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FOODIE
Seeing Red And Loving
Every Minute
By Luann & Katie/
foodie@longislandernews.com
Usually when people see
red, it’s not a good thing, but the Foodies saw “Red”
last week and enjoyed every minute of it.
Situated at the entrance to Huntington village on New York
Avenue, Red restaurant has made a name for itself in New American
cuisine. The character in the back is chef/owner Nino Antuzzi,
a bona fide Italian who knows his way around a kitchen. The
menu is on the small side, but each item is done well. Diverse
and creative, Red offers everything from salads and homemade
ravioli to tuna and ribs. Appetizers range from $9 to $12,
and entrees $22 to $36.
What’s more, every dish is beautifully prepared, an indication
to us that the chef cares about his work.
The sophisticated restaurant beckons one in from the busy
streets of Huntington village. A sleek bar, lit from behind
by lights of orange and yellow hues, and cozy lounge area
seems the perfect place to meet friends to relax after work.
On the other side of a curtain lies the dining section, where
tables and seats sit amid vibrant blues and reds. The atmosphere
is appropriate for almost anyone, be it a lively group out
on the town or a couple looking for a romantic night out.
The drink menu boasts nearly 30 kinds of beer in both bottles
and on tap, as well as four pages of wines from across the
globe. Wine director and general manager Kelley Danek is there
to help guide you. Taken by the impressive cocktail list,
we opted for the Darb-Star ($9) – a spritzy, refreshing
concoction of Stoli strawberry, fragoli liqueur, orange juice,
muddled strawberry and blanc de blanc – and a pomegranate
cosmopolitan ($10) – an icy cool combination of Stoli
orange, Pom pomegranate juice, cointreau and fresh squeezed
orange.
Antuzzi wasted no time flexing his culinary muscles. Our meal
started off with a winner: tempura-crusted sweet prawn. Lightly
fried, crisp and warm, it is a nice contrast to the cold,
house-marinated baby artichokes it is served on top of. Put
it all in a mild honey-wasabi vinaigrette, and it’s a
dish whose flavors play perfectly together.
Sicilian-Kissed Calamari ($11) puts a spin on your typical
calamari appetizer. This comes with tender baby calamari,
sautéed with a kickin’ tomato sauce, pine nuts,
capers and black olives. We loved the incorporation of pine
nuts, which brought a special something extra to the dish.
Red also excels at the standards. Bufala Mozzarella ($12)
and the Harvest Salad ($10) are safe, refreshing appetizers
that get the palate going. The mozzarella is Campania-imported,
served with not only fresh tomato but house-roasted, thinly
sliced peppers as well. In the salad, baby greens, Gorgonzola
cheese, crispy bacon and spiced walnuts are served over house-poached
beets with a port wine vinaigrette.
We were impressed by each of our entrees. The risotto special
of the day was veal spezzatino served over saffron risotto.
Antuzzi clearly takes his time on this one. The veal is slowly
cooked osso bucco-style with tomatoes and carrots, and the
risotto timed well.
Though other fish entrees caught our eye (namely the Tilapia
Oreganata), we went with the Seared Day Boat Sea Scallops
($26), which we would definitely order again. Cooked delicately
in a ginger and lime beurre blanc, the scallops are sweet,
tender and usually served with jasmine rice and crisp spring
vegetables.
Perhaps our favorite of the three entrees was the Grass-Fed
Short Rib of Beef ($28). Meat off the bone and so tender you
can pull it apart with your fork, the ribs come in a cabernet
reduction with salty, crispy onions and mashed potatoes.
Desserts are made in house, right down to the gelato, which,
to our delight, came on both of our sweet treats. Though we’re
not usually fans of bread pudding, we thoroughly enjoyed Antuzzi’s
baked version ($8), firm and warm with a sweet caramel sauce,
raisins and vanilla gelato. Flourless chocolate cake ($8)
is good, but the decadent caramel gelato on top of it steals
the show.
The short version of this story is, Red is a hit. If you aren’t
quite sure what you want or are just in for a big night out,
consider letting Antuzzi take care of you with his seven-course
tasting menu ($85). The restaurant also offers a $32 three-course
prix-fixe menu Sunday through Thursday nights.
Red
417 New York Ave.
Huntington
631-673-0304
redrestaurantli.com
Atmosphere: Sleek and hip with elements of cozy
Cuisine: New American
Price range: Moderate
Hours: Lunch Mon-Fri, 12-3 p.m.;
Dinner Sun-Thurs 5-10 p.m.,
Fri & Sat 5-11 p.m.
Main
Menu
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