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Aquarius Restaurant
Limani Logo
Long Island, N.Y. - USA
5 Stars & 6 Stripes
Extraordinary - Society
March - 2009
5 Stars & 6 Stripes
Overall - 'Cuisine & Service'
The Ultimate Award:
Seven Stars and Stripes®
Our Seven Stars team travelled to Roslyn, N.Y. on the Gold Coast of Long Island's North Shore. This high profile village has almost 3000 residents with high disposable incomes. Roslyn is a cultural epicenter for the North Shore’s residents with its Nassau County Museum of Art (NCMA), one the finest suburban art museums in the Northeast. Roslyn also has an abundance of sophisticated local restaurants offering a cornucopia of delicious ethnic foods. On this day, our team's destination was Limani (Greek: "little port") an exciting new luxe restaurant on Northern Boulevard in Roslyn. The restaurant, although only open since December, represents a crossroads of culture and cuisine and has already garnered some fabulous buzz and splendid reviews. As we pulled into the parking lot, the handsome exterior of the restaurant built with white limestone and large tinted glass windows immediately impressed us. Limani's Valet parking attendants quickly took our cars and led us through two stylishly designed, carved wooden doors into an elegant "Urban Chic" restaurant. Limani's smart interior, exquisite imported white marble bar, and impressive golden colored chandeliers, offer a new sophistication in restaurant design for North Shore diners.
Once inside this beautifully decorated venue, all eyes are quickly drawn to the bright white state-of-the-art open kitchen, glowing open hearth stove, and the adjacent counter top display of large fresh rainbow colored fish from the Mediterranean. The fresh catch of the day are neatly displayed on a glistening mound of shaved white ice. We were immediately greeted and welcomed by Albert Zafrani, Limani's Maitre d’, who has years of experience meeting and greeting North Shore's elite. Limani Restaurant
Reno Christou, the owner and managing partner of Limani, is young, charming and a veteran seafood restaurateur. Reno gave us a quick "cooks" tour of the restaurant and an overview of the Limani dining philosophy. The restaurant offers diners an "old school" European way of ordering and eating fine fish. All fish chosen by diners are sold by the pound and prepared in a natural, delicious, and non-pretentious manner. The fish are lightly seasoned with olive oil and condiments, which enhance the natural flavor of each fish. Under the skillful guidance of Executive Chef Peter Spyropoulos, fish are served at their natural best... lightly seasoned with olive oil and condiments which enhance their flavor. Limani has two beautifully decorated seating areas, one adjacent to their very busy marble and glass bar area, and the other area to the right of the entrance. There is also a very special small enclosed private dining room used for parties and catered events. This glass-in area is separated from the main dining area by a handsome wooden wine rack, honey-combed with hundreds of imported and domestic expensive wines, behind a crystal clear wall of glass. We were seated and attended to by Nikos, our floor Captain, whose expertise and Greek charm helped us decide on a superb selection of sea fare from the Aegean. The "Limani" dining experience includes punctilious service provided by a finely attired and knowledgeable staff. After being seated and while perusing the handsome menu, we were offered an amuse bouche of Melitzanosalata (eggplant and garlic puree) served along with fresh steamy hot pita bread. Before long, the restaurant filled up quickly with well-dressed patrons out for a Tuesday night of fine dining, and we marveled at the hushed chatter of seemingly happy customers interacting with each other while enjoying their Aegean fare. Small platters of stone crab claws, head-on shrimp (the size of small lobsters), and petite and delectable Kumamoto oysters, all presented on fine white china, accompanied by sparkling glasses and stemware. Eating a good oyster like the Kumamoto, offering sweet deep ocean flavor, is akin to walking the path to enlightenment and we all agreed to our near Zen experience after indulging in a few. John, our Seven Stars, Internationally renowned wine connoisseur, chose a bone dry, 2008 Gaia Estate Thalassitis wine from Santorini to accompany our meal. The wine is made with indigenous Assyrtiko grapes, which grudgingly yield their fine personality from nearly century-old vines grown in poor volcanic soil. The results, a vivid acidity wrapped in a delicately sweet fragrance of serenity and lightheartedness. Nikos suggested to us a series of uniquely prepared specialties of the house starting with Kolokithi, consisting of paper-thin Zucchini and Eggplant chips, stacked architecturally ‘Tower of Babel’ style and accompanied by lightly fried Kefalograviera cheese. This sheep milk cheese added a mellow saltiness that with the addition of a squeeze of lemon juice provided a unique expression of flavor. Arriving at the same time was ‘Super Lump’ Crab cake as the menu describes it. Large chunks of Maryland crabmeat formed into a patty and gently fried golden brown and crispy, the genuine taste had no imitation. The nutty, buttery flavor of Kastorian beans accompanies this dish adding a mellow Greek accent. Also presented was sushi quality grilled sliced octopus purely pan-fried in olive oil, giving us the sense that it was a draw-back to the cuisine of more traditional times.
Liamani AwardPeter Spyropoulos & Reno Christou & Barry Kay & Albert Zafrani
Peter Spyropoulos & Reno Christou & Barry Kay & Albert Zafrani
Our main course offered a duo of exotic Greek fish dishes right from the delectable display that is seen at the entrance to the restaurant. Nikos once again recommended Royal Dorado (Porgy from Greece) and Lupe de Mer (Sea Bass from Greece). The Dorado, also known as Tsipoura in Greece has tender white flesh with a splendid succulent firm meaty flavor when grilled. My personal preference was the superb delicate ocean-like flavor of the Loup de Mer, especially when eaten off the bone. It seems that Mediterranean cultures value the subtle taste differences of fish cooked whole and then brought to the table to be thoroughly picked over by the one who is eating it. Each entrée was presented with assorted steamed and grilled seasonal vegetables and a Limani special treat of Greek fries lightly coated in oregano and topped with a coarse grating of Kefalograviera cheese. For the finale to this splendid meal we were presented with a highly delectable quartet of "house made" Greek desserts served simultaneously with cups of exotic imported tea of which my choice was chamomile-lavender while my wife opted for peach-ginger. Some of our favorites included Baklava, a rich sweet pastry made with thin layers of flaky phyllo dough filled with nuts and honey as well as Ekmek, a scrumptious Greek bread pudding topped with a kind of clotted cream and ground pistachios. We spent hours talking, savoring our food, and enjoying the buzz of a capacity crowd. At meals end, Nikos took our valet parking tickets to be sure that our cars would be warm and waiting at the door for us. All in all, it was an awe-inspiring evening offered by an amazing new "Gold Coast" restaurant. Limani has raised the level of excellence for cuisine, ambiance and service.
by Barry Kay & John Lomitola

Editor-in-Chief: Ingrid Lemme
© 2009 ~ Seven Stars and Stripes, Inc.


 
 
 
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Disclaimer:

Although the above information was accurate at the time of publication, it can change without notice. Please be sure to confirm all pertinent information with the companies in question before planning your trip.


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