Newsday

A Kiss Is Just a Kiss? Not at His Place

By Jamie Talan
STAFF WRITER

NADAR GEBRIN looks for the cheeks of his patrons. The resulting kiss-kiss is as sincere and gracious as his wish to create the best southern Italian dishes east of Egypt. And that is why he travels twice a week to Fulton Market to buy exotic fish well before the sun comes up. And that is why his cozy restaurant, sporting 12 tables off the beaten track in Huntington, has been packed since he bought his piece of the American Dream ...[10] years ago. He is chef and host and all-around crowd pleaser as he introduces a long list of daily specials in his thick accent that may fool most people into thinking that he is as Italian as the fresh cheese ravioli and sausages he prepares.

He is not. Gebrin was born and raised in Egypt and studied cooking at Monatana Fach Schule in Switzerland. There, he specialized in flambé and sauces and restaurant management. He was drawn to the friendliness of Americans he had met in Switzerland and decided to follow his dreams across the world. He arrived here ...[19] years ago, alone.

With food on his mind, Gebrin settled into a string of cooking jobs. From Mario's in Hauppauge to a health food store in Plainview to the Plaza's Palm Court restaurant, and finally to Orlando's in Huntington. Along the way, he met and married Mary and the two settled in Huntington with their three boxers.

One night, a little more than ...[10] years ago, he and Mary were sitting in a corner of a small restaurant tucked into a street traveled by few. It was Italian, and the dark atmosphere, the smell of garlic and cheese, made Gebrin dreamy. He told his wife that someday, someday, he would own this very place. That day came more quickly than he expected. A few months later, he heard through the foodvine in town that the restaurant was for sale. He made his offer.

On a hot summer day in August, Gebrin unwrapped his dream and presented it to the world. He decided to call his restaurant Bravo, Nader, and his reason for such an odd and unforgettable name tells you everything about the man's nature. His family - and his teachers - were a world away, and there was no one to pat him on the back and congratulate him. "There was no one, except Mary, to say: Bravo, Nader," he said.
The name became his family hug.

With this in mind, one begins to understand that everyone who comes into his restaurant is family. It is not uncommon for Gebrin to squeeze up a seat with regular customers and present his extensive list - memorized because he created and cooked the specials - in a charming, boyish manner. His Italian kisses are provided as generously as his portions of fresh foods. There are more entrees on his menu than there are tables and he tells customers that they can have anything they want, as long as the ingredients are on hand.

Ever conscious of health (he spends five days a week in the gym) everything is prepared fresh and nothing is ever fried. He uses very little cream in his cooking. On one recent day, oysters were as big as fists and the place was sweet with the smell of homemade sausage and cheese. He is as meticulous with preparation as with recipes; the food looks wonderful on extra-large white plates, and tastes intermingle perfectly. People can even share a meal and go away satisfied. The deserts are also homemade, even the ice cream.

"I have invented everything on my menu," said Gebrin, whose family has no idea what he has created in America. "My mother probably thinks I own a pizzeria," he said with a gentle smile and a wink.

Some people dream in color. Gebrin says he dreams in food. He creates about a dozen daily specials. "I always wanted to own a restaurant," he said. And for other food dreamers who may sit in a corner by the window and hope that one day this restaurant will be theirs, sorry. This place is Gebrin's home. Bravo, Nader.