Italian restaurants on Long Island: 4 notable picks
Fettuccine carbonara stands out at Grotta di Fuoco in Long Beach. Credit: Linda Rosier
Long Island's Italian restaurants frequently go outside the box of penne. Here are four that deserve your attention for their surprises as well as their traditional fare.
Fluke crudo vies with veal meatballs; poached pear-and-red beet salad, with fried calamari; pork chop and roasted fennel, with paccheri pasta in a pork ragù; swordfish with sundried tomato and breadcrumb crust; and pan-seared halibut with lemon-zest breadcrumb crust and beurre blanc.
499 Jericho Tpke., Syosset; 516-364-8877, cafetestarossa.com
This is the fully renovated successor to La Pace With Chef Michael, complete with grand dining room. Notable dishes include grilled octopus, salmon carpaccio, fennel-and-orange salad, linguine with clams, black bass aqua pazza with shellfish, duck breast with Grand Marnier and cherries.
51 Cedar Swamp Rd., Glen Cove; 516-801-6700, claudiosrestaurant.us.com
This easygoing restaurant attracts you for its individual pizzas, pasta with sardines, bucatini all'Amatriciana, malloreddus Sardinian pasta with a pork Bolognese, pan-fried flounder with an almond crust, fried calamari and zucchini, and chickpea salad with fresh mozzarella.
611 Montauk Hwy., Center Moriches, 631-874-3819, lavolperestaurant.net
The newest restaurant to ignite dining out on busy West Beech Street in Long Beach takes over the sub-street space once occupied by Caffe Laguna. Be sure to order one of chef-owner Andrew Allotti's smoky, blistered, terrific little pizzas. You'll be tempted by the four-cheese white number and the basic Margherita, too.
960 W. Beech St., Long Beach, 516-544-2400, grottalbny.com
