Pennysaver

"Brava Nader!" is an exclamation of good food and good service by a man who truly wants his friend to have nothing but the best. Owner/Chef Nader Gebrin wants to befriend everyone who walks into his dining room and will do just about anything for his customers.

That includes coming back after closing for a friend who wants to show visitors to Huntington fun and good food or preparing a special dish for an ailing acquaintance. For those who know Nader and even those who do not, the news is things just keep getting better every day.

"We absolutely have the best crab cakes around", he said, commenting on the large chunks of meat in each cake. "When I was young, my father was always cooking and preparing everything fresh from the mayonnaise to the orange juice," the Egyptian-born chef said. "I invent everything on my menu" he added, commenting further on the importance of texture, flavor and color in the presentation of any and all of his culinary creations.

That includes his Citrus Salad with oranges, caramelized pecans, heart of palm hearts, mesculin, blackberry dressing and melted Gorgonzola. "It's much like an artist or a musician who uses the various notes to compose a symphony." The melody comes from the chef who flies in fresh seafood from Hawaii, including tuna. The crescendo of Nader's cuisine is a spectacular mix of spices. Nader honed his art while training at the Swiss cooking school, Monatana Foch Schule. From that point, he furthered his education with on-the-job experience with Marriott Corp., a health food store in Plainview, The Plaza in Manhattan, and Orlando's in Huntington.

Nader explains, "My cooking employs comfort foods are completely homemade and completely unique." Examples are his Lasagna with homemade sausages. Braciole over homemade gnocchi and 4-inch thick Osso Bucco Milanese. "Everything is cooked per order under my watchful eye. If the patron wants something done differently and if I've the ingredients on hand, they got their dish," Nader stated with a heart-warming smile.

A small sampling of the dinner menu includes appetizers, such as Pyramid Mozzarella, fresh mozzarella layered with roasted peppers, grilled marinated eggplant and sun-dried tomatoes; soups like the Straciatella Romano, a spinach egg drop soup; and entrees with Nader's special touch, including his critically acclaimed Chicken Scarpariello, a crispy half-chicken, with sliced homemade sausage, pepperocini and a rosemary garlic sauce.

Never forger the perfect ending to any meal, Nader reminds, is the perfectly prepared Napoleon.

Ned Sweeney, This Week's Pennysaver