Table 9
Table 9 is named for a popular, soon-to-disappear niche at Piccolo restaurant in Huntington. Owners Dean Philippis and Tom Abraham have taken more than that from Philippis' to-be-renovated eatery. Some of the menu and a lot of Piccolo's style have gone west, in the very extreme makeover of what had been Brivo and, before that, L'Endroit.
It's definitely louder, in decibels and in design - that incessant music, that insistent wallpaper. And on a typically busy Saturday, Table 9 almost pulsates, drawing regulars from Piccolo as well as its sibling, Mill Pond House in Centerport. The influence of Piccolo chef Joseph Fuscaldo is as present here as that of Table 9's Nelson Rothstein, who's a veteran of Uncle Jack's Steakhouse. The result is a snappy, upscale, combo plate, equal parts Italian and American, traditional and contemporary, comfortable and risk-averse.
THE BEST
Specials stand out at Table 9. Try the velvety tuna tartare, finished with a sweet Thai-chile glaze. Or the light, pesto-sauced ricotta-and-goat cheese gnocchi. The kitchen also sends out plump crab cakes and a lively frisée salad sparked with pomegranate seeds, Maytag blue cheese and "wild boar" prosciutto. Mellow, rich tagliatelle Bolognese; crisp-skinned roasted Long Island duck, shiny under a blood-orange demi-glace; pan-seared halibut, accented with an orange-basil reduction; and sirloin steak au poivre are all easily recommended. The beefy sesame-crusted tuna is a safe, solid Mill Pond export; generous, well-seasoned shrimp, scampi-style, familiar to Piccolo devotees. Finish with a soothing banana cream tart or rice pudding, lush chocolate layer cake or chocolate mousse.
THE REST
Yes, you can order chicken Parmigiana, ample but on the dry side. Likewise, the mushroom-and-herb crusted grilled loin veal chop. Escargots: no. The hot antipasto for two is highlighted by shrimp oreganata and eggplant rollatine, not baked clams, clams casino and stuffed mushrooms. Skip the routine pumpkin cheesecake and limp apple crisp.
THE BOTTOM LINE
Best surprise, no surprise.
Reviewed by Peter M. Gianott, 12/11/08.
