review

Fanatico

Originally published: December 4, 2009 2:06 PM
By By Joan Reminick joan.reminick@newsday.com

Quick Summary

A source for some of the best pizza in the area, this lively Italian restaurant (related to Emilio's in Commack and Pasta-Eria in Hicksville) is also a good bet for fresh pasta dishes.

The fourth time I visited Fanatico, chef and co-owner Emilio Branchinelli's attractive new pizzeria-trattoria in Jericho, I couldn't shake the feeling that this was not the same place I had been to before.

On my earlier trips, I had appreciated the punctilious attention to detail of a chef whose staff not only bakes most of the restaurant's bread but also crafts its own sheet pasta and rigatoni. Tellingly, it was pasta that made the major difference between those disparate visits.

The first time around, I savored a special called gamberetti alla parmigiana, a vivid melange of house-made malfatti (ruffled pasta ribbons) served al dente with plum tomatoes, perfectly sauteed shrimp and house-made mozzarella. Each component of the dish was vibrant and distinctive, yet everything meshed.

On that ill-fated fourth foray, the worst of five overcooked pastas was a bucatini amatriciana comprised of long tubes cooked to near-mush and topped with a bland ragout of caramelized onions, prosciutto, and tomatoes. Where was the dish's characteristic smokiness? A bucatini with pesto sauce was watery, missing any hint of liveliness.

So, where was executive Branchinelli? Clearly, not in the kitchen that night. True, when someone owns three restaurants, responsibility gets delegated. Sometimes the kitchen comes through, as it did on my first visit when a bright, crisp-crusted Margharita pizotte (small pie) alternately crunched and melted in the mouth. But on that fateful off-night, the same order fell short. A restaurant as ambitious as this about perfecting the simple things should aim for consistency.

"I want to eat here every day," sighed a friend, spooning away at a bowl of deeply delicious pasta e fagioli at lunch. She was impressed, as was I, with a lively dish called pappardelle paesano, al dente pasta strips with grilled chicken, broccoli rabe, garlic, oil and Parmesan. I heartily enjoyed a plate of mussels vagabondo, plump mollusks in lusty sauce of bacon, onion, tomatoes and seasoned bread crumbs. But then, there was the oddball "Italian wedding" salad, bready meatballs over lettuce, a misguided mixed metaphor.

Another salad, insalata Treviso, turned out to be sheer inspiration - a thatch of shredded radicchio, baby spinach and endive combined with crumbled goat cheese in a sunny lemon and olive oil dressing. A platter of fried calamari arrabbiata was a fiery treat that worked well even though the batter of the fried squid wilted under a blanket of red sauce.

The kitchen did well with the odd-sounding but surprisingly light chicken bella Napoli, egg-battered boneless breasts layered with spinach, sun-dried tomatoes, crumbled Gorgonzola and seasoned bread crumbs. A combination called "Lena's skinny chicken" starred boneless breasts char-grilled to juicy tenderness, plated with a harmonious toss of whole-wheat linguini, shaved vegetables, garlic and oil. Another hit was the thin, tender veal Milanase crowned with a tricolore blend of lettuces and a marinated tomato salad.

The two desserts sampled - tiramisu and Belgian chocolate cake - had not been made in-house. They were OK but unremarkable, served with aerosol whipped cream.

Branchinelli needs to work on that. He also needs to sharpen service. The first time I visited, our waitress was an absolute crackerjack, as gracious as she was knowledgeable. On that last visit, the young woman serving our table was both cranky and untrained. "Do you think I'm a sommelier?" she asked after mixing up a wine order.

Branchinelli needs to spend more time at his new place, getting his staff up to speed. Based on past performances and the promise shown early on, I believe he will live up to his reputation as a true "fanatico" about the little things that make a big difference.

Fanatico is located at 336 N. Broadway, Jericho, 516-932-5080.