Queens Tribune

218 Middle Neck Rd., Great Neck

(516) 466-4100

CUISINE: Italian

CREDIT CARDS: All Major

PARKING: Lot behind restaurant

In a world where moving outside of Queens to grab a bite to eat doesn’t always mean moving up, it is a great pleasure to travel just a bit off the beaten path to Trobiano’s Restaurant in Great Neck. So many restaurants try to pack as many customers as they can into a small space wedged between a hardware store and a pharmacy. Not this place.

On Middle Neck Road, but not in the heart of Great Neck, Trobiano’s is in a giant, open space with light-colored, sparse walls and beautiful floral displays. It gives a sense of comfort and relaxation that is so hard to find in the middle of crowded streets and downtown districts.

The black-clad wait staff knows how to treat the customers. As you are seated your drink order is taken, with a bartender who turns around even tricky orders quickly enough for you to sip your cocktail while you’re perusing the lengthy menu.

Take your time, nosh on some diced cubes of cheese and roasted eggplant, or have a slice of olive or sourdough bread while you sift through the myriad entrees, appetizers, soups and salads.

Between us we split the Fried Calamari, Maryland Crab Cakes and Artichoke Hearts. The calamari was tender and fried just right; the crab was soft and buttery on the inside with an ultra-thin crisp shell, drizzled with a roasted red pepper and basil puree; the artichokes, wrapped in prosciutto and served with a port wine reduction were delicious.

We were there on a Saturday at about 7 p.m., when there was still plenty of room in the restaurant. I hadn’t noticed, but by the time we finished our appetizers the place had filled with not a single table left vacant. I loved the opportunity to see the creations being brought out from the kitchen, each looking more tempting than the other.

When our entrees arrived, we delighted in the combinations of flavors. The first was the Chicken Trobiano – a French cut chicken breast stuffed with roasted red pepper, spinach and mozzarella, topped with a balsamic vinegar glaze. The flavors played very well off each other, but not as well as the second dish – the Stuffed Veal Medallion.

This was more of a tower than a medallion, and was stuffed with ricotta, pine nuts, raisins and fresh herbs in a light thyme brown sauce. We chose the truffle mashed potatoes to accompany the veal and a side of penne in a chunk red sauce to go with the chicken.

Closing out, we tried the Carmella cake, which is seven layers from crust to caramel topping, and vanilla cream, ganache and other wonders inside. There was also a chunky pineapple sorbet served in a hollowed out quarter of, you guessed it, a pineapple – smooth, creamy, sweet and delicious

Make reservations. This place gets busy – though you wouldn’t know it without counting the heads at the tables. It is a great place to relax, savor an adventurous treat and – enjoy.