Estiatorio Milos

I’ve had the pleasure of vacationing in Greece on several occasions. And among the most memorable things about it was the pristine freshness of the fishermen’s catch. It didn’t smell like fish; it smelled like the ocean. That was the “driver” when I created THE OCEANAIRE SEAFOOD ROOM– that and the utter simplicity of the Greeks’ preparations: simply grilled or broiled, or quickly sautéed.
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Spiking Isn’t Just for Drinks

Spiking Isn’t Just for Drinks

I have a lot of respect for chain restaurants. I also have a lot of envy, too – because they have such a big advantage over us independents, particularly in advertising.

You can’t get through the day without being bombarded on TV with countless commercials. And some are pretty good. “Crabfest” at Red Lobster, Olive Garden’s “When you’re here, you’re family,” even the “Grand Slam” ads from Denny’s.
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PARMIGIANO REGGIANO… CUT THE CHEESE

Back in the early 1980s when Pete and I were preparing to open Pronto Ristorante, we figured it would be a good idea to learn more about Italian cuisine. So we signed up for an “Italian immersion cooking school” taught by the legendary Marcella Hazan in Bologna, Italy.


Every day, we would start out bright and early by going to the central market, where under Marcella’s guidance we would select the best seasonal produce, cheese and meats for the daily meal, and finally head off to the pasta maker.
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