About Me:
My name is Nick Palmeri and I am an Italian American. My father, Gaetano Palmeri, was born in 1949 in Gela, Sicily, which is the largest city in the province of Caltanissetta.
As a young kid my father wanted to be a restauranteur. He worked in a traditional Italian Cafè where they would serve espresso, pastries, and Amari (plural for Amaro). Throughout the years Gaetano would travel the world while working on cruise ships as a Maître ‘D, Server and Bartender. My father met my mother, an American girl from Los Angeles, during a cruise. They fell in love and he moved to Los Angeles a couple years later. In 1981, Gaetano opened his own restaurant in a quaint cowboy town called Calabasas. Over the next several years, he had three boys who would all be working at the restaurant at some point.
That is where I come in. I was born and raised at the restaurant. I loved going there and trying new food, drinking wine at a young age, making espressos, and being introduced to Grappa and Amaro.
The first Amaro I ever tasted was Amaro Averna from the province where my father was born. My mind was blown away! I never tasted anything bittersweet like that before and fell in love. I don’t know if it was my Sicilian roots or the fact that I am Italian and love bitter flavors, but my love for Amaro had started.
I now manage my family’s restaurant, Gaetano’s Ristorante, in Henderson, NV and run the wine, spirits and food programs there. My passion for Amaro inspires to me to educate the masses on this bittersweet liquor that is taking America by storm.
Salute!
-Nick Palmeri
