68 LONGISLANDPRESS.COM • MARCH 2020
MEET THE CHEFS
LI’S TOP CHEFS WILL MAKE
Taste The Greats, the upcoming celebration
of the fi ne dining served up by
Long Island’s leading chefs, is coming
to Oheka Castle in Huntington on
March 14, complete with wines, craft
beer, and spirits.
The following is a sample of some of
the chefs that will be serving their
signature tasting at the event. For a
complete list of the chefs involved
visit www.tastethegreats.com. VIP
tickets are already sold out, but a
limited number of General Admission
Tickets are still available and can be
purchased online.
Peter Van Der Mije,
Osteria Leana
What drew you to a career
in the kitchen? I enjoy
working with other
chefs and the front
of the house team
so guests can have
an all-around
memorable experience,
from the food
to the friendly faces.
Meet Chef Lidia Bastianich,
host of Lidia’s Kitchen on PBS
How would you defi ne your cooking
style? Simplicity. If an ingredient
cannot be tasted in a dish, then remove
it.
What dish do you enjoy preparing the
most? I enjoy a simple, pan-seared
chicken with fresh salad
greens. The dish is healthy
and delicious, and when
all the ingredients are
fresh, it can’t be beat.
What is your favorite
food-related memory?
A tortilla soup I had at
Mesa Grill, a Bobby
Flay restaurant in
New York City. It
was probably the
fi rst time I went to a
The Emmy award-winning
television host, bestselling
cookbook author,
and restaurateur will
be on hand as a special
guest at Taste The Greats
off ering a meet-and-greet
and book signing for
some lucky attendees.
She has held true to her
Italian roots and culture,
which she proudly and
warmly invites her fans
to experience. She is the
driving force behind
four restaurants and
half a dozen Eataly food
emporiums.
restaurant that was run by a celebrity
chef.
Are there any misconceptions
among foodies that
you’d like to clarify?
Long Island restaurants
are usually slow on
weekdays, but with
this slower pace we
can make stronger
connect ions
with our
guests who then become our regulars
and friends.
Chef Terri Novak,
Avo Taco
What drew you to a career in the
kitchen? I actually began cooking full
meals for myself — fi rst out of necessity
then out of enjoyment. That continued
until when I was considering what to
do with my career.
How would you defi ne your cooking
style? Creative. I love the challenge of
working with the four
different concepts
that are part of
Rooted Hospitality
Group and building
out the menus
that go along with
its very different
styles and brands.
What dish
do you
e n j o y
preparing
the
most?
I love
m a k -
i n g
t a c o s .
W h o
doesn’t love
a really great
taco? Creating
tacos from the
shell up, so to
speak, provides
such a rich
opportuni ty
to come up with
Peter Van Der Mije Terri Novak
Photo by Benny Migs Photo.
sponsored by
Oheka Castle Sat March 14 8PM
/www.tastethegreats.com
/LONGISLANDPRESS.COM
/www.tastethegreats.com