A Conversation with A Couple of Creative Restauranteurs in the Catskills

MARGARETVILLE — In mid-July, it will have been three years since Noli Alaj and Anastassia Tsivy opened the Oda Wine Bar. They wrestled with the name, as Oda is a name found on a number of places for Balkan restaurants. But, in thinking about this, they realized in both their ancestral languages, Oda almost means the same thing, and a concept close to the soul of their inspiration as restaurateurs.  Oda,  in Noli's Albanian language. means a "guest room where people celebrate," while Oda in Anastassia Tsivy's Georgian means a guest house, but more. Let's try and see this word with Albanian and Georgian eyes. Often translations limit the scope of understanding, as they are devoid of cultural contexts. An Anglo-American might read this and say, "Oh, an Albanian living room." Yes, but more, the Oda is the pride of the house and the joy of extending hospitality in a place that expresses the honor of the family, where the family gathers for important discussions, decisions, announcements, entertainment and more. In Georgian, it is a structure. The Oda in Georgia is a lightly built wooden house, built on piles, raised above terrain which often floods, not a bad idea for Margaretville. It generally has ornately decorated front and back porches to enjoy the open air. They were built to be easily disassembled and moved. Besides the traditional four main rooms, there are often two small pantry like additions, one for food provisions and the other having several qvevris (clay brick vessels for storing wine). How can you not call this gem of a wine bar Oda. 

France has a wonderful reputation for wine, and well it should. Almost all their vineyards died in the 1860s blight and were replaced with vines from New York State and California. But in those qvevris lie aging wines whose roots go back through 5,000 to 8,000 years of tradition. They are among the oldest wines on earth. 

Anastassia and I were both "born in a trunk," kids of working actors. Where I grew up backstage in NYC and in Summer Stock, Anastassia's parents were part of the historic Moscow theater tradition. She relates how her father had  leading roles in major theaters. Among his leading roles, she says with pride that he played Jesus in Jesus Christ Superstar. Her mother was in avant-garde theater. I ask her about the nexus between the performative world of theater and the performative aspect of the restaurant world.

Anastassia explains that she came to New York to pursue a career as a singer and performer and that through Oda she presents an understanding of her and Noli's national traditions. I think this is why restaurants owned by theater people are so wonderful. Sure, all of us in theater have supported ourselves in jobs in restaurants and bars, but we understand that culture is performative and there needs to have a definable motivation and that motivation must be understood by the staff to be experienced by the audience, I mean the patrons. Oda illustrates Noli and Anastassia's cultural inheritance through hospitality, ambiance, wine and food. 

Hospitality is a deep held spiritual concept in Georgia and Albania. The food and wines are but one aspect of the cultural performance that a visit to Oda presents. Noli and Anastassia make sure their staff understand the responsibility of wrapping the guests in the attentive service which both honors and accommodates the patron's wish for an escape into a warm and blithesome haven. 

There are thematic events which add to the message of the meals. At least once a year, they have a Balkan Night. Croatian food is fish forward, so Noli is cooking traditional Croatian seafood. Again, this is an expression of his experiences in the regions of his family. He is Albanian from Kosovo, a complicated statement, that we will keep simple as we are speaking about his cooking. His family spent their summers in Greece and Croatia. As part of the Balkan Night, there will be a famous Croatian winemaker to expand their customers' understanding of these ancient wines. Anastassia speaks about her love of Croatian and Slovinian wines, and in that she is not alone. So Anastassia and Noli also have a bottle shop, where others who appreciate these historic wines can find affordable bottles. 

In all things, Noli and Anastassia try to keep the prices down. Recent tariffs have raised the prices but they have not used this as an excuse to raise prices more than is necessary to stay in business. This means working hard for both quality and affordability. They truck their fish in from New Jersey, so they know it is fresh and can be priced reasonably. 

The wines start at $11 or $12 a glass. They are good quality, organic and natural. The small plates start from $7 to $8. The whole fish entree is under $30. Soon they will be open on Wednesdays, and will feature a Dumpling Special. Where their dumplings are usually $20, they will be $15 on Wednesdays. Their Balkan Platter is $45 and designed to feed three or four people with spreads. It is a perfect vehicle to anchor a gathering of friends over wine and conversation. Do find Oda on Facebook to find information about their "all night Happy Hours".

I applaud this effort to keep things in the Catskills from being part of the hyperinflation trend. After all, there is both joy and enlightenment in being open to the world's culture. When the rest of the world is seen in the focus of their traditions and cultural treasures, people become less afraid and defensive. 

This is not a restaurant exclusively attractive to tourists. Sitting at the bar, I hear a table talking about their concerns that "like a coming apocalypse", the the Emerald Ash Borers are attacking their trees. They speak of only cutting the trees killed, to see if some will develop a resistance. And, on the subject of resistance... 

If you are a "I'll have a hamburger and a Bud" kind of restaurant goer for whom a Balkan platter and a glass of Georgian wine is just too much off your beaten track, Oda has remarkable hamburgers. Their "Burger Special with sides," on Thursday can be your introduction to Oda's greater cuisine at $15.  After having one, you will definitely find that a trip to Eastern Europe through the epicurean delights at Oda will be a rewarding experience. 

Patrons at Oda

Patrons at the bar at Oda

The wonderful staff at Oda