As a child in his native Greece, he walked a perilous path to a mountaintop church to light candles and ring the bell, with no worry about stumbling or rocks falling. His grandfather, a silent man, taught him to "focus on the result you want to see," he said.

When he immigrated to the United States as a teen, he believed in the vastness of what is possible.

"Coming to America has always been this kind of dream, this glorious dream," Bakatsias said from his home in northern Durham, while sipping white tea in one of his gardens. "That was my path of education."

"I don't think that flame ever burned out," he said. "I saw it as a country of abundance with no limitations."

Bakatsias (pronounced bah-kah-SHAH) has had a hand in creating more than 35 restaurants since the 1980s. Out of dozens of them, a few remain wildly successful, such as Café Parizade and Vin Rouge in Durham, as well as Spice Street and Bin 54 in Chapel Hill. He sold some, and many others faltered and closed, including three venues in Cary some 25 years ago.

Bakatsias is not deterred by the failures. He moves on to the next project, having learned new lessons while embracing new possibilities.

His next restaurant, Giorgio, marks his return to Cary.

The 7,000 square-foot restaurant at 4300 NW Cary Parkway will have the flare his projects have come to embody, calling upon the saturated colors, tastes and textures of the Mediterranean.

He had thought about returning to Cary ever since he left, but needed a serendipitous event to prompt action. When he happened upon a location near the town's Preston community, the dynamic building spoke to his inner artist.

He has since teamed up with Durham designer Heather Garrett, but also brings much of his own vision. With the help of an investor, he bought the building outright, and he started planning.

"If there's anything that I've learned from the past, it's not about wishing," he said. "It's about being decisive and accurate."

The dreamer has honed his business skills through the years, adjusting his expectations to be more realistic.

Without the experience of his first Cary restaurants, he might not have made wiser decisions down the road. Café Giorgios and Rouge En Noir in MacGregor Village were closed in 1991 for his failure to pay taxes. He also blames internal leadership problems, as well as difficulty working with the Cary town government.

Columns, his third Cary venue, belonged in London or New York, he said with a rueful smile. But times have changed, and Cary is much more than the town of 4,000 it once was.

"I think the market here is as sophisticated as anywhere," he said recently, tearing at some bay leaves while the buzz and bang of saws and hammers filled the background at Giorgio, a dramatic space with teals, oranges and golds and a rich, dark bar.

He's also aware of the unique population of Cary: "Not many people were born here."

Giorgio opens this month and will offer lunch and dinner seven days a week, as well as Sunday brunch. There will be a late night menu. He'll give folks a reason to get a babysitter.

"We couldn't be happier about this. He has a great reputation for wonderful food at a variety of restaurants in the Triangle, and we've missed having him as part of the Cary scene," said Cary Mayor Harold Weinbrecht. "I personally can't wait to go there."

As for the food, think Mediterranean with a twist: braised meats, fresh salads, and hearty pastas inspired by Spain, Italy and Greece. "Food you can eat every day," he said.

Bakatsias grew up in the rural Greek village of Karista, and he credits his mother with his love of fresh, simple foods. He recalls how she carried her children on her shoulders while she watered and picked vegetables from the family garden, making staples like tomato paste and bread from scratch.

His father brought Bakatsias' two older brothers to the United States first. Bakatsias followed at age 12 with his mother and sister. The family settled in Burlington, where they lived above a diner they operated.

"I had amazing parents," he said. "They are always with me."

As a teen, he returned to Greece to train for soccer -- he had aspirations of playing professionally in Europe -- before coming back to the states for college. He would go on to play for Appalachian State University and Elon University while studying business and psychology. But he never graduated.

The lack of a degree did not seem to hinder his success: he opened his first restaurant at age 21, and has been at it ever since.

"George is a great host and seems to open restaurants because of an insatiable desire to entertain guests," said Charlie Deal, who recently opened Dos Perros restaurant in Durham. Deal partnered with Bakatsias years ago to open Jujube, where Bakatsias remains a minority partner. "I've often likened running a restaurant to hosting a party each night, and George certainly embodies that vibe."

For someone who is a gregarious entertainer, Bakatsias is at heart a private person. Unmarried, his restaurants are like his children. He lives in north Durham and has 10 gardens where he grows herbs for his restaurants, as well as hens.

"I have to have a stillness in order to have that constant movement around me," he said.