Olympic Meats has undergone a rapid rise in its short six-month lifespan with the eatery now combining with Messina for a two-day Greek fest in Marrickville.
The event, organised from 12pm to late on 5-6 September, has been set to take over Messina HQ car park.
Olympic Meats owner and chef Timothy Cassimatis said it was a collaboration that came out of nowhere:.
“Messina reached out to me and asked if we wanted to do an event at their site,” Cassimatis told Neos Kosmos.
“They are pretty big. Very well-renowned and very reputable so I wasn’t going to turn around and say no to that.”
The Greek Australian said he is “beyond grateful” they asked him to collaborate, considering it a great form of validation for the hard work they have put in the last six months since opening the restaurant.
“Us chefs live for what we do. This is what we do and we are very grateful for it,” he said.
Cassimatis explained the eatery has an informal approach compared to other restaurants in terms of bookings, which is centred around providing all passers-by a good meal.
“There are no reservations. You rock up, put your name down, get a trapezi, sit and eat, hang out for a bit and then go about your day,” the chef said.
“If you come to my restaurant, you know that you are going to eat. You might have to wait for a bit but you know for certain you will get a table and you get to eat.”
He stressed that approach was borne from a desire to instil an old school Greek energy wherein the dining experience is relaxed and easy going;
“We’re not too focused on formalities, or attention to detail on certain things. We still want it to be a little rough around the edges. I think that is important because it helps emanate somewhat of an authentic Greek experience.”
Cassimatis noted that he has had a keen appreciation for Hellenic cuisine that originated from his fascination at the different cooking styles of his grandmothers (one from Kythera and the other from a small village near Kalamata).
“From a very young age, I was hyper aware that there are nuances within Greek cooking itself and it was always made me very curious,” he said.
The chef noted how his two grandmothers made unique dishes, e.g. one making fava with orange pickle and the other making pasto while they also both made magiritsa differently from one another.
“I think because of growing up and eating two different sorts of food from the same country, it really opened my eye and made me want to dive in and try to understand and discover the cuisine a little bit more.”
It is that appreciation that cultivated his love for food, with his eatery serving as a means to preserve that aspect of Hellenic culture.
Cassimatis teased that there could be further collaborations in their near future, which he considers very rewarding and exciting.
