Makelos in Pityos

My most interesting experience on my recent trip to Chios, regarding 1st Scientific Development Conference of Chios, where I talked about my favorite topic "Gastronomic Communities - Gastronomic Destinations", was in Pitios. On the occasion of the visit to Makelos tavern, I met its new owner Nikola Georgouli.

My surprise was huge because Nicholas projected as a tangible reality of the idea that just a few hours ago I presented at the conference on how the Gastronomic Communities can become a lever for the development not only of gastronomy but of the whole place. And the "teacher" sat down humbly as a "student" and began to listen and learn:

«The first concern for this year was Makelos tavern to regain its place among the gourmets of Chios", Nicholas began the narration. «But we came to Makelos for Pityos and not to Pityos for Makelos. Over time, our goal is for the settlement, in the heart of central Chios, to be among the main destinations for every visitor to the island. To tell him the pages of his rich history, from Drimakos and Homer, to the Massacre and the last episodes of the recapture of the islandAnd continues unabated:

«At Pityos we aim to test a model of cooperation. All 5 professionals of the village agreed on a single plan of respect for the place through quality of our business. Our ultimate goal to make Pityos, is to make our place a destination but also a gateway to the North. This cult of mine is not submissive».

The theory is followed by a field research where by visiting the village, the bakery, the cafe and the Castle we learn the rest of Nikolas' story:

«In my nostrils I will carry a lifetime two scents. The aroma of Greek coffee over the kettle, when at the age of 6 I expelled my grandmother from her cafe to rest and I replaced her for 1-2 hours until she returned. And the fried squid oil or potato meatballs in my grandfather's restaurant, 'Panorama'."

A young journalist and creator of the newspaper "Politis" - he is still working - one winter night he obeys the insistence of his future wife, who did not want to go to her village, the distant Nenitouria, leading the longest road of my life to reach in Nenitouria from Chora over 3 hours drive. It has since become one with North  and gave his word to do everything in his power to help him either as an individual or with initiative groups.

The stations of his action are many. THE "Motion 19" - 19 were the villages of Amani with a total population of only 600 inhabitants -, development conferences, the complex "Agios Galas", with guided tours of caves and Byzantine temples, traditional cafe with local delicacies, organic farms with options to choose the vegetables you would eat, educational programs, many indoor and outdoor exhibitions, plane tree climbing, fairytale festivals, fairy tales.

With an auction, Nikolas Georgoulis in 2018 got the Makelos Tavern, the most famous of the village, which was closed for almost a year, in order for Pityos, which is now known for its hand-made spaghetti, to become equally known for its history, its sights and especially its identification with the livestock life Island's…

Passionate about all this, we did not say anything about the tavern… But speaking of the tavern owner, is it about the demon of the tavern weren't we talking?

The kitchen In Makelos tavern it serves, among other things, the classic hand-made spaghetti, braised goat, in the oven or on the spit, malathrites, kopanistopites, pattyiko Pitiano with pumpkin and snails with oatmeal, kopanisti with trita and