Grasso’s
134 Main Street
Cold Spring Harbor, NY 11724
631.367.6060

Top Restaurant That’s All Jazzed Up

Located in the quaint historic whaling town of Cold Spring Harbor resides Grasso’s, formerly Trattoria Grasso’s, which consistently serves excellent new American cuisine. As you enter this lovely establishment you are often greeted by Gail Grasso, the namesake and hands-on proprietor of this newly reinvented restaurant.

The restaurant has a delicately wonderful ambiance from the elegant spirits area to the soft yet amply lit multi-leveled dining areas. The beautiful granite-topped bar with dark hardwoods which overlooks the adjacent music room is warmly inviting.

When one enters the charming main dining salon, they are greeted by a novel photo of Miles Davis seemingly overseeing the well-seasoned musical ensembles, which perform Wednesday through Sunday. The tables are lavishly draped with fine linen napery throughout.

At the onset of our dining experience we are provided with a breadbasket of sliced peasant bread, which was the appropriate simple accompaniment for a wonderfully delicious trio of dipping sauces. 

We began with a medley of appetizers, including a fine Roasted Garlic & Goat Cheese Flan with oven cured plum tomatoes, a toasted parmesan crisp, grilled eggplant, and a hint of thyme-infused red wine drizzle which was excellent. 

We also tasted perfectly Pan Seared Diver Sea Scallops with a sweet-pea puree and a red pepper coulis, which was delicious. To round out our appetizing experience, we had a simple yet classically tasteful order of Local Steamers prepared to perfection with white wine, garlic, fresh herbs, and drawn butter.

Onto the salad course! We couldn’t resist the temptation of trying all three salads, named after individuals, starting with Gail’s Grilled Peach, which consisted of mixed baby greens, frisee, goat cheese, walnuts, with a subtle Grasso vinaigrette. 

Next was Cindy’s Baby Green Salad, which was an interesting blend of Watercress, Blood Orange Segments, Ricotta Salata, Roasted Pignoli Nuts, Fennel, and Champagne Vinaigrette. 

For our final salad selection, we had Sandy’s Roasted Beet Salad, replete with Chilled Beets, Mixed Greens, Grilled Red Onions, Smoked Bacon, Sherry Vinaigrette, and Freshly Grated Horseradish. 

We were pleased with both the selection and interesting variety of all three salads, which we would easily recommend as the delicate taste treats that they were.

Now for the main event; a selection of dishes that truly lived up to the Grasso reputation. We had an exceptional House Made Potato Gnocchi with Grated Ricotta Salata, Prosciutto Di Parma, Fresh Sage & Brown Butter. 

That was followed by a superb 14 oz. Fresh Herb Rub Grilled Rib Eye, which was cooked to perfection and served with Mashed Yukon Gold & Sweet Potatoes, & Grilled Baby Vegetables. 

Last, but certainly not least, were the succulent Wild Mushroom Stuffed French Chicken Breast with Thyme Jus, Cilantro Basmati Rice, & Asparagus.

For the grand finale, we had three noteworthy desserts. The White Chocolate Bread Pudding with Cinnamon Ice Cream & Creme Anglaise was simply marvelous. 

Anyone serious about their desserts should indulge themselves with the warm overstuffed banana crepes that are not to be missed. 

Finally, for our chocolate fans, we strongly suggest the heavenly triple-chocolate mousse cake, which proved to be a wonderful finale to our dinner.

Overall Rating: Excellent Cuisine: New American Ambiance & Décor:  Elegant & Inviting Prices: Lunch $10-$18 - Dinner $19-$32 Website: www.grassosrestaurant.com