K Rivers Photo

addicted to photographing The Continental

Pristine Suburbia

Phil’s Appliance, Kensington and Somerset

My quest to learn more about the defunct (and frozen in time) Temple House Restaurant lead me down an unexpected wormhole:

Four tracts of land bound by Broad, Westmoreland, Ontario, and 13th streets contain Dr. Michael Tsokas’s mini empire.

Tsokas was a Temple dental grad who immediately set up his practice and personal residence in the neighborhood after completing his studies.

In addition to the restaurant, he owned and rented out many of the nearby residences, and is also the founder of the Saint Michael’s Greek Orthodox Cathedral (not pictured), located directly across Rising Sun Ave.

*I am working on a longform article and would like to gather information from anyone who knew Michael, was a former patient of his, or patronized Temple House. Please email or DM me.