Telltale signs at Bevanda in Great Neck

It was the fuzi and the pasutice pastas on the menu that told me that Bevanda is run by Istrians. An Adriatic peninsula in what used to be Northeastern Italy (now Croatia and a little strip of Slovenia), Istria gave birth to Lidia Bastianich and many other restaurateurs including, on Long Island, the owners of Boccaccio in Hicksville, Dario’s in Rockville Centre, Fianona in New Hyde Park, Giulio Cesare in Westbury and Rialto in Carle Place.

Bevanda, in the upper reaches of Great Neck, opened in 1993. Little in the decor or menu seems to have changed much since then. On a Friday night, most of the mature crowd appeared to be regulars, well known to the suit-clad owner, tuxedoed maitre d, red- and green-jacketed servers. Service was like clockwork. Food was mixed.

We were started off with bruschetta topped with fresh, flavorful tomatoes. The bread in the basket, however, was cottony and undistinguished. I started with a desultory beef carpaccio. Instead of shards of Parmesan, it was garnished with little shavings and, puzzlingly, sliced button mushrooms. There was no olive oil in evidence—though they were happy to bring me some. I liked my companion’s seafood salad very much but a gazpacho was just so-so.

The highlight of my meal was the pasta. For my main course I asked for half orders of both the fuzi, flattened tubular noodles in a creamy veal sauce, and the pasutice, diamond-shaped noodles with bread crumbs, anchovies, garlic and olive oil. They were both soulful and delicious. One friend’s spaghetti Bolognese was way oversauced. The other two both ordered their fish cooked with no salt, so any criticism would just be unfair.

Bevanda is at 570 Middle Neck Rd., Great Neck; 516-482-1510.

Istrian pastas at Bevanda: fuzi in veal sauce, left, and pasutice alla Istriana, right.