BY MAX PARROTT
“Chopped” champion Nicholas Poul-mentis
is a purist when it comes
to his ingredients – particular
enough to walk out of a job at
the Astoria restaurant Akrotiri Seafood Taverna,
where he designed the menu.
“I stopped associating with that place because
they wouldn’t provide the proper ingredients,” he
said of his former employer.
The Greek chef’s new project is called Oli.
Vine, a contemporary Mediterranean restaurant
that opened up on April 4 at 36-03 Ditmars
Blvd. in Astoria.
Poulmentis, who was born in New York City to
Greek parents, left the U.S. when he was a year old
to live on the Greek island of Kythira. Ever-inspired
30 JUNE 2019 I LIC COURIER I www.qns.com
Oli.Vine
Astoria resident
and ‘Chopped’
champion brings
the tastes of the
Greek Islands to
new restaurant
by his culinary upbringing on the island, his goal
with the new restaurant was to fuse insular Greek
dishes with the ubiquity of New York’s food stock,
where a chef can get their hands on ingredients
from across the world.
Poulmentis lived in Kythira for 37 years, where
he was largely limited to the island’s native
ingredients. He said he worked at a seafood
restaurant there where they would cook what-ever
they could catch.
Now he’s bringing those tastes to Astoria
– and going through great lengths in order
to do so. Poulmentis took vrahosalata, a form
of produce native to Greece, back with him on
a trip in preparation for this new venture. He
said that he gave the produce to a local farmer
who was able to grow it locally and supply it
for Oli.Vine.
Feature
Photos courtesy of Oli.Vine
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