Dan's Papers - November 16, 2007 - Cimino's Ristorante

Fashions change in the restaurant world as surely and sometimes as quickly as they do in the world of haute couture. A couple of years ago, everything had to be 'fusion', whereas today it seems like the age of tapas or small plates are in and barbeque is all the vogue. However for those with more conservative tastes, thankfully, there are some great, mainly ethnic, cooking styles that resist the temptation for change and among these, without doubt, is the world of home style Italian fare.

Cimino's only opened recently in Southold, opposite the Port of Egypt marina and co-owner Doug Cress has just unveiled their new concept, designed to meet the needs of both those who want single portions and those arriving in groups and who wish to eat family style. Doug has a very impressive resume in the restaurant business. His family is extremely well known and respected as florists for over 100 years on Long Island and Queens but he decided early on that food and catering were to be his passion. He was General Manager for Marriot Hotels, opened the Windows on the World and also ran the UN Delegates Dining Room (probably the best kept lunch secret in Manhattan). Out on Eastern Long Island, he is probably best known as co-owner and pit-master of the very successful BBQ Bill's in Greenport.

Cimino's stands on the site of previous restaurants but has been virtually rebuilt and redecorated. The outside is very attractive, with good parking and tables for outdoor dining in the summer, while inside the décor revolves around exposed brick, chandeliers and a great bar (the only major carryover from before) and the whole melds into a very warm and inviting atmosphere.

After enjoying some good bread with a very tangy sun-dried tomato dip, we chose to start with the mussels posilipo and these were plump and fragrant with a good, light and garlicky sauce. Artichokes are not often found on menus here, so this was a chance to enjoy something different and the very large perfectly cooked artichoke kept us busy pulling off leaves and dunking them in the broth. The stuffing could have been a little more moist, but overall it was a dish well worth ordering even though it is difficult to carry on a conversation while eating an artichoke!

Salads are a choice of Caesar or mixed baby greens with goat cheese and we opted for the latter. The very large portion of crisp greens was well dressed and we would have liked to eat more but room had to be left to explore some other parts of the menu.

From the main courses, I chose the monkfish stuffed with mascarpone cheese and baby spinach. Stella had the Veal Parmigiana and we shared a side of linguini puttanesca. The stuffed monkfish was an excellent choice, light but full of flavors and the veal was voted one of the best we've ever had. The menu offers nine different pastas and seven entrees with choices from chicken to shrimp and steak and vegetarian, so all tastes are well covered. If you order a single pasta or entrée, they are priced at between $16 and $27, and if the family style portion is ordered, the prices then are from $36 to $58. The family style portions are stated to be suitable for two to three people but from what we saw of the portions they could easily feed more, unless it is for a horde of very hungry diners!

The dessert menu offers many Italian favorites such as tiramisu, gelato and cheesecake, but we shared the large homemade cannoli, accompanied by a truly excellent cup of espresso, enhanced by a dash of Sambucco.

Cimino's already looks to be a very professionally run operation that is geared to meet the eating needs of locals and visitors alike throughout the year. With good home style, recognizable Italian dishes at affordable prices, they aim to offer is exactly what hungry families and couples look out for. They have an interesting, largely Italian, wine list with a few Long Island wines. Wines by the glass are $7 to $8.50 and from $25 a bottle. This is a restaurant that should develop into a great spot to call in to on an impromptu basis and for celebrations and parties of all types. Currently Cimino's is open Thursday to Sunday for dinner and serve lunch on Friday through Sunday.