Chef Nikki Brings It Home

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By Sophia Ricco

sricco@longislandergroup.com

The delights of scrumptious cooking with natural ingredients can be enjoyed in the comfort of one’s home with personal chef Nicole Uliano.

Welcomed into homes on the North Shore, Chef Uliano serves up mouthwatering platters with eclectic elements for up to 70 guests or simply prepares dinner for a busy family. With over four years experience as a personal chef, Uliano brings her skills to make a splash at special events like birthday parties, Shabbat dinners, and bridal showers.

Typically, Uliano will take over a client’s kitchen for four to five hours be- fore guests arrive, but this past week found herself in an unusual spot - cooking in her own apartment.

“It’s funny to do this in my home since I usually do everything in other people’s homes,” Uliano said. “I grocery shop for them, arrive and prep-cook, then, depending on the event, I will stay and plate dishes throughout the party.”

Her wide array of offerings allows Uliano to be flexible to clients’ needs. Over time, Uliano has picked up recipes and techniques to craft kosher, gluten- free and vegan dishes. Based on what is desired, Uliano can continuously cook throughout events, stock refrigerators with a week’s worth of meal prep, or teach her methods with in-home cooking classes.

“I’ve done private dinners for couples, where I stay the whole time and prepare three to four courses,” Uliano said. “It’s like having a restaurant in your house.”

Coming from a family of Italian cooks, Uliano attended the Culinary Institute of America and studied further at the Natural Gourmet Institute where she learned about holistic, healthy cooking from former personal chefs.

Uliano prides herself on presenting gorgeous plates that are a feast for the eyes and stomach. She finds the key to presentation is a rich color scheme and interesting shapes.

“It’s simple, I would say, but I love color,” Uliano said. “On the cheese board, there’s an orange-red theme. For the veggies, it’s pinks and purple. As I plate, I can’t say alright I’ll put this here, it’s an organic flow that just kind of happens.”

Uliano’s signature cheese and charcuterie board is a spectacle to take in, overflowing with ripe fruits, meats from sopressata to prosciutto, and cheeses like blue, brie, apricot, cranberry and goat. The decadent platter makes a mouth-watering centerpiece that invites diners in to grab a bite. Fresh apricots and cherries add to the color palette while balancing the savory cheeses and meats.

“I cook seasonal,” Uliano said. “All the veggies, rhubarb and strawberries are in season. I try to go to local farms and source locally whenever possible.”

For the summer Uliano will keep plates light and refreshing. She sources from Young’s Farm in Brookville and various farmers markets, always striving to include the freshest ingredients. This is evident in the crudités with beet hummus. A colorful array of vegetables surrounding deep pink hummus, it elicits a kick with a sprinkle of curry powder.

Uliano crafts every menu with care and thorough collaboration. She will often present a sample menu that is tweaked until the client is satisfied.

“Each menu is personalized to the client,” Uliano said. “If they tell me one of their favorite dishes, I can do a twist on that. I go for unique items and like to think out of the box. If you take a standard recipe, like the niçoise salad, and deconstruct it onto a platter, it’s different.”

The niçoise platter highlights seared tuna, olives, hard-boiled eggs, potatoes and string beans. The tuna is expertly cooked with a tender raw middle. Her sense for contrasting flavors blended together work in harmony, such as the watermelon, heirloom tomato and feta salad, that incorporates elements of sweet, acidic, and salty.

“I like the fresh, natural approach to food,” Uliano said. “I think you should know what you’re eating. It doesn’t have to be organic, but I don’t cook with preservatives or anything artificial. Everything is made from scratch, whether it’s pie dough or whip cream.”

As for desserts, Uliano’s love for rustic elements brings to mind her decadent rhubarb strawberry crostata with whipped cream bringing the bright red fruits together with a hearty crust and smooth cream.

In the busy world we live in, everyone could benefit from a visit from Chef Nikki who brings her talents in the kitchen to your own table.

Chef Nikki

North Shore of Long Island

516-263-3714

instagram.com/chefnikki_uli

Cuisine: Natural and fresh

Atmosphere: In-home

Price: Dependent on size of party

Hours: Anytime

Plantwise Proves Vegan Can Be Delicious

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By Sophia Ricco

sricco@longislandergroup.com

Plantwise has a mission to help the community eat one plant-based meal a day. With dynamic dishes and eagerness for education, they are a hub for a healthy lifestyle.

The Dix Hills eatery specializes in plant- based cuisine that is free of animal products like meat, dairy or eggs, but full of flavor.

Owners Pamela Kambanis and Alex Adikimenakis took on a vegan lifestyle around seven years ago, prompting them to explore a world of plant-based meals. Eager to share their values and techniques of healthy eating, they opened Plantwise in 2015.

“We had to relearn everything,” Kambanis said. “But I think those four years of re- teaching ourselves, finding new recipes and challenging ourselves with new spices and flavors helped us to take the focus away from meat or dairy. This prepped us to open the restaurant.”

Kambanis said it took time to master vegan cooking in their own kitchen. Keeping the flavors of their favorite dishes while staying animal-free was a challenge. Adikimenakis took the lead designing the menu, drawing influence from various cultures and continuously experimenting.

“We’re really great together, because he figured out how to create the food and pres- ent it in a beautiful way,” Kambanis said. “Neither of us had restaurant experience, we just kinda dove in and made it work.”

For three years, Plantwise has served as a place of enlightenment where anyone can learn about the benefits of a vegan lifestyle. While you peruse Plantwise’s menu, knowledgeable staff can explain, advise and answer questions.

“Many people come in saying they’ve heard of veganism or are trying to eat healthier, but don’t know where to start or what the options are,” Kambanis said. “We find ourselves educating, while helping guide people through the journey of eating better.”

The couple once offered 12 smoothie flavors but recently condensed this to the best four recipes.

“We wanted to focus our energy on the food side, since many people come in for it, we want to make sure we have a lot of variety,” Kambanis said.

The Coconutty takes a unique form as a smoothie bowl ($9.50). A blend of peanut butter, cacao, hemp seeds and chocolate protein, makes a rich and sweet base layer, that is asking to be mixed with the coconut, banana and strawberry toppings. Other beverages include strawberry lemonade ($4.99) and spicy green lemonade ($5.99). Both are naturally sweetened with apples.

“This is not the store it was three years ago,” Kambanis said. “We’ve grown so much and keep growing. Everything that we add to the menu, we will tweak and make better.”

As Plantwise evolves, they continue to introduce specials and unique choices. The zen roll ($8.99) plays on the art of sushi, filled to the brim with spicy kimchi, brown rice, avocado mash, zucchini noodles, arugula and carrots. The freshness of the ingredients gives it a nice crunch, while the kimchi stands out as bold and tangy.

“It’s trial and error in our own kitchen, if we like it and our family likes it, we have a good chance that other people will too,” Kambanis said.

Giving customers the option to mix and match, Plantwise offers half-and-half of a salad and bowl ($11.99). While the bowls can be on the heavier side, a salad keeps the meal light. The southern charm and masala bowl, make a dynamic duo. The chickpea masala was phenomenal. Its savory, zesty sauce mixes well with hearty kale.

The avocado quinoa salad and chili bowl is comfort food reimagined. The bean chili perfectly replicates Southern flavor, proving plant-based can still be delicious.

“Whole, plant-based foods are where we get our nutrients and vitamins from,” Kam- banis said. “We try to approach it in a calm, compassionate way. You don’t have to change your whole life and cut everything out, but just be conscious of one meal, then you’ll see the ease in it.”

Plant Wise

15 E Deer Park Rd, Dix Hills

631-486-9222

eatplantwise.com

Cuisine: Vegan
Atmosphere: Earthy and casual

Price range: Wraps: $8.75-10.99, Salads: $7.99-10.99, Bowls: $8.99-10.99
Hours: Monday-Saturday, 8:30 a.m. - 7:30 p.m.; Sunday, 11 a.m. - 6 p.m.

A Flair For The Authentic

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By Sophia Ricco

sricco@longislandergroup.com

The zesty flavors of Italy get a modern twist at Piccolo Mondo Ristorante in Huntington.

The intimate eatery defies typical Italian fare with an updated menu, that takes notes from the cuisine of Northern Italy. Owner Roland Mizaku was a veterinarian in Albania. When he and his wife came to America, he worked at various Italian restaurants while she attended school.

“When she graduated and got a job, I decided I liked the restaurant business and stayed with it, knowing one day I would open my own restaurant,” Mizaku said “That was my vision for a long time.”

Mizaku opened Piccolo Mondo in 2005, renovating the interior of a former restaurant from floor to ceiling.

With Albania’s proximity to Italy, Mizaku was familiar with the country’s flavors and recipes. Piccolo Mondo’s menu channels the cuisine of Italy with “an American accent.”

“Anyone can go to an Italian restaurant and get the old classics, I want something different from today’s cuisine,” Mizaku said.

More recently, collaboration with executive chef Steven Del Lima refreshed the menu and introduced new flavor combinations. It also allows Mizaku more time to tend the front of the house.

Mizaku visits every table, often recommending dishes and wine pairings.

“We really work hard, from the kitchen to the front of the house,” Mizaku said. “I’m always here, wherever they need me, I’m there.“

The chefs’ playfulness with flavors comes out in the Mediterranean octopus a la plancha ($15) appetizer. A juicy piece of octopus at center stage is elevated by fava bean hummus and mustard vinaigrette. Flavorful enough to eat alone, they transform the octopus and potatoes.

Putting a seafood spin on a classic pasta dish, striped Maine lobster ravioli ($26) is heavenly. Ravioli squares generously stuffed with luscious lobster wear a light glaze of burro fuso, and melts in your mouth.

A bold secondi, parmesan crusted chicken piccola ($23) is a journey of tastes. A half chicken – tender inside and crispy outside — is topped with melted fontina that gives it a creamy taste of comfort. The roasted egg- plant on the side brings soft, earthy flavors.

“It takes a lot of time to make the menu,” Mizaku said. “First, we will cook the dishes and taste them for ourselves. Then we put them on the specials menu and make sure the customers like it before adding it to our menu.”

Specials debut every Friday featuring chefs’ concoctions from in-season ingredients. Recently Piccolo Mondo presented a Mediterranean flatbread ($15); rigatoni with Manila clams, chorizo and tomato-basil brodetto ($25); and pan-crisped Florida red grouper ($35).

“Everywhere does specials, but for us it’s a bit more important,” Mizaku said. “For this week, we saw the grouper was very fresh and a good price. This is why we do specials, to bring in the season and moment, for the freshest ingredients.”

Piccolo Mondo Ristorante

70 E Jericho Turnpike, Huntington

631-462-0718

piccolomondoli.com

Cuisine: Italian

Atmosphere: Lively and elegant

Appetizers: $11-17, Salads: $11-13, Primi: $20-27, Secondi: $23-43.

Hours: Monday-Thursday, 5-10 p.m.; Friday-Saturday, 5-11 p.m.; Sunday, 4-9 p.m.

Roast Packs Plenty Between The Slices

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By Sophia Ricco

sricco@longislandergroup.com

Lunch classics get the royal treatment at Roast Sandwich House, a shop thatstrivesfor the best and delivers with fresh ingredients.

The Melville eatery, opened in 2010 by Paul Doyle and Joseph Cordaro, was crafted with care, to take the lost art of sandwich making and put a delicious spin on it. Roast Sandwich House serves an “upscale version of what someone would eat on a daily basis.” They roast their own meats, make all dressing and sauces in-house, source fresh produce, and have fresh, locally-made bread delivered every day.

“If you want to make something the best, you gotta work really hard and put good things into it,” Doyle said.

Roast Sandwich House serves a variety of sandwiches, wraps, salads, soups and sides concocted by chef Cordaro and staff. Cordaro takes pride in flavor combinations that he has developed over the years.

A glance at the menu reveals a diversity of inspiration from various cuisines. Specialty sandwiches are packed with flavor. The corned beef Reuben ($11.99) is a classic eat taken to a new level with refreshing coleslaw and crispy beer battered onion rings. Stuffed into a marble rye roll and oozing with zesty Thousand Island dressing, there’s no shortage of tender, juicy corned beef.

A popular choice, the chicken alla vodka ($10.99), delivers a rich Italian experience on a garlic semolina hero with savory strips of breaded chicken covered in melted mozzarella and parmesan.

“It’s a lot of effort that goes into making this one item, but it puts a smile on somebody’s face and I think it’s totally worth it,” Doyle said. “We know no one else will put this time into just a sandwich, but to us, it’s not just a sandwich.”

It’s not just the sandwiches that get special treatment. Antibiotic-free chicken makes the difference in the honey BBQ grilled chicken wrap ($9.50). The tangy southwest ranch that covered the well-seasoned, supple chicken and sharp cheddar, found harmony with the crisp bacon, along with fresh avocado and romaine.

“This is the way we live our life. We always try to put good quality food in our bodies and when we feed our family,” Doyle said. “We’re really big into flavor. People may not think the quality of ingredients makes a difference, but if you tried a traditional chicken breast compared to a chicken raised antibiotic free and fed a vegetarian diet, the taste and texture is really recognizable.”

Angry turkey melt ($10.99) puts a healthy spin on a melt with lean turkey, avocado spread and tomato, plus Cajun bacon and pepper jack satisfy savory tastes. With everything made fresh to order, sandwiches can be customized.

“We want people to feel their portion of their day, when they go to lunch, is extremely enjoyable,” Doyle said. “It’s fresh, so they can feel good about what they just ate.”

Roast Sandwich House takes pride in the house-made sides that each pack a punch of flavor. One sensational side — sweet chili crispy brussels ($4.99) have an unexpected taste. The crisp brussel sprouts are saturated in a sauce that kicks. Sweet potato tater tots ($4.99) and french fries ($4.99) also shine. The taters take a sweet route and the fries having a tempting, signature sauce. For those who want to sample more, the Pick Two for $9.99, offers a half-side, half-soup, half-salad, or half-sandwich.

“Sometimes getting a large portion of a hero, might be too much for somebody,” Doyle said. “Now they have an opportunity to add a fresh salad or soup along with it.”

Roast Sandwich House opened in Hicksville and at the Nassau Coliseum two years ago. They hope to keep growing in the future.

“We just gotta roll up the sleeves, work hard and try to stay as happy as possible,” Doyle said. “I really love it here. It’s exciting and doesn’t feel like work.”

Roast Sandwich House

827 Walt Whitman Rd, Melville

631-629-4869

roastsandwichhouse.com

Cuisine: Sandwiches

Atmosphere: Casual and bright

Price: Soups: $3.99-5.49; Salads: $7.99-13.99; Sandwiches and wraps: $7.99-12.99

Hours: Monday-Saturday, 10:30 a.m. - 8 p.m., Sunday, closed.