Restaurant, lounge Brass Swan opens in Roslyn

Swanky Roslyn Village just got a little swankier with the opening of Brass Swan. The restaurant-lounge takes over from sports bar Roslyn Social, which opened in 2019 and closed earlier this year.

Frank Suppa is one of the four partners who came up with the idea for a restaurant during the pandemic. “We all played cards together at the Little Cigar Factory [in Albertson] and we got to know each other pretty well,” Suppa said. “We thought it would be great to have our own place. It started out as a sports bar … and then snowballed into a higher-end restaurant.”

Another Cigar Factory habitué, Matty Sorrentino, was the owner of 388 Italian restaurant in Roslyn Heights as well as the recently shuttered Roslyn Social, and the partners decided to take over the two-story structure with a roof deck.

Suppa, a landscape designer, worked with architect Derek Axelrod to create a space that manages to be both sleek and blingy. The dining room is all snappy black and white with brass accents, while the bar is a riot of luxurious colors and textures — black leather and marble, shiny copper, orange handblown glass pendant lights. Upstairs is a separate lounge for small bites and music. 

"We wanted this to be a restaurant first and nightlife afterward," Suppa said. "No loud music, just a casual vibe for the locals." 

None of the partners had restaurant experience, so they hired chef Gus Galvao, who had run kitchens in Miami and upstate Mamaroneck besides winning an episode of “Guy’s Grocery Games” on Food Network. Galvao’s menu is a contemporary blend of Italian with New American and Asian twists.

Starters ($16 to $36) include grilled octopus with corn succotash, Calabrian romesco, Israeli salad and toasted almonds; pork belly crostini with guava glaze and whipped burrata; eggplant Parm with Japanese eggplant and Muenster cheese; steak tips with bone marrow, arugula and potato chips.

Among the four pasta dishes, ravioli with seafood and a lobster bisque reduction ($38) and truffle tortellini (market price) are made in house by executive sous chef Jorge L. Durazno. Mains ($26 to $59) include king salmon with potato puree, bok choy, daikon radish and miso hollandaise; chicken mattone (cooked under a brick) with cilantro-lime rice, kale and salsa verde; Duroc pork chop with duck-fat potatoes, baby carrots, crispy pancetta and mint salsa.

Carnivores can split a dry-aged tomahawk steak ($185); vegans have their choice of grilled eggplant with quinoa, tabbouleh and harissa ($29) or a portobello rice bowl with coconut-yogurt goddess dressing ($27).

Brass Swan serves dinner Tuesday to Sunday.

Brass Swan, 1363 Old Northern Blvd, Roslyn, 516-801-4963, thebrassswan.com