Talk about high-voltage energy.
Mike Isabella, the head chef at D.C.’s trendy Zaytinya restaurant, seems to do 16 things at once, exuding a do-it-now enthusiasm that would leave lesser folk exhausted. Here’s one guy with a mission: live it fully and cook it all. Looks like he is well on the way to doing both.
“I live to eat and drink,” says Isabella.
For someone with such pent-up food energy, cooking does seem a natural outlet. Besides, he explains — pausing just long enough to sip a luxurious tea he’s considering for the menu — cooking really is in his genes and family, with an Italian dad who prefers home-style food and a free-spirited vegetarian mom who early on urged her young son to sample ethnic fare.
Plus, “I started cooking with my grandmother when I was 8,” he says. “It was traditional Italian food. I even learned how to stuff my own ravioli. All I’ve ever wanted to do is cook.”
And that’s what he’s done, attending the New York Restaurant School to earn an associate degree in Culinary Arts, then cooking in New York City restaurants before moving to Philadelphia to work at Steven Starr’s local restaurants. Not wanting to be pegged as an Italian chef, Isabella developed his passion for ethnic cooking by working as sous chef at El Vex and Alma de Cuba, the modern Latin restaurant that has earned a fair share of kudos. Isabella also worked as chef de cuisine in Atlanta’s award-winning Greek restaurant, Kyma.
“I have worked with many different flavors, many different cuisines,” he adds, noting he moved to Brazil and then to Greece to become immersed in their cooking styles. “I spent several weeks in Greece just learning the heart and soul of it. I traveled around, and fell in love with Greek cooking.”
That makes Isabella a natural fit for the Zaytinya kitchens, where a grounding in Mediterranean cooking and flavors is a must for someone overseeing the restaurant’s cookpots.
Although he has kept many of Zaytinya’s initial signature dishes, Isabella has put his own stamp on the menu, never straying outside of the Mediterranean flavor profile, however. For one, his octopus has become a popular mezze.
“I learned this dish in Greece,” he says. “It is cooked in the oven in red wine vinegar, then I grill it off. When I was in Santorini (Greece), it was served with a yellow split pea purée and with capers, parsley and pickled onions.”
Clearly, Isabella gets inspired by his Mediterranean travels, but he also adds he’s a voracious reader of cookbooks — he has books all over his office, he says — and continues to learn when eating out in other’s restaurants.
“I have been traveling and eating out all over the world,” he says, with a nod to his nonstop energy.
Besides, he admits, “All I know is food.”
That certainly helps, when you are charged with cooking for a restaurant like Zaytinya.
Q&A with the Chef
Do you cook at home?
A little bit, but my fiancée does most of it. When I do, I move back to my Italian roots. It’s real simple cooking, using herbs, lemon juice and olive oil.
What is your comfort food?
Hamburgers. I eat them and French fries a lot. I go to Five Guys for fast food and I think Central has the best hamburgers in the city.
Where is your favorite restaurant?
I like ethnic foods, so I eat at Bangkok 54, and for Vietnamese, Pho 75. I also go to Oyamel, Jaleo and Full Kee.
How do you define your cooking style?
It’s a mix. Douglas Rodriguez is the godfather of Nuevo Latino, and I love all those flavors. But a Greek chef makes it very simple. So I mix these ideas. I tone it down, and incorporate smoking, pickling and marinating.
Which are your basic must-have ingredients?
Fresh herbs, especially dill, parsley, chives and the mints. Then I need Greek olive oil and red wine vinegar.
What tips would you share with home cooks?
Timing. You must cook so that all is done at the same time. And think about the way the world is going green, local. See what’s (seasonal) in the markets … .If you stick to seasonal, you don’t have to think too much.
Recipe: From the Chef’s kitchen
Zaytinya’s Zucchini and Cheese Patties
Serves 6
2 cups grated and blanched zucchini
1 ⁄ 2 ounce scallions, thinly sliced
1 / 4 Tbsp finely chopped oregano
1 ⁄ 4 Tbsp finely chopped parsley
1 ⁄ 4 Tbsp finely chopped mint
1 ⁄ 4 cup grated feta cheese
1 ⁄ 4 cup panko breadcrumbs
1 / 8 cup all-purpose flour
3 egg whites, stiffly beaten
1 ⁄ 4 Tbsp kosher salt
1 / 8 Tbsp ground white pepper
Combine the grated zucchini, scallions, herbs, cheese, breadcrumbs and flour in a large bowl. When the egg whites form stiff peaks, fold them into the zucchini mixture; season with salt and pepper. Make a trial patty and adjust seasonings. When ready to serve, pass the patties with the Caper Yogurt Sauce (see recipe below).
Caper Yogurt Sauce
1 cup Greek yogurt
1 ⁄ 4 cup capers, chopped
1 1 ⁄ 2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 ⁄ 2 Tbsp salt
1 / 8 Tbsp ground white pepper
water as needed
Put all the ingredients in a blender and add just enough water to help process. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
(Restaurant Information: Zaytinya; 701 9th St. NW, Washington; 202-638-0800; Hours: 11:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday-Monday; 11:30 a.m. to 11:30 p.m. Tuesday-Thursday; 11:30 a.m. to midnight Friday-Saturday; Brunch is served on Saturday and Sunday)
