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The Best Ravioli's This Side Of Italy Upon arrival at Piccolos Restaurant of Mineola, you’ll make your way through a cozy courtyard, which during the warmer months is accented with plants, tables, and umbrellas. Upon entering this fine eatery you sense the old world charm that causes you to leave your cares and worries at their doorstep no matter what the season. This establishment is a family
affair operated flawlessly by Robert Franceschini and his
quite capable sons Robert Jr. and Chef James. You are sure to be warmly
greeted by a member of the Franceschini Famiglia upon arrival at this truly
authentic Italian Ristorante.
Piccolo’s
Restaurant has a cute little front room to your right, a cozy lounge area and a
main dining room complete with fireplace and skylights. You immediately feel the
essence of Italy with soothing Italian music playing in the background and
subtle aromas reminiscent of the Old Country. Following the lead
set forth by the Franceschini Family, the staff provides such wonderful service
that leaves no detail to chance. You
quickly get a sense that the wait staff is genuinely interested in making your
dining experience quite exceptional.
In addition to the
traditional warm breadbasket, we were brought a palate teaser of shaved Ricotta
Salata cheese intermingled with sweet ripe watermelon (above left) that we
thought was a unique combination that heightened our appetite.
We also tasted an Antipasto Salad (above right) with fresh string beans,
house roasted peppers, marinated mozzarella, onions and fresh herbs that was
delightful. We then had the pleasure of tasting their signature house-made specialty raviolis that were really outstanding. This restaurant has actually become known for their incredible selection of raviolis that are by far “World Class”.
The Asparagus Ravioli in Vodka Sauce (above left) was most definitely a crowd pleaser with dramatic flavor. The pasta was fresh and tender while slightly sweetened from onions in a Vodka Sauce that put the asparagus in its place. The Spinach Ravioli (above right) were in a savory butter sauce that had a nice subtle flavor of spinach.
The Five-Cheese
Ravioli (above left) that were stuffed with a medley of Italian cheeses were
presented in a fine Bolognese sauce.
The heavenly Crispelle Fiornentino (above left) was a delicate crepe stuffed with spinach & ricotta served in a Tomato Sauce with béchamel & parmigianno cheese. Another dish worth
mentioning was the Veal Bertalino Rollatini (above right). This excellent veal
dish was comprised of spinach, ricotta, mortadella, parmesan, plum tomatoes, and portabella
mushrooms with a touch of garlic in a white wine butter sauce.
Piccolo’s Salomone
al Forno (above left), was a Wild Alaskan salmon encrusted with red peppers,
parmigianno cheese, onions & parsley baked with white wine & butter,
served over sautéed spinach. This dish was cooked to perfection and will
definitely bring out the salmon lover in you. Chicken Zingarella
(above right), which translates to “Little Gypsy Girl”, was a superb
knockout. This all-time favorite consisted of chicken breasts that were breaded
and stuffed with Prosciutto & mozzarella in a Pink Marsala Sauce with
chopped portabella mushrooms and topped with melted mozzarella cheese.
Move over Cordon Bleu this “Little Gypsy Girl”
Not to be outdone, the dessert portion of our meal was as incredible as the savory dishes were outstanding. We sampled “World Class”, homemade Rainbow Cookies (above left) that put all others to shame. Then we had an excellent creamy tiramisu (above right), which was as authentic as it was tasty.
Another dessert worth
trying was the raspberry cheesecake (above left) in which the Chambord infused
raspberry jam topping excellently complimented the superb cheesecake. Another sweet delight
we tasted was the Dolci Domenice (above right). This dessert consisted of
vanilla ice cream over Frangelico & Kahlua cleverly presented in a margarita
glass. All of these sweet taste sensations were complimented with fine espresso
(below left) & cappuccino coffee (below right).
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