Graffiti, Woodbury: Last supper on Saturday

If you’ve got a yen for the petite chicken meat loaf or jambalaya risotto at Graffiti An American Grill in Woodbury, you’d better get there soon. The restaurant is closing following Saturday night’s dinner service.

A fixture in the Woodbury Common shopping center for the past 20 years, G.D. Graffiti opened in 1992 under the aegis of restaurateur Art Bloom. With a vibe both modern and nostalgic, the place had a moderately priced menu dominated by salads, burgers and creative sandwiches. During the late 1990s, Nicholas Hannides became the restaurant’s chef. He bought the place from Bloom in 2001.

Hannides changed the restaurant’s name to Graffiti An American Grill and, in 2005, launched a Hewlett branch, which had a five-year run. Last year in Woodbury, Hannides moved Graffiti into a larger adjacent space and opened Asian Bistro Next Door in Graffiti’s former home. Although well-reviewed, that restaurant closed within months. The newer, bigger, fancier Graffiti earned two stars from Newsday and seemed poised to succeed. The problem, said Hannides, was that when he signed the lease for both high-rent spaces, the economy was in a much better place than it is today.

Looking ahead, Hannides said he will be consulting on a moderately priced restaurant slated to open later this winter in Farmingdale. We will keep you posted on that one.

Graffiti An American Grill is at 8285 Jericho Tpke., Woodbury, 516-367-1340

Above: Graffiti An Americain Grill during better times