Bellmore's Piccolo Ristorante closes after 47 years

Piccolo Ristorante will serve its final meal after 47 years in Bellmore this Fourth of July weekend.

The last dinner service for the family-owned restaurant is Friday, family member Tom Valenti Jr. said. Gift cards will be honored by Seaford’s Gusto Divino after July 4.

"For a myriad of reasons, we are being forced to reconsider what we’re going to be doing," Valenti said.

The decision to close the Italian restaurant, which earned the Bellmore Chamber of Commerce’s Roy Weinman Lifetime Achievement Award in 2020, wasn’t made final until Thursday, Valenti said.

"We were hoping to have the last-minute victory like the Knicks, but it just didn’t work out for us," he said.

The popular restaurant, originally named Piccolo Pizza and Pasta, was founded in 1979 by Tom Valenti Sr. and his wife, Donna. Valenti Jr.'s siblings, Christi, Rob and Lori Valenti, were also involved in the business. In 1998, the restaurant doubled its size and changed to a new name, Piccolo Ristorante. According to the restaurant’s website, its private room served up to 140 guests. In 2009, it opened an outpost in Carle Place, which closed after three years.

Valenti said his parents were "way better operators than me."

"I want my family to be proud, and I want them to know how proud I was of them," he said. "If it wasn't for them, this place wouldn't even be here. They're the heroes."

The eatery offered items like 9-inch individual pizzas ($9.50), chicken Florentine ($26.95) and veal cacciatore ($27.75) served on guests' choice of pasta. It was also known for hosting milestone celebrations. Through the years, the eatery has contributed to schools, fire departments and more across Merrick, Wantagh, Seaford, Bethpage, Uniondale and Hempstead.

"We appreciate the opportunity we’ve had to help all those organizations," Valenti said.

Piccolo Ristorante, 2770 Sunrise Hwy., Bellmore, 516-679-8787, piccoloristorante.com.

By Melissa Azofeifa

melissa.azofeifa@newsday.com

Melissa Azofeifa is a restaurants reporter with Newsday's FeedMe team. Having grown up on Long Island, she loves talking about food and its impact on culture. A graduate of Stony Brook University, she joined Newsday in the fall of 2024.