Oct 8, 2008
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Oct 8, 2008 |
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Over the course of the evening, you'll get to know Barbara Ring, his fiancee, who is also the restaurant's effusive hostess. Sometimes, Iammuno's daughter, Fortuna, assists, as does his son, Gennaro. It's the kind of family operation that makes diners feel as though they're family.
Initially, the restaurant may be a challenge to find, since its entrance doesn't face Main Street but rather a municipal lot in the rear. It's an awkward site, one that Iammuno has done much to transform into an inviting trattoria. Photographs and pottery depicting the Amalfi coast hint at the splendor of the region near Iammuno's native city of Naples. The menu, made up mostly of Italian standards, leans toward Southern regions.
While Iammuno cooks with care and generosity, the waitstaff, at times, seems intent on pushing specials. On one occasion, our waiter, touting the stuffed mussels, brought them even though we had ordered mussels Posillipo off the menu. The stuffed mussels were fresh and plump, but I would have preferred them naked rather than baked with bread crumbs and topped with a red sauce, vibrant though it was. The same bright sauce accompanied an order of calamari fritti, the fried squid crisp yet tender. A finicky out-of-town cousin was won over by a warm salad of spinach with mushrooms, onions and lots of crisp bacon; I was, too. While I'm usually not a fan of hot antipasto combination plates, since everything tends to melt together into a nondescript whole, the flavorful components of this one stuffed mushrooms, stuffed peppers, shrimp, baked clams and eggplant rollatini - maintained their integrity.
Iammuno is at his best when cooking gutsy, full-flavored dishes, such as chicken scarpariello, a zesty saute of chicken, potatoes, sausages and peppers. His chicken Marsala is a respectable version of the classic. A veal pesto special could be cut with a fork, the meat vivified by its verdant sauce. A friend ordered tripe with potatoes, peas and tomatoes. The honeycombed organ meat was exceptionally tender.
But another special of fettucine carbonara turned out to be overly creamy, almost liquid, a long way from the classic Roman version, which is made with raw eggs cooked by the heat of the pasta; it was also short on two primary ingredients, bacon and cheese. On the other hand, a menu staple, pappardelle Bolognese, proved exceptional, the frilled pasta cooked to an ideal al dente state and finished with a rich meat ragout.
The region along the Amalfi coast draws heavily on fresh seafood, and it was with a seafood pasta - gambieri fra diavolo over linguini - that Iammuro really showed off. The shrimp was cooked to sweet succulence, the sauce spirited but not harsh, the pasta just yielding to the bite. It was as close to Italy as one might expect to get in Huntington.
Iammuno makes a cannoli better than most, its shell light and crisp, its filling airy yet lush. I could not keep my spoon out of his zabaglione over strawberries, a silky treat in a parfait glass. Tiramisu is not house-made. Instead, Iammuro sends to Italy for a version that's boozy and moist. Like the chef himself, it had done well on its journey from the Amalfi Coast to a little restaurant in the rear of a Huntington parking lot.
Reviewed by Joan Reminick, 11/10/06.
Hours: Dinner only, Tuesday to Thursday, 5 to 9:30 p.m., Friday and Saturday, 5 to 10:30 p.m., Sunday, 4 to 9 p.m.