Puglia's has it all!

Puglia’s of Garden City

987 Stewart Avenue

Garden City

516-222-1421

www. pugliaoflittleitaly.com

In 1919, Gregorio Garofalo emigrated from Puglia, a southern region of Italy, to begin his American dream of owning a restaurant. He created Puglia’s on 189 Hester Street in Manhattan, which still prevails today. Thanks to his grandson, Gregory Garofalo, its authentic cuisine can now also be enjoyed on Long Island. Puglia’s of Garden City opened more than a year ago, closed in January for complete renovations, and re-opened in February as a shining star.

Decor is magnificent — chic, contemporary and spacious. A huge bar brings in a lively crowd. Dining is multi-level, with several rooms for private parties. There’s a stage for live entertainment and a dance floor. By 8 p.m. on the Friday we visited, tables were nearly filled. An hour later, Risky Business started playing and singing, and the rest was a night of total fun.

A diverse bread basket arrived with a carefully selected wine list and dinner menu. Servers go out of their way to make guests feel welcome. It’s a true family feeling.

Arugula salad included slices of grilled pears, crumbled gorgonzola and balsamic vinaigrette. Arancini Angelina — their signature rice ball — was stuffed with ground meat and peas, topped with ricotta and shaved parmigiana, and blanketed with tomato sauce. House special calamari with roasted peppers in spicy sauce were tender fried ringlets with a definite kick. Rigatoni vodka, tossed with pancetta and shallots, was appropriately creamy with plenty of flavor. Shrimp di Puglia, based on a bed of cappellini, had morsels of shrimp, Vidalia onions, Marsala wine and a light tomato sauce.

Entrees came with a crisp potato croquette and a mélange of fresh vegetables. Gamberi oreganata, or jumbo shrimps, were perfectly prepared with a sprinkling of breadcrumbs. Scaloppini di maiale alla pizzaiola, sautéed pork cutlets, were capped with a red sauce lush with olives, garlic and red peppers. For a luscious meat and seafood experience, go with vitello e gamberetti francaise, or veal scaloppini and shrimp sautéed in buttery lemon sauce.