Luca Steak opens in Huntington

The owners of Luca Steak don’t like to refer to their new restaurant as a steakhouse. "Let’s say steak restaurant," said Rory Van Nostrand.

David Tunney chimed in, "When you say ‘steakhouse,’ people think it’s a [classic] clone, or it's that whole steak-and-sushi thing. We are doing something different."

The pair, who also own Luca, the Newsday top Italian restaurant in Stony Brook, and Old Fields BBQ in Huntington, brought in their organization’s A team to run the place that opens Friday night: general manager Anthony Argiriou (Luca) and chefs Luke DeSanctis (Luca), Scott Goldstein (Old Fields) and Carlo Masakayan (formerly of Lulu Kitchen & Bar in Sag Harbor).

The kitchen’s first order of "different" business was to distinguish itself with the steaks. Other than a prime, bone-in 38-ounce rib-eye, the other six selections are variations on Wagyu — A5 top sirloins from Japan; New York strips, filet mignons, Denver and hanger steaks from Australia’s Margaret River ranch; flat irons from HeartBrand Ranch in Texas.

"Wagyu" refers to four breeds of Japanese cattle whose meat has an intramuscular fat content that can be anywhere from three to six times that of USA prime. (A steak can have so much fine white veining of fat that it can appear pink rather than red.) For this reason, Goldstein explained, the largest of his Wagyu steaks, the hanger, weighs in at 12 ounces. And tasting around the steer’s anatomy, the team found that they were drawn to some of the leaner cuts — such as the flat iron, the hanger and the shoulder-sourced Denver — that can be chewy when prime but are ideal when Wagyu. Steaks here run from $60 to $100.

Non-beef mains (most hovering around $50) include bone-in ahi tuna steak with mango-papaya salad, Mangalitsa (a Hungarian heritage breed) pork flank with kumquat chimichurri; saffron-poached halibut, a whole roast Cornish hen on a bed of wild mushrooms and the vegan roast cauliflower with harissa and tahini.

Vegans and vegetarians actually have a lot to choose from here, with side dishes such as creamed spinach in a spanakopita nest, roasted leeks with horseradish cream and carrot "tagliatelle" with kumquat. Starters, most in the low $20s, include multicolored beet "crudo" with wasabi goat cheese, Wagyu steak tartare, a wedge of Bibb lettuce with guanciale and blue-cheese mousse.

The original Luca is known for its pasta; Luca Steak serves five imaginative varieties (most around $30) including bucatini with caviar and bottarga (cured mullet roe) and trenne (penne that is triangular in cross section) with a spicy, cross-cultural sauce that brings together gochujang (Korean fermented pepper paste) and ‘nduja (fiery Calabrian sausage spread).

The kitchen makes virtually everything, down to the excellent sourdough rolls and cultured butter. 

Tunney noted that another difference between Luca Steak and Other Steakhouses is the size and the hushed, subdued vibe. "We’ve got 68 seats inside, and a lot of sound proofing. We want this to be an intimate dining experience."

Outside, a covered and landscaped patio provides another 38 seats. Beyond the patio is a feature almost unheard of in Huntington Village: A dedicated parking lot. (Enter it from New Street, one block west of the restaurant.) When former tenant Red closed in September, it was the 25-year-old restaurant’s parking that attracted Tunney and Van Nostrand’s attention.

Luca Steak, 417 New York Ave., Huntington, 631-673-0304, luca-steak.com. Open Tuesday to Friday 5 to 10 p.m., Saturday 4 to 10 p.m., Sunday 4 to 9 p.m.