Cena 081 succeeds Chi Dining Lounge in Westbury

Westbury, meet Durazzano. The little town in the Italian region of Campania is the culinary inspiration for Cena 081. (“Cena” means supper in Italian; 081 is the telephone code for Campania’s capital city, Naples.)

The restaurant, which had its grand opening last week, takes over the free-standing building, just steps from the Westbury LIRR station, that had been Chi Dining Lounge since 2006. Neither Chi’s owner, Joe Stasi, nor the executive chef, Francesco Perone, have changed, but they have decided to jettison their global, drinks-friendly menu in favor of one that reflects the place that they came from.

At the center of the new menu are a half dozen “piatti d’autore,” (signature dishes) that include spaghetti tossed with tomato sauce and cognac in a wheel of Parmesan cheese; “sfrionzola di maiale,” pork cheek braised with cherry peppers; and “miscelatore,” risotto cooked with provola cheese and prosecco that is given a final tumble in a small cement mixer. (Owner Stasi is in the construction business.)

Appetizers include mozzarella in carozza (breaded and fried), veal meatballs with tomato sauce and ricotta, frittura mista (mixed fry) of shrimp, calamari and zucchini and a signature salad of quartered new potatoes, tomatoes, green beans and Gaeta olives. Pastas include bucatini all’Amatriciana and cavatelli with sausage and porcini mushrooms. There are risotti, steaks, chops and fish. Perone has also expanded the offerings from Chi’s outdoor wood-burning oven to include nine pizzas and wood-roasted chicken wings.

Starters hover around $15; pastas and pizzas, around $18; mains, $25 to $35.

Cena 081 is at 103 Post Ave., Westbury, 516-385-3795.