Where the Restaurant Has Been and Where It is Going
by Mary Sherwin
Nikolai Sullo, the son of owner Peter Sullo, is the head chef at Isola. Together with his father, his brother Anthony, and his sister Garbielle, Nikolai runs the Edgartown restaurant open Thursday through Sunday. The restaurant offers a cozy dining room, a well-stocked bar, as well as an adjoining take-out Pizza shop. This classic Italian restaurant strays from stereotypical American Italian dishes and offers a wide variety of vegetarian, vegan, and fresh catch dishes which change often throughout the year. Nikolai is a self-taught chef who’s passionate about food, family, and Martha’s Vineyard.
Isola is a family owned restaurant. Growing up, did you always know that you wanted to join the business?
I have been around cooking all of my life, since I was a little kid my grandmother would always chase us around with the wooden spoon she would use to mix the sauce. Growing up around my grandmother, my father, and my mother were always cooking so we never really went out much. My mother taught herself to cook, my father learned as he went, but my Grandmother always made raviolis. We always made meals, we wouldn’t go out so I grew up cooking.
Could you tell us a bit more about the history of Isola and what this restaurant means to your family?
My father’s dream was always to have a night club and restaurant. We had a pizzeria for about seven years and Vineyard Haven called Rocco‘s but we always wanted to do something more, it was never enough. It’s me, my brother, my sister and my father running [Isola] so it’s kind of hectic at times but we love doing it. It’s always been something we’ve wanted to do and we’ve been open six years now. It’s amazing how we still get along.
Isola’s pizza menu is very unique. Where do you draw inspiration from for pizzas like The Fun Guy?
The Fun Guy was a joke I remember hearing but I forget what the joke was. Something about two mushrooms talking and one mushroom says to the other mushroom “hey, you’re a real fun guy” and we wanted to have a little play on words on some of the pizzas. First the fun guy was just mushrooms but then we added the spinach and truffle oil and once we did that, people loved it. My sister went to Italy and she saw prosciutto pie with no tomato, just arugula so we took that from when she studied in Rome for 6 months.
Why should customers try an Italian restaurant rather than a classic seafood joint while on the island?
Everyone loves Italian food. It’s comforting. It’s funny because we didn’t have chicken parm or spaghetti and meatballs on the menu for the first three years and everyone would always come in and ask for them. As soon as we added those items, they were the biggest hit. We sell like 20 chicken parms a night. I feel like Italian food is just comforting for everybody even if you are not Italian. Just a bowl of pasta with red sauce or pesto or alfredo, its just a go to. There’s a lot of seafood restaurants or French restaurants but Italian food is always going to be there, like a staple.
Last summer you were featured on Barstool Pizza, can you tell us about any other famous guests that have dined at Isola?
David Letterman comes in a lot. The woman from Shark Tank [Lori Greiner], she always comes in. She came in one time and loved the food, she gave us tips on how to spice up the place. My father still talks to her. Obama almost came in one time but there wasn’t enough exits. Meg Ryan is another famous guest.
The restaurant is only open Thursday through Sunday. What are some of your favorite restaurants to visit Monday through Wednesday?
We eat at home! Anything left over, we’re eating. If we have a little necks or scallops left over we make a big meal. The one thing the Italian side of my family does is make a big meal and converse around the dinner table. Maybe we will go to the Harbor on one of those nights when it’s the only time for us to go out and have fun and have some free time, but most of the time we eating at the dinner table at home.
Are there any items that are not featured on the current menu that customers frequently request?
My sister is a vegan and many customers asked for a vegetarian, vegan or gluten-free options. That’s something I really tried to expand my cooking horizons on. Some places only offer vegan dishes that are a bunch of vegetables on a plate, but I learned from my sister that you have to have protein like beans or lentils, with pasta and vegetables to make it a hearty dish. Vegetarian and vegan options are always changing but we just added another vegan appetizer to the menu.
Looking into the future, what sneak peaks can you give our audience about the upcoming menu changes?
Lots of vegetarian options. I try to change the catch of the day weekly. I grew up here so I know a lot of local fishermen so I try to do lots of different types and styles of fish. The specials changed a lot over the year so I try to do a lot of fish, pork belly, and tuna that I cannot wait to have every year. Italian motto is to basically use fresh ingredients and the ingredients will speak for themselves. The island is so great for fresh ingredients with the farms and the local fisherman. It has the best seafood in the world, I think. Lastly, what is your favorite dish on the menu? Scallops. I really like bay scallops that come in the winter and the fall because they are sweet like the candy of the sea. They are a little smaller than sea scallops, but I do a caramelize on both sides that’s the most delicious dish ever.
MORE INFO
19 Church St.
Old Post Office Square
Edgartown
(774) 549-9446
isolamv.com
