Torcellos, Established in 1988 and Still Going Strong

This time of year, in the dead of winter, comfort food is a natural choice. And a good choice for getting that comfort food is Torcellos restaurant.

Penne alla Vodka, and Pasta Fagioli  are Torcellos' most popular pasta dishes for dinner and do wonders when it comes to warming the soul.  Of couse, if you're looking to shed a few pounds just in time for a much anticipated spring, then a salad might be the better choice.  

Any one of the large salads on the menu at Torcellos won’t have you leaving hungry, even if you don't nibble on their delicious focaccia-filled bread basket.  A delicious waft of garlic and then a friendly greeting from owner and pizza chef Marc is what greets each patron as they first enter the warm low-lit restaurant. 

Situated in the same strip mall as the Elwood Cinemas, makes this a popular pre-theater dining spot.  Torcellos is also a great lunch spot with Dix Hills soccer moms as they scurry around this bustling area running daily errands. 

Torcellos' menu is extensive with the usual southern Italian dishes prepared well, in large portions, so you often get another meal of leftovers.  Salad choices number close to a dozen and Chef Marc says that their most popular salad, Mesclun Di Italia, served with dried cranberries, grapes, goat cheese, and honey-glazed walnuts, and raspberry vinegrette can be made with grilled salmon and instead drizzled with a creamy balsamic dressing for the piece de resistance. 

 The Dish:  Arugula Salad ($11.95) with Grilled Chicken (add $3)

 What’s On It: Arugula lettuce, gorgonzola cheese, grape tomatoes, red onion, red cabbage, grilled chicken and a creamy balsamic vinegrette.

 How’s It Taste:  The plentiful and fresh arugula has that clean peppery flavor complemented by sweet grape tomatoes and lots of buttery chunks of gorgonzola.  The sweet red onion is cut in small pieces and ends up in almost every bite of salad, giving it just enough bite to satisfy. The perfectly grilled chicken cutlets are sliced in strips and are moist and yummy with the creamy balsamic on top.  

 Half of the salad is enough for lunch and the whole salad is the perfect amount for dinner, but come hungry.  Chef Marc said that the arugula salad is not listed on the menu, since it is seasonal and not always available.  At lunchtime you might see it displayed on the front counter of the restaurant along with the mesclun salad.

 Sides:  Looking for more carbs, and can’t resist pasta, but still want to stay on the light side? Then try a side of angel hair pasta with marinara sauce ($4.95).  

 Torcellos also has a kids menu and an extensive take-out and catering menu.