NOVEMBER 2017 • LONGISLANDPRESS.COM 39
BY TIMOTHY BOLGER
Like many chefs, Peter Van der
Mije learned to cook from his
grandmother, or “nonna.” But he’s
one of the few to repay the favor
by naming his first restaurant after
her.
After his culinary aspirations drew
him from Colorado to New York,
Van der Mije followed his dream
to downtown Oyster Bay, where he
opened Osteria Leana, a chic casual
Italian spot serving sophisticated,
modern cuisine made with only
local—and therefore the freshest,
most flavorful—ingredients.
“What grows together goes together,”
he says, quoting Phil
Howard, one of the internationally
acclaimed chefs that trained him.
As opposed to serving northern or
southern Italian-style cuisine, he
says, “I think of it as Oyster Bay
Italian.”
The Culinary Institute of America
graduate’s commitment to that
approach comes across in everything
about Osteria Leana, one of
only two Certified Green Restaurants
on Long Island. That strict
certification that requires using
sustainably sourced food, mitigating
environmental impact and
other factors.
“We’re aware of our impact on the
community,” he says.
The chef-owner gets his shellfish
from local baymen plying the
waters just beyond commercial
strip, while he’s careful to use
water efficiently and avoid harmful
chemicals. He regularly visits local
farms to acquire produce in person,
epitomizing farm-to-table ideals.
“I think the trend is not as accurate
as people who are really
farm-to-table,” he says of the term,
which can sometimes be used
loosely, like the phrase all natural.
“When you go there every day,
it’s rewarding to know somebody
cares as much about what you’re
serving…as you do.”
And it’s not just the food menu.
North Fork vineyards grace the
pages of his wine list, he stocks
the bar with New York-made
spirits and there’s no shortage of
LI-brewed beers on tap. Of course,
that includes suds from Oyster
Bay Brewing Co., which was the
prior tenant in the location Osteria
Leana took over in May 2016 after
the brewer outgrew the space.
But the intimate ambiance of his
42-seat locale with crisp service
isn’t only romantic. The open
kitchen shows Van der Mije’s commitment
to culinary transparency.
And besides being an homage to
Grandma Leana, the name also
captures the essence of Van der
Mije’s style.
An osteria is a type of tavern found
in Italy that serves simple food and
wine. They’re usually off the beaten
path. Much like Osteria Leana’s
hidden gem location just off the
main drag.
Dishes that let the seasonally available
ingredients shine at the moment
include the seared black bass
with marinated zucchini and squash
in a parsley veloute ($31), the mushroom
salad with julienned endive
and shaved parmesean in a truffle
dressing ($13) or the Fall Strozzapreti
($15/$20) with oregano pesto,
mushrooms, grilled radicchio, garlic
pumpkin seeds and parmigiano.
That’s in addition to hosting wine
specials on Mondays and Wednesdays,
charitable events and a regular
five-course pasta-tasting dinner
event that’s billed as the only one of
its kind on the Island.
Surely, he’s made Grandma Leana
proud.
FOOD & DRINK
To Nonna With Love
Osteria Leana chef draws from roots to grow
locally inspired Oyster Bay hideaway
Peter Van der Mije, chef-owner of Osteria Leana in Oyster Bay, runs one
of only two Green Certified Restaurants on Long Island.