| Issue #48, March 9, 2007 |
Il Luigini Classico
673 Osborne Avenue
Riverhead, NY
631-727-2330
by Roy Bradbrook
You could be forgiven for passing by this outwardly modest restaurant on Osborne Avenue, but come inside and you will find a very comfortable, warm setting, complete with a fireplace that immediately makes you feel welcome, as will the welcome from the staff.
Luigi Biscardi was the Executive Chef when it was the Osborne Inn, and now he and his wife, Vivien, have owned the restaurant for the past year. The menu reflects Luigi’s birthplace and also his training in Europe and Manhattan. Everything is made in house and his emphasis is on fresh, high quality ingredients, both local and imported from Italy as necessary.
As soon as we tasted the complimentary bruschetta, we perused the menu. The full, rich tastes of good Italian cuisine were there in the bruschetta, and the basket of crisp warm bread and the accompanying trio of dipping sauces were very tempting but could easily be too tempting!
From the interesting range of appetizers, we selected the antipasti caldo classico, a great combination of delicate fried calamari, shrimp oreganata, baked clams and clams casino. The platter would certainly serve two people and was an excellent start to the meal. As you would expect, pasta dishes are a very special part of the menu and the capellini ‘Assagio di Pesce’, angel hair pasta with a sauce of fresh shrimps, scallops and clams in a delicate sauce, could not have been better. Similarly, the chopped salad of baby greens with roasted red peppers, grilled artichoke hearts, olives, sundried tomatoes, pecorino and romano cheeses and pine nuts was all that a salad should be with its blend of palate cleansing tastes. This and all of the other salads come in portions that serve two people.
After discussing whether to try a chicken or a veal dish, we opted for Luigi’s Duetto that gave us both. This dish combines veal Luigini, veal escalops sautéd with red peppers, mushrooms and sundried tomatoes in a Madeira wine sauce and a classic chicken cognac. This is a breast of chicken sautéed in a cognac cream sauce. The veal was exceptionally tender and tasty with a piquant sauce and the chicken was moist and the rich cognac and cream based sauce was almost decadent. I would have preferred the chicken to have been served on the sauce rather than have it coated because I think this would be more pleasing to the eye without changing the tastes.
The dessert options are presented at the table and whatever Luigi has made is almost certainly going to make your choice very difficult, based on our experience. I left the desert tasting to my son, Peter, as I was already replete. His verdict was that they were all very light and a perfect finale to a substantial meal and demonstrated Luigi’s talents as a pastry chef. It would be hard to decide on a favorite. The moist and flavorful tiramisu, where the liqueur was perfectly blended and not overwhelming, the wild berry tart, and a very delectable cheesecake ,were all very hard to decide from. I think he was glad that he had the chance to taste them all!
Apart from the dishes we selected, the menu really offers something for every taste. There is a good selection of fish and shellfish dishes and the full rack of lamb for two at $32.95 is a real bargain as is an 18oz rib eye steak for $27.95.
Making sure that all of their clients are well looked after and leave extremely satisfied is key to Luigi and Vivien’s approach. Apart from the full menu, where appetizers are from $9.95 to $12.95, and pasta and entrees range from $17.95 to $32.95 (the latter for the lamb chops for two persons), they offer a wide range of special menus. Sunday starts with a massive brunch spread served from 11 till 3 p.m. that includes complimentary Bloody Mary’s, Mimosas and Screwdrivers that come at the incredibly good price of $19.95. Later in the day at 4 p.m., the mood changes to the Tour of Italy Family special that offers a four course family style meal for only $22.95, with each course highlighting the cuisine of a different region of Italy. During the week, Luigi offers early dinner specials from 2 till 5 p.m. with a three-course meal for $14.95, and a late dinner special from 5 p.m. till closing at $19.95. On Wednesday through Fridays, happy hour offers a complimentary buffet and piano music.
Not content with this wide range of choice for his patrons, Luigi also plans in the spring to bring back memories of a different era with tableside preparation of such classics as steak diane, steak au poivre, crepes suzette and zabaglione.
The wine list at present is almost exclusively Italian but there are plans to add a number of Long Island wines and wines from Chile and Australia to the list.
Luigi is an enthusiast and perfectionist who is determined to serve his clients interesting, well cooked and well presented food, and based on our experience this is something that a lot of diners are going to enjoy once they find there way to his restaurant. This is yet another great addition to the Riverhead dining scene for either casual or business meals and also for celebratory events.
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