramark builds on the success and popularity of Menounos’ Greek food line, “Maria’s Greek Delights.”

“I’m blown away to be launching my first brick-and-mortar food venture at, of all places, Fenway Park, the greatest ballpark in the world in my forever home of Boston! I come from a long line of professional Greek cooks, so I feel an obligation to stay true to my roots with authentic recipes and high-quality ingredients,” says Menounos. “I also wanted to add even more healthier options for Fenway fans and items that are easy to tote and consume. Working with Aramark, Maria’s Greek Kitchen achieves all of that!”

“We’re continually working with the Red Sox to develop new and innovative ways to enhance the dining experience at Fenway Park, and Maria’s genuine affinity for the Red Sox and great tasting food make this a natural fit,” said Carl Mittleman, president of Aramark’s Sports & Entertainment division. “We are thrilled to partner with Maria and look forward to this new concept complementing Fenway Park’s already diverse menu and distinctive tastes.”

As a journalist, Emmy Award Winner, Maria Menounos, holds the distinct honor of having conducted the only interview with the entire Obama family. The interview was touted by ABC News as one of the defining moments leading to Obama’s victory. Maria’s achievements have thus far set industry milestones. Her groundbreaking conversational style of reporting led her, at the age of 22, to become the youngest person ever to host “Entertainment Tonight.” She would go on to do the same for the “Today” show and “Nightly News.” The milestones don’t end there. Maria is the first person in the history of Hollywood to report for network news and star in a wide-release feature film.

Red Sox fan, Emmy winning host and best-selling author, Maria Menounos, tours Fenway Farms, where many of the organic ingredients for her new stand at Fenway Park, “Maria’s Greek Kitchen”, are grown. (PRNewsfoto/Aramark)

As an actress, on the big screen, she has appeared in “Tropic Thunder”, Kickin it Old Skool’ and ‘the Fantastic Four’ Small-screen acting endeavors include guest roles on CBS’ “Without a Trace,” NBC’s “Scrubs” and HBO’s “Entourage” as well as a recurring role on the CW’s “One Tree Hill.” She was also the longest running international spokesperson and face of Pantene hair care products and is the current Host of NCM’s ‘First Look’, the cinema pre-show seen daily on 70% of America’s movie screens.

As a digital producer and entrepreneur, Maria, along with partner Keven Undergaro, co-founded AfterBuzz TV, the largest online broadcast network that produces over 300 TV ‘after-shows’ for favorite TV shows, is comprised of over 250 hosts, features daily celebrity guests and broadcasts weekly to over 20 million people from over 100 countries. In addition, along with Undergaro, she co-founded Popcorn Talk, a movie discussion network that reaches 2 million. Per Maria, the collective networks carry a mission to aid, mentor and nurture the careers aspiring hosts and journalists. To that point, AfterBuzz has helped launch the careers of former AfterBuzz TV hosts, Beth Behrs (Two Broke Girls), Eboni K. Williams (Fox News), Kat Bailess (Hit the Floor), Jackie Miranne (VH-1), Stephanie Bauer (Access Hollywood), Suri Serano (ESPN), Deidre Behar (Entertainment Tonight), AJ Gibson (Hollywood Today), Derrial Christon(BET), Chloe West (Moviefone), Cathy Kelley (WWE), Christy St. Cloud (WWE), Daria Berenato (WWE), Roxy Striar (Screen Junkies), Alex Wehrley (E! News) to name a few.

In addition to being a champion of talent, Maria is particularly passionate about helping fellow women young and old. She also loves animals and is avid in pet rescue. A girl who did not speak English until the first grade and one who worked as a janitor cleaning Boston nightclubs throughout her adolescence, Maria is proof that you can come from humble beginnings and succeed. Most importantly, she is proof that you can remain true to yourself, humble and still care deeply for others.