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Nick Diangelo:
Spinoff with a style all its own

By Peter M. Gianotti
Newsday
April 10, 2005

Assessment Abbondanza.
Cuisine Italian, Steak

Rating Very Good (2 stars)

The buzz you hear comes from West Park Avenue. Nick DiAngelo is in town.

Buoyant, boisterous and booming, the new restaurant has opened packed tighter than a jar of hot peppers. Huge portions of gutsy Italian-American favorites and thick, flavorful steaks are the attractions at this carefully scripted establishment.

This is the second Nick DiAngelo. The first is in Merrick. They're the offspring of George Martin, the Rockville Centre mainstay, which has an updated bistro style and a steak-and-new American menu. The mini-empire also includes the more casual Max's Grille & Tavern in Rockville Centre.

The latest Nick DiAngelo is a big space, softly lit and dressed in dark wood. There's a popular bar off the main dining room. You may spend some time there while waiting for a table.

Nick DiAngelo takes reservations only for six or more. But the eatery does have a call-ahead policy to alert the front desk of any smaller group's impending arrival. Sometimes, it shortens the wait.

You could profitably spend the time perusing the sprawling, triptych menu. And stop at the first item: Nana Rose's Original Minestrone. It's a husky, satisfying opener served in a bowl that could double as a lidless casserole. The house's sweet, appealing, cheese-laden onion soup is just as good.

Nick DiAngelo sends out a respectable pile of fried calamari, an addictive tangle of fried zucchini and onions, and a savory rendition of mozzarella in carrozza, the Neapolitan fried cheese sandwich.

Each night, the kitchen concocts a hefty hot antipasto for two or more. Some of the winning entries are sausage-stuffed polenta, eggplant rollatine and stuffed peppers.

The restaurant comfortably takes an American turn with meaty, mellow crab cakes, accented with a zesty, peppery riff on sauce remoulade. Pair the crab cake with a velvety filet mignon for a nouveau surf-and-turf.

The steaks here are excellent. Consider the strip steak al forno, covered with cherry peppers, mushrooms and provolone, with a Cognac-laced sauce. The timid need not apply. That advice also applies to diners contemplating the porterhouse steak for two, sliced and set on a bed of peppers, potatoes, onions, broccoli and sliced sausages.

As with the minestrone, there's ample attribution around here. "Frank's veal," a saute with eggplant, prosciutto and fontina cheese; and "Charlie's chicken," roasted, with sausages, peppers, onions, potatoes, broccoli and garlic, are geared toward family-style dining. "Charlie's famous balsamic chicken" can be had solo. Add $2 for "white meat only." If it's good enough for Frank and Charlie, it's good enough for you -- and maybe your kid's entire soccer team.

The rustic fare continues with a workmanlike entree of veal and peppers, a lighter veal scaloppine with lemon and pine nuts, and the obligatory quintet of Parmigianas, from veal and eggplant through shrimp, chicken and a chicken-eggplant combo.

"Deep dish lasagna Bolognese," a heavyweight contender, vies with baked rigatoni and five-cheese ravioli in its own pasta category. They're more appealing than overwrought penne alla carbonara and overorchestrated porcini tortelloni with sausage, candied walnuts and Gorgonzola cream.

Delicate St. Peter's fish prepared piccata-style swims over from George Martin, in a lemon-caper sauce, set on lush lobster risotto. The Salmon dijonnais capped with crabmeat has the potential for cliche, but it works. The seafood specials have more verve, especially the pepper-seared ahi tuna and its pistachio-crusted cousin.

The bread basket stars focaccia. You can go beyond that with the garlic-and-cheese topped Tuscan bread. Keeping things Tuscan, sample a well-made side dish of escarole and white beans.

Desserts are super-sized. The skippables are a bland strawberry shortcake and dry tiramisu. The serving of creamy cheesecake with berries could feed three; black-bottom banana cream pie and brownie sundae, two. You'll finish the designer ice cream sandwich, layered with Haagen Dazs, by yourself.

That last sound is a sigh of contentment.
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Hearty Italian Food (Lots of It)

By Joanne Starkey
New York Times
Fall, 2005

Ever since its opening in mid-March, Nick Diangelo in Long Beach has been mobbed. And why not?

Its owners have put together a winning formula: big portions of hearty Italian food (Long Island’s favorite cuisine) plus a roster of steaks (currently a hot commodity) and at least a half dozen fish, which can be ordered grilled or more elaborately prepared. Huge homemade desserts under drifts of freshly whipped cream send patrons home smiling.

The restaurant’s name may sound familiar. The first Nick Diangelo opened in Merrick in 1996. Both restaurants are part of the George Martin Group, which owns two George Martin restaurants, in Rockville Centre and Southampton, and Max’s Grill & Tavern in Rockville Centre.

That experience shows in the well-trained service staff at Nick Diangelo. Our servers explained the menu (a choice of individual or family-size portions), delivered dishes to the correct diner without hesitation and preformed all their duties smoothly. A water carafe was left on the table for refills, but the waiter was usually there pouring.

Nick Diangelo is a casual, rollicking place with white bistro paper over tablecloths and a tall candlestick and a long candle on every table. The restaurant features lots of wood, burgundy banquettes covered in imitation leather and dark wood Venetian blinds, which serve as room dividers. The décor runs to wine bottles lined up high on the walls, rustic chandeliers and sponge-painted walls.

The large space is separated into a number of rooms. One, centered around a fireplace, is perfect for big groups; another, a nook with a single large table, is a snug hideaway.

Large parties are advised to order family sized portions, which serve two or three people yet are not twice the price of individual servings. For example, the linguine with white clam sauce, a lush, garlic-infused winner spiked with red-pepper flakes, was $14.99 for an individual serving and $19.95 for the family size.

Portions were big and bigger. The best appetizer sampled, a haystack of fried zucchini and onions rings, cost $5.95 and was plenty for our table of four. It’s hard to imagine what the family sized version at $9.95 is like.
Salads were other crowd pleasers. The chopped salad offered a variety of lettuce, tomatoes, salami, mozzarella and olives in a choice of balsamic vinaigrette or creamy Italian herb dressing. The classic Caesar with big, crunchy croutons was also excellent.

The Portobello mushroom appetizer was piled high with a tasty sausage stuffing. The small, tender baked clams were notable, and so was the flavorful Tuscan onion soup.

Other tasty pasta dishes, along with the linguine with white clam sauce, were the hefty pasta with meatballs and the creamy linguine carbonara with pacetta, peas and onions.

Two of the lighter dishes were hits. Five jumbo shrimp, scampi style, with tomatoes, melted mozzarella and plenty of sweet garlic was served over sautéed spinach. The perfectly cooked salmon was stuffed with crab and surrounded by a delicious Dijon sauce.

Two poultry selections also excelled: lemon chicken accompanied by a lush, tangy citrus sauce with capers and artichoke hearts, and chicken saltimbocca, two big cutlets layered with prosciutto, sage and fresh mozzarella.
There were two disasters, though: the rib-eye steak special was tough, and so were some of the pieces of veal in the home-style veal and peppers. The description on the menu gave no indication that the peppers were hot.

There were no dessert disappointments, from the black-bottom banana cream pie- with its layer of chocolate, mounds of whipped cream and garnishes of fresh banana s and chocolate chunks- to the creamy cheesecake with fresh fruit and whipped cream. The strawberry shortcake featured two large circles of pound cake, lots of whipped cream and ripe whole berries. The massive brownie sundae was made for sharping; so was the square of tiramisu.
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George Martin Does it Again

By Terry Biener
Long Island Herald
Fall, 2005

George Martin-owned restaurants seem to be winners from the get-go. Open less than a year, Nick Diangelo in Long Beach pretty much mirrors the fare of the original Nick’s in Merrick. Creative Italian cuisine, joined by prime steaks and fresh seafood, fill an impressive menu.

Nick’s in Long Beach is spacious yet cozy, thanks to the soft illumination of shaded chandeliers and candlelight. Among several handsome dining areas is the intimate “wine room,” complete with fireplace. Up front is a lively bar that hosts live entertainment on Friday nights.

The bread basket, which includes tomato-topped focaccia, arrives with a trio of spreads: butter; roasted garlic in herb-infused olive oil; and creamy hummus. Portions are hefty; most available in both individual and family style, which serves two or three. Prices mentioned for single orders. Appetizers, soups and salads are $4.95-$11.95, and pastas are $9.95- $19.95. Entrees rang from $13.50 for Chicken Milanese to $32.95 for Dry Aged Prime New York Steak with shoe string zucchini and onions. Family style side dishes are $3.95 -$8.95, and deserts, which are large enough to share, are $6.50-$7.50. Carefully chosen wines range from $27 for a bottle of California Pino Grigio, to $79 for an Italian Barolo from Piedmont.

For starters, Mozzarella en Carozza, battered and deep fried wedges of mozzerella and Prosciutto Pinwheels, baked on Garlic Bruschetta, served on a bed of greens and roasted red peppers. Stuffed Porotbello Mushroom was filled with crumbled sausage and chopped tomato.

Of the entrees, Marinated Skirt Steak with arugula and mushroom boasted a flavor to write home about. Emphatically recommended is St. Peters Fish Piccata in lemon caper sauce, served on a bed of risotto, lush with large morsels of lobster meat. Side dishes are quite special and worth ordering. Broccoli Oreganata was cooked to perfection with a buttery breadcrumb topping. Escarole and Cannelloni Beans resembled a small casserole. Fresh Asparagus came drizzled with lemon butter and parmesan. Roasted Russet Potatoes Lyonnaise were glazed and flavorful.

Crisp Biscotti arrives with coffee. Dunking is expected. Nick’s Cannolis were exceptional; two huge pastry logs overstuffed with pistachio cream that was loaded with chocolate chips, topped with homemade whip cream. Another fine choice was the Blueberry and Pear Stuffed Tart, filled with cinnamon and powdered sugar.

Certain nights feature dinners with salad for two for $29. Monday is pasta, Tuesday is family style favorites, and Wednesday features a Fish Fry. Catering is available on and off premises. Parties for groups of less than 30 can be arranged on Monday through Thursday evenings. Private parties of 30 or more can be accommodated during the day.

Nick Diangelo is open for dinner only; 5-10 p.m. Sunday through Thursday, and 5-11 p.m. Friday and Saturday. Reservations are accepted for groups of six or more. Groups of five or less can phone ahead to save time. Delivery is available to Atlantic Beach, Long Island, Lido Beach and Island Park.

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