A Night In Italy
Il Bacco Ristorante Italiano
253-24 Northern Blvd., Little Neck
(718) 224-7657
www.ilbaccoristorante.com
Mon.-Wed. 11:30 a.m. to 10 p.m.; Thurs.-Sat. 11:30 a.m. to 11 a.m.; Sun. 1-10 p.m.
CUISINE: Italian
CREDIT CARD: Yes, all major
Looking for a night out after a long day, my girlfriend and I made our way out to Little Neck for the traditional Italian fare that Il Bacco has offered since it opened in 1992. Given the restaurant’s reputation for excellence, we looked forward to a night of fine dining. What we experienced, however, far exceeded our expectations.
From the moment we entered, it was clear the restaurant’s service would be top-notch. We were quickly greeted at the door and led to our seat in the main dining area. Throughout the evening, the service was friendly and attentive, making sure our every need was met. That alone would have made for a nice night out, but then the food came.
We started the evening splitting the Mesculina Al Bacco, a salad with walnuts, goat cheese and parmigiano cheese. Once our salad plates were cleared, our appetizers came. We tried one of the evening’s specials, scallops wrapped in smoked salmon over a bed of radicchio. The plate set the tone for the evening perfectly.
We continued the seafood theme with our entrees. My girlfriend chose the linguini di mare, pasta with clams, mussels, calamari and shrimp. The calamari and the mussels, she said, were cooked to perfection and accented the pasta exquisitely. I chose the linguini vongole, linguini with clams in a white sauce. The seafood was not too overpowering in either dish, and the white sauce covering my pasta maximized the dishes strengths.
We sipped on coffee as we awaited dessert, quite possibly the best restaurant coffee I’ve ever tasted. As our waiter brought out the finale, our mouths watered. While Il Bacco’s dessert menu has a number of great choices, the highlights of our evening were the chocolate mousse cake and the poached pear e’ marscapone. Each dessert melted in our mouths, complimented by the coffee.
I cannot say enough good things about Il Bacco. From the service and atmosphere to the food and drink, the staff provided an amazing evening, and I’m looking forward to going back.
-Steven J. Ferrari