Long Island Restaurants

Luigi Q

Luigi Quarta comes from Brindisi, the port city at the end of the Appian Way. His restaurant stands out, too.

What used to be Mannino's is Luigi Q, and deservedly so: an Italian restaurant defined as much by the generous, personable owner as it is by the bright, flavorful food. Greet spring here.

It's a light and spacious place, in neutral hues that act as a backdrop for Quarta's colorful, inviting cuisine. This is Italian fare both traditional and updated, driven by the market and the mood.

You could make a little meal of the gratis antipasti, with provolone, prosciutto, soppressata and a spark from spiced, peppery fried olives. They'll jump-start any appetite.

Then, sample a superior seafood salad, with glistening scallops, squid, octopus and mussels in a citrusy vinaigrette. Or try Quarta's tender octopus finished in a light tomato broth, with white beans, garlic and a spur of red pepper.

Luigi Q prepares terrific, homey honeycombed tripe, well-seasoned in refreshing red sauce; and then just as easily sails eastward, returning with mussels in a subversively surprising curry sauce.

Baked eggplant enriched with four cheeses: familiar and satisfying. Respectable polenta and artichokes form the base for a starter of plump snails. In this company, the baked clams are routine.

Likewise, the ravioli with spinach and ricotta; and the fettuccine with cream, peas and prosciutto. The top pastas definitely are the airy, outstanding gnocchi in an uninterrupted filetto di pomodoro sauce; and the spirited, tightly twisted fresh fusilli all'Amatriciana, with eggplant added. You can go the penne-alla-vodka and linguine-with-clam-sauce routes, too.

Luigi Q's seafood understandably leads the main courses. Whole branzino accented with herbs and olive oil proves the virtue of simplicity. And the thick, seared sushi-grade tuna, beef red, coated with sesame seeds and drizzled with balsamic syrup, is an exceptional version of the new American staple.

Chicken scarpariello, on the bone and paired with sausage, is the rustic rendition, skillfully done. You'll also like the juiced-up chicken alla Parmigiana, crusted with Parmesan cheese and layered with eggplant.

Thinly sliced, peppered pork tenderloin, on a hillock of mellow braised cabbage, adds a fine, northern edge to the repertoire. Quarta's calf's liver alla Veneziana, sweet with onions, needs only a side of polenta to allow a daydream of gondolas.

Desserts are the standards: good crème brûléee, panna cotta, tiramisu, Italian cheesecake. But when the fruit is ripe, a spontaneous peach sweet with red wine enlivens the finales. So do biscotti with a glass of vin santo. There are some impressive wines here, especially among the Italian reds.

Through all this, service is attentive and accommodating, smoothly turning first-timers into regulars. Quarta, of course. is ever-present to ensure all's well.

It is.

Reviewed by Peter M. Gianotti, 3/19/06.

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