Gayle
and Nick Mourgides’ kitchen is both big and cozy, the kind of place that makes
you think of family. Done in yellow and white with a long farm table at one
end, the room has lots of counter space for little helpers to work. The
Mourgides — owners of Olives (50 State Street, Pittsford, 381-3990) — have
a lot of little helpers, in fact. Five between them. As parents of a blended
family, they needed to make room for everyone. So they expanded the kitchen of
their 1924 Pittsford house into their dining room.
           “We have a huge Greek family and
they’re always here,” Gayle says. “So at gatherings, where is everyone? In the
kitchen.”
           Spending time at home is a priority
for the couple. Gayle and Nick manage to cook three nights a week for their
kids, who range in age from three to 21 years old.
           “For the restaurant industry we’re
better balanced than most,” Gayle says. “We can be home because we hired great
staff.” Sunday dinner is a big meal, Nick says. “We try to make it nice for the
kids, to cook food they really like.” They grill lamb chops or hamburgers for
the kids and salmon or other fish for themselves. The kids also like fondue,
Nick says.
           They had a long, narrow farm table
made so that all seven of them could sit close together to talk and joke
around, Gayle says. “There’s a lot of teasing,” she says. “How else could so
many people get along so well? You have to be able to tease each other.”
The white,
glass-front cabinets lining the ochre walls lend a country feel to the kitchen,
but this room leans more toward Mediterranean than country cozy. A decorative
wrought-iron rack stands in the corner, large terracotta-colored tiles pave the
floor, and speckly granite countertops stretch along both sides of the room. “I
wanted the natural feel,” Gayle says. “The granite and tiles make it warmer,
more Mediterranean.”
           They chose their appliances
carefully to keep their costs down. “It was more important to have a room to
put them in than to have a Viking stove,” Gayle says. The cooktop, a 36-inch
KitchenAid with five burners, and the refrigerator, which tucks into a nook in
the wall, work just fine for them.
           But they splurged on a high-end
KitchenAid dishwasher. Its floor-to-counter design means more space. They
needed a well-made machine, Gayle says. “You know how kids are when they’re
loading the dishwasher.”
           Expanding the kitchen into the
dining room created some challenges. But anyone who’s visited Olives knows that
the Mourgides are skilled decorators. The subterranean restaurant, with its
murals and eclectic furniture, feels more like an ocean-side bistro than a
basement in Pittsford. Gail has used these skills at home, as well.
           “Everything is mix-match,” Gayle
says. “That’s what makes your house a home, not a store showcase.”
This article appears in Apr 16-22, 2003.
