Lucy's
Owner Diane Leuci greets customers at Lucy's restaurant in Deer Park. Credit: Newsday photo / Jim Peppler
Tapas, the Spanish way of making a meal out of numerous small dishes, takes on an American accent at Lucy's.
Several months ago, fledgling chef Allison Fasano took over the kitchen at this little jewel-box of a restaurant, owned by Diane Leuci, that's tucked away in the rear of a Babylon municipal parking lot. Her ever-changing menu of appetizers, salads and "bowls" is augmented by a short roster of regular-size entrees. On two visits, four of us shared a variety of little plates.
One time, I savored a few bites of chile-ignited garlic-rubbed pulled pork. I looked for that dish the next visit, but it wasn't on the menu. Nor was the smoky and succulent grilled shrimp with mango salsa on a crisp leek pancake, a dish I had liked on an earlier trip. But baby russet potatoes stuffed with pancetta, gruyere and fresh thyme was an option -- and a good one, at that. Think of it as a pub classic intepreted by a lighter, defter hand. Miniature asparagus, prosciutto and goat cheese gallettes didn't come together quite as well, but a generous lump crab salad with mango, avocado and a fresh fruit puree was sprightly as springtime. While presenting an interesting contrast in flavors and textures, curried spinach "samosas" with a sweet potato and coconut puree amounted to a single turnover. As such, it hardly merited its $6 charge.
It's hard to gauge the size of what's going to arrive when dealing with a "small plate" menu. On one visit, a chopped salad made with romaine, apples, pecans, golden raisins, blue cheese and bacon in a honey vinaigrette was ample and gratifying. Subsequently, a "shaved" salad of apples, pears and cucumbers in a citrus vinaigrette atop four sprigs of baby greens was, in effect, a salad shaved down to a diminutive pile of fruit and nuts.
From the roster called "bowls," a lush and creamy tomato soup, paired with a clever mini grilled cheese sandwich, needed a sprinkling of salt and pepper. Rigatoni with sweet sausage ragu, spinach, olives and white beans was robust and satisfying.
There's usually a risotto on the menu. Once, it was made with wild mushrooms, Parmesan, herbs and truffle oil. It was heady -- perhaps a bit too much so. The risotto verde sampled more recently was ideal, combining baby spinach, leeks, fresh herbs and enough truffle oil to add lilt without overwhelming the dish.
Fasano offers a small but well-edited roster of full entrees. Her "bistro burger" was no less than spectacular. Served on a brioche bun with bacon and Gruyere, it was loose-textured, juicy and richly flavorsome. Pan-seared sea scallops with a roasted vegetable ragu and Dijon thyme vinaigrette were glazed without, creamy within. Both the golden pan-roasted chicken and the sliced marinated hanger steak were bistro classics that worked well. And I truly enjoyed a rare-as-ordered soy and lime glazed ahi tuna, drizzled, not blanketed, with a wasabi-tinged sauce.
For dessert, the requisite warm runny flourless chocolate cake was better than most, served with excellent Tahitian vanilla ice cream. A parfait glass of chocolate chunk gelato was worthwhile, as was a maple crème brûlée. It came with a chocolate almond biscotto that I recognized as having been made by a first-rate source, North Fork baker-restaurateur Aldo Maiorana.
It would seem a smart idea to reserve ahead, since Lucy's, which serves lunch every day but Sunday, is open for dinner on a much more limited basis.
What appears virtually limitless is the range of a menu governed only by season, market and a chef's vibrant imagination. --Joan Reminick (5/5/06)
Burgers: At this stylish little hideaway whose hours vary, the "bistro burger," served at both lunch and dinner is a knockout. It comes on a brioche bun topped with bacon and Gruyere, but even naked, it does the restaurant proud.
