Dining Out: Great Neck’s Luna Caprese offers unique spin on Italian cuisine

By Carol Brock

Italian with a difference. And with Italian restaurants to the right and Italian restaurants to the left, this is not easy to come by.

Luna Caprese (Capri moon), six months young, is owned by a husband and wife team, the Brunos. Antonio, born on the Isle of Capri, came to Great Neck via England and Bermuda. In fact he owns two restaurants in Bermuda in St. George, Tivoli Gardens and Black Beard.

It was in Bermuda, with its clientele from all over the world that this international style of Italian cuisine evolved. It leans toward the continental with more finesse. It is delectably different and therefore memorable.

For starters, you're greeted by wife Barbara, the hostess, and a “Martini Menu” standing on the table. There's the option of how many drops of vermouth. Or will it be an olive or an onion or a twist of lemon? Here there are six appropriately selected vodka based choices: Cosmopolitan with cointreau and a splash of cranberry juice; the house martini, with a splash of lemoncello: French martini with a splash of chambord and pineapple juice; plaid martini with melon liquor and a drizzle of chambord;

A basket of homemade hot breads with a biscuit-like dinner roll and two squares of focaccia – one pizza-like, the other , herb – are placed on the table along with a dishlet of ripe olives. You sip your martini debating its merits and take in the surroundings. Tables of four are set along the seventy foot semicircular window that adds distinction to Luna Caprese. The rest is understated.

The menu has the flourishes. It is Italian once removed. For appetizers, you choose from layers of buckwheat crepes with smoked salmon, marscarpone cheese, herbs, sour cream and caviar. Sauteed prawns, garlic, anchovies, capers, pepperoni and fresh tomato over greens. Cheese-stuffed mushrooms in cheese sauce. Or you may prefer a selection of typical Italian cured meats. Or wild mushrooms sauteed in olive oil, garlic, herbs and grilled polenta or thin slices of beef fillet, Parmesan cheese and mustard sauce.

Our salad, which we split, was served first. It was a sophisticated combo of mixed lettuce with avocado, asparagus and shrimp in a garlic vinaigrette. The baby shrimp were no bigger than a penny. Two asparagus stalks were crossed on top – dramatic. It was excellent and made more so by the fact that there was not one drop of excess dressing on the plate.

And as so often happens when you are offered a plethora of goodies on the menu, you cop out and take the easy route, selecting a special of the day. In my dining companions' case, it was snails in a pastry shell but a unique pastry shell – a spin-off of pate choux, a cream puff mixture, with snails in a seductive sauce,

And I had the ravioli, ethereal ravioli. The homemade pasta rounds were so thin, they truly melted in your mouth. The filling was veal and the sauce bolognese – quite sensational, I assure you.

She had the sauteed whole Dover sole as an entree with lemon, capers and fresh herb dressing. I had veal in a wonderful pink sauce with more of those captivating penny-sized baby shrimp and as a final flourish – a bit of black caviar.

The vegetable of the day was zucchini and carrots, cut in 2-inch sticks. Cubed, browned potatoes accompanied them,

Two favorites of yore were offered for dessert – profiterole and zabaglione. Four tiny profiterole, cream filled, were set on the dessert plate set in a square. Hot fudge sauce was draped over each. How can that be anything but irresistible?

Her zabaglione looked handsome in a large wine glass with a lady finger beside it. I enjoyed watching as she dipped it in the zabaglione and munched.

A dinner like this needs, in my opinion, espresso and so it was espresso for two .

If you adore Italian but are ready for something a bit different, try Luna Caprese. If you long for Continental or French, give Luna Caprese a try.

Italian with a difference.

Chef's Choice

Calamari Fritti…$8.50

Scampi Oreganato…$9.00

Capricciosa salad (mixed lettuces with avocado, asparagus, and shrimp in a garlic vinaigrette dressing)…$7.50

Lasagna al Forno (Baked lasagna with meat or vegetable sauce)…$11.50

Risotto al Ragu di Pesce…$13

Spigola alla Toscana…$20.50

Pollo alla Salvia (Sauteed chicken breast marinated in garlic, sage, and white wine, served with polenta)…$14.50

Petto di Pollo alla Lucchese (Chicken breast stuffed with vegetables)…$13.50

Filleto di Manzo Perugia (sauteed beef tournedos with tomato, artichokes, capers, and olives in a red wine demi-glace)…$22

Food: Italian

Setting: Understated elegance

Service: Good

Hours: L and D Mon. through Sat. , D

only Sun.

Reservations: Suggested

Parking: Street and rear lot

Handicapped accessible: Yes (but

restrooms are downstairs)

Credit cards: All major (except

Discover)