MORE TOP - La Volpe Restaurant And Pizzeria

food
B17
part2
Newsday asked
readers to tell
us their favorite
Italian restaurants. Here are
some of their
nominations.
Go online for
lots more.
OUR
READERS’
FAVES
NEWSDAY PHOTO / PAUL J. BERESWILL
Emilio Branchinelli, owner of Emilio’s in Commack, has some of the Island’s best calamari. He also serves a colorful salad.
MORE TOP
40
Guido’s Italian Restaurant, 345 Main St.,
Huntington, 631-424-3301. (Moderate)
The effusive Naples-born Guido
Iammuno and his family have decorated their cozy trattoria with photographs and artifacts from the Amalfi
coast. Iammuno does justice to Italian-American classics with his crispcrusted but tender calamari and zesty
chicken scarpariello. His shrimp fra
diavolo over al dente linguine is
piquant yet mellow. Conclude with
fresh strawberries over zabaglione or
the exceptionally light, crisp cannoli.
SUFFOLK from B15
Jonathan’s, 15 Wall St., Huntington,
631-549-0055. (Expensive) Creative
Italian cooking marks chef Jonathan
Onofre’s friendly and dependable
stop in downtown Huntington.
Expect a crowd. Blood-orange
salad, fritto misto, mushroom risotto, pumpkin ravioli in sage-butter
sauce, linguine with crabmeat,
tagliatelle Bolognese, lamb shank
braised in Barolo wine are worth
the wait.
La Volpe Ristorante, 611 Montauk Hwy.,
Center Moriches, 631-874-3819. (Moderate) Center Moriches is home to
this sophisticated yet informal spot
for authentic Italian fare. Start with
the fine tavollacio del salumiere
(Italian meats and cheeses) or the
perfect pan-seared artichoke hearts
over arugula. Bucatini (long tubular
pasta) with sardines, fennel, pignoli,
peas, tomato sauce and bread
crumbs offers a piquant taste of
Sicily; fork-tender chicken Francese
— Guy Lombardi,
Mamma Lombardi’s
comes in a glossy, refined lemonbutter sauce. The wine list shows
as much forethought as the food.
Mamma Lombardi’s, 400 Furrows Rd.,
Holbrook, 631-737-0774; and Lombardi’s on the Sound, 44 Fairway Dr., Port
Jefferson, 631-473-1440. (Expensive)
The original Mamma Lombardi’s
and its water-view offspring are
devoted to red sauce and excel with
hearty southern Italian dishes such
as pork braciola, tripe Napolitana,
steak pizzaiola, lasagna, spaghettini
with escarole and beans.
See SUFFOLK on B21
NEWSDAY, WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 23, 2008
Emilio’s, 2201 Jericho Tpke., Commack, 631-462-6267. (Moderate)
Chef-owner Emilio Branchinelli’s
noisy, bustling restaurant draws
the faithful with the lure of gutsy,
individualistic Italian cooking —
hearty soups, bright salads and
fresh pastas. Rigatoni “alla mama”
— “homemade” little ridged tubes
(produced at a cousin’s pasta
shop) are topped with tomato
sauce, meatballs and ricotta for a
comforting, vibrant dish. His veal
Parmesan is a tender classic. A
list of daily specials can produce
some offbeat numbers, such as
“American bistro pasta” — crumbled hot Italian sausage, caramelized onion, fresh spinach, Parmesan cream sauce and orecchiette
— but Emilio has what it takes to
make it work. (Find the same fare
at Pasta-Eria, 440 S. Oyster Bay
Rd., Hicksville, 516-938-1555, which
Branchinelli co-owns.)
People love big
portions. If a
customer doesn’t
take something
home, your
portions are
too small.
www.newsday.com
Matt Simendinger, Levittown:
The best Italian restaurant on
Long Island is Domenico’s of
Levittown. Friendly neighborhood atmosphere, inexpensive menu and mozzarella
sticks to die for.
John and Janine, Brentwood:
Cirella’s on Route 110 for
great seafood fra diavolo and
great desserts.
Karen Quinn, Melville: My alltime favorite is Butera’s in
Massapequa. This restaurant
never disappoints. They serve
you a warm bread basket with
freshly made bruschetta and
grilled vegetables, on the house
no less! Their entree portions
are always huge and delicious.
Joseph Maro, New Hyde Park:
For the finest in Italian seafood we always go to Vincent’s Clam Bar in Carle
Place. The food is always
fantastic and the service is
always excellent. It is also a
terrific value based upon the
quantity of the portions.
Robert Abram, New York City:
Cafe Baci in Westbury is my
favorite Italian restaurant on
LI. The atmosphere is lively
and fun! The portions are
generous! The price is very
reasonable! Good parking!
Mangiare, Melville: It’s Mama’s Seafood and Pasta.
There are branches in
Oakdale, Centereach and
Holbrook. They are all good
but the one in Holbrook has
the best atmosphere (even my
mama would eat there!).
Sal Delguidice, Hempstead: I
think Fabio’s in Merrick is
fabulous. Formerly located
in East Meadow, this restaurant makes me feel at home.
It’s not a “hit you over the
head” Italian place with the
red-and- white checkered
table cloths and pictures of
Sinatra and the Sopranos on
the walls.