The Trattoria

So very disappointed. After having two great meals at The Trattoria in the last 7 months — we were eager to have our anniversary dinner with my daughter and her boyfriend at The Trattoria. Where do I begin?
Service– Our waitress and a poor attitude at «Hello’. It was very clear we were an inconvenience to her — She knew little about the menu– could answer almost no questions about preparation of food — etc… Not an arrogant style — a truly ignorant one — regarding being a waitress.
Food– Meatballs were good as appetizers — as in previous visits. But the rest — no better then an Applebee’s — on a bad day.
Veal Chop — Served with nothing but some red sauce underneath– and a piece of slightly melted on cheese on top — No real taste to it —
Pork «Steak» — My wife ordered this — it was very thick Pork Chop — again — poorly seasoned and overcooked — sides were just passable — green beans with corn-​polenta dish —
Beef Bolognese — very weak on flavor and poor presentation —
Bucatini Carbonara — nothing but the pasta in a basic carbonara sauce — not impressive in the least.
Please keep in mind that this WAS a favorite place — prior to this meal — none of us wanted to spoil the festive mood for our 35 Anniversary event — but we should have WALKED OUT.
No excuse for The Trattoria — Monday night? Hired a waitress who clearly wouldn’t survive at the local McDonald’s counter? Four (4) — bad to mediocre dinners? — all this for a $ 270.00 CASH only experience?
SHAME on you Trattoria. You don’t deserve your reputation or to be in business if this is what one can now expect.
Thanks for ruining our 35^th Anniversary Dinner — and for saving me from having you on my «Go To» restaurant list.

I almost don’t want to write this review as it is hard enough to get a reservation now but here I go The food is always cooked to perfection the chef is just wonderful he has a great way of searing braising and sautéing everything that he cooks his sauces are just mouth watering and the one of the best parts is bring your own wine so you can have an awesome meal with the wine of your choosing without getting hit over the head The chef always uses the best meat the freshest seafood, Pasta that you have never heard of but you want to get to know a little better and desserts and french pressed coffee that finish off the meal perfectly. My husbands favorite place in Long Island

WOW!!! Talk about a great little secret St James has. The Trattoria is hands down one of Long Island’s best Italian restaurants. Upon arriving we were greeted by a very nice, charming young lady. Once seated, we we’re given bread with olives and olive oil. We also ordered ricotta cheese with tomato spread. You can tell how good a meal is going to be if they get something as small as an appetizer right. There are tasting menus of five courses and three courses along with the À la cart menu. I would suggest fasting all day and going with the five or the three course tasting menu. The waitresses are very knowledgeable about the menu and will answer any questions. They will also help make suggestions on the tasting menus. Remember to leave room for the homemade desserts. Once you have finished your meal here, you will feel like you have joined a private club. From the moment you are greeted, until you are done with your meal, you feel special. Pay careful attention to the specials because this place is doing some great things. I will definitely be a regular even though I live in Queens.
So I find myself «forced» to dine here again. Such «torture» I tell you. There were three of us. We went with the three course tasting menu. We started with the bread and olive oil as well as the tomato tapenade with the creamy ricotta cheese. My appetizer consisted of the Burata cheese with a slice of prosciutto on a bed of roasted tomato. Absolutely delicious. My main course was the Brasato in red wine on top of an evilly & sinfully delicious polenta. The polenta I simply refused to share. IT IS SO GOOD. Someone is going to hell for that polenta. My sister had the black pasta as an appetizer and the prime rib for dinner. The pasta was Devine and her steak was of course, as they say, BANGIN’. My wife had the Caesar salad as an appetizer and lasagna for her main course. Their Caesar salad is always on point and her lasagna was of course superb. All with a nice bottle of JORDAN 2011 Cabernet. On my next trip I will probably go with the 5 course tasting menu.

I was just here and I am so excited to write this review because I still cannot get over what I consumed this past Friday night. By far this was one of the best meals out I’ve had in awhile! I mean it wholeheartedly.
So it was my mom’s birthday and to celebrate we’ve been fixing to go to The Trattoria. So I start looking at their menu and see they have OpenTable to make reservations and attempt making reservations for Friday. Unfortunately at first I was too early to book. It was too far in advance but I wanted to make sure we got in on her birthday. Finally after another week or two passing by I was able to make the reservation. I will say that reservations are a MUST! The way they handle their reservations is pretty stellar too. I got a phone call Thursday confirming our reservation while I was at work and unable to answer. I called back in the evening they again reminded me it was BYOB & it was Cash or Check only. I mean so far The Trattoria must be doing something right because that’s just an awesome reminder ’cause typically I use plastic.
Back to the more important things… the service we received was phenomenal. To top it off the owner and I believe he was also the executive chef made us feel very welcome.
The food is absolutely exquisite in my opinion. The food I personally had made my insides sing.
We had the following:
— Potato Ramp Soup: This was my appetizer. Anyway… I don’t believe I’ve ever had ramps before but this soup was super delicious. It wasn’t too heavy which was nice because I was super excited for my dinner. After finishing it I was a little bummed to hear they had some sort of roasted garlic soup the week prior. Man I think I would’ve probably died and gone to heaven with that soup.
— Mussels with Roasted Garlic, White Wine, and Herb Broth: My mom’s appetizer. Man oh man. I felt like I was eating something so delicate and they were super good. Again I felt they weren’t too heavy which was great.
— Baked Little Neck Clams: My stepdad’s appetizer and he didn’t offer for me to try one. They looked good but I rather try more out of the box stuff than basics.
— Red Wine Brasato with Creamy Polenta: Both myself and my Mom’s husband got this. This Brasato was cooked perfectly and with lots of love. Fork tender and just damn good. Only thing I wish I had with it was some horseradish cream. The polenta was spot on. Just WOW! It’s my new favorite dish. I cannot wait to come back and have more!
— Eggplant Parmigiana: My mom got this. Oh my WOW! This is another great dish! How in the world is this place executing such delicious dishes?! I mean I’ve had some bad eggplant in my life but by far and by a landslide The Trattoria wins on best eggplant!
— Tiramisu: Although very full I decided we should have Tiramisu to top off the night. Again… DELICIOUS! Again super delicate but filled with flavor.
Will I be back? Oh you betcha! You should come too and try this place out. I’m in love Trattoria. Love I tell you and I WILL BE BACK!
PS: Remember it’s Cash or Check and BYOB currently.
PPS: No corking fee! Woohoo!

First I’m surprised I could walk in without s reservation, but I did and was treated to an awesome Italian meal. I really have nothing bad to say except that you have to bring you’re own wine… which I did not know.

Amazing find. Stumbled upon this place.
Wife and I here just for the day.
We would come back anytime.
We live in the center of CT.
DO Yourself a favor. Don’t drive by !!

The Trattoria is the best restaurant on Long Island. Don’t believe me? Go and tell me otherwise. Casual fine dining at its best. Maybe 9 tables, a menu that is suggested as a 3 course prix fixe that is executed and presented above and beyond anything you’ll find west of the boroughs. As someone who has eaten quite a few of the Eater 38 I can attest to the quality of their food and the laid back vibe. PS The signature dish was rated #1 on Long Island on fios restaurant hunter. Add that brasato to the fact it’s the best polenta you’ll ever have makes it a no brainier. Considering it’s also BYOB with no corking fee and has the best food around you’d be foolish not to try. Make a reservation and bring your favorite bottle of red. You will not be disappointed.

It was amazing. The place is very small but it has the greatest food ever. You should bring cash and a bottle of wine.

We love coming to The Trattoria with our family. My husband’s grandparents are regulars at this joint and for good reason!
Their menu changes with the season and everything is homemade and delicious. They serve beautifully cooked bread, which you can get with olives, house made ricotta cheese and pickled veggies.
The mushroom arancini they have right now are to die for. So crispy and light!
Their spaghetti al’amatriciana is also fantastic.
They also make delicious and unique desserts!
The place is very small, so reservations are a must! They are also cash only!

New favorite Italian restaurant! Came here this past weekend for Valentine’s Day and was blown away by the amazing food! The dining room is extremely small and cozy. BYOB is a great bonus.
Great atmosphere and food, plain and simple. Will be back here soon!

The food is exceptional! It was recommended to me by a colleague and she hit the nail on the head. Very small establishment. The dishes were more than satisfying. Cash only policy however, and not the friendliest or warm servers. Did not feel welcomed at all. Rating is based solely on food.

Ate here this past Saturday, 1÷16÷16. Small dining room, and BYOB. Only had a late reservation, 9:30.
All worth it though. The Italian food was perhaps the best I’ve ever eaten. Fresh, local fare. The service was excellent too.
This all coming from an Italian who grew up in Bensonhurst Brooklyn, so I know Italian food. :)

Not much can be said about Trattoria that hasn’t already been said. The food is simply the best, most authentic Italian food around. I’ve traveled to Italy several times and even studied cooking in Tuscany. Every time I go to Trattoria it brings me back and I marvel at the old world recipes and techniques. Simple, fresh and unpretentious.

I went to this restaurant on July 19, 2015 This is a favorite restaurant of mine. The service is always excellent and attentive. the restaurant is very small. It is impossible for large groups.
The food is always spot on.
I had the Baby Greens with Pecorino Dressing which had the right amount of dressing and was very good. For dinner I had with pesto and crispy potato with cod. It was garlicy and the potatoes were crisp. I had the Black and White Crème Brûlée for dessert. I always get the prixe fixe dinner special for $ 38 for 3 courses. It is really worth it.

What a pleasure it is to have The Trattoria on the North Shore. We have friends we haven’t seen all summer, we’re all busy and wanted catch up over dinner. My first choice was to catch up at The Trattoria.
We made our reservations (Highly recommended) and met them at this cozy bistro. You can’t beat the three course price fixe. It comes with a great dessert but if you see an appetizer that you’d want for a main entrée, you can switch it all up.
I ordered the duck liver on toast to start. The portion was large but that’s ok, I was in duck heaven! Very light, it also came with a blueberry compote.
Now the no sharing rule is in effect. I ordered the specialty of the house, the lasagna. I think it was made with crème fraîche, it was very light and creamy. The sauce as well, not overpowering with spices, my piece was a hunka hunk of burning love!
As a matter of fact, this lasagna is better than my moms! From the sauce, the different cheeses and the way it was served. Better!
My wife ordered eggplant parmigiana that was about the same size. I didn’t want a taste, I was in heaven with my lasagna.
I ordered a black & white Crème Brulee that was made perfectly. After all of the eating, talking and drinking some wine I purchased from upstate as well as a bottle Montepulciano d’Abruzzo it was a perfect ending to a perfect day.
The food quality hasn’t changed since they opened last year! I think its better. Great food is still being had at The Trattoria in St James NY.

Lunch for six, prix fixe at $ 27/​each
Meatballs over polenta, mussels and corn soup starters were perfect
Entrees included cod/​kale/​white bean plate, lasagna (epic), beef over polenta (tasty) and eggplant Parmesan (excellent).
Deserts included Nutella pound cake, black and white crème brûlée, affogato, gelato and biscotti.
There are a lot of Italian restaurants on Long Island, but The Trattoria always rocks.
Dinner reservations are tough; lunch can be accommodated.
Small, personal, exceptional venue

Third time for dinner here this month. Has become our favorite restaurant on Long Island. Food and service never fail to deliver. Tonight I had the figs, pancetta and arugula salad and Branzino on bed of greens, raisins and pine nuts. Panna Cotta for dessert. Just perfect as always. Remember to bring cash and your best bottle of wine.

Great little, I mean tiny, Italian restaurant that serves up some great dishes. Reservations are a must on weekends because it’s such a small place, but once you get in everything is top notch. The service was great, noise level was a bit high but could depend on the diners, and food fresh and flavorful.
We had two prix fixe dinners, and at $ 38 a pop, it was very reasonably priced. For appetizers, we had baked little neck clams and black pasta with calamari and spicy tomatoes. Both were fantastic. The clams were perfectly baked and seasoned and the tomatoes were sooooo sweet and fresh! The pasta had great texture and the sauce gave it a nice kick. For the entrees we had the red wine brasato over polenta and cod over corn, fava beans and fregola. The brasato was meltingly tender, the sauce was rich and deep in flavor, and polenta was creamy. In contrast, although the cod was perfectly cooked, it was a bit light in seasoning. The bed of corn salad was refreshing. We ended our meal with flourless almond cake and black and white crème brûlée, which were both good but not standouts.
All in all, a great meal and it’s BYOB! But remember to bring cash!

My group and I dined at Trattoria Rustic Italian on Sunday, ⁷⁄₁₉. I had been there several times before, the last time enjoying amazing Osso Buco and a delicious olive oil cake as part of the $ 38 prix fixe dinner (the best deal on Long Island). The owner, Mr. Gallagher, is an original. No one works as hard to provide diners with a varying menu of fresh and seasonal food with an Italian bent. He changes the menu every day, depending upon what is fresh in the market. All of my group had the prix fixe. They raved about the flounder and the pork ribs in a balsamic port reduction. I had the spicy squid ink pasta as an appetizer. It was one of the best tomato-​based sauces I have ever tasted. As my main, I had the Brasato, which is, basically, an Italian brisket pot roast which was served over delicious polenta and escarole. Outstanding! Finally, I had the Black and White Crème Brulee. Gone in an instant!
Our servers, Tina and Adrian, did an exceptional job. Service was prompt, efficient, very friendly and worthy of a first rate establishment. I cannot wait to return to Trattoria!

Steve took over from Eric’s Kitchen Trattoria. It’s been well over a year now and everything here is as good as ever. Italian restaurants are a dime a dozen on Long Island, but this place is special.
A lot of effort goes into every creation this kitchen churns out. The menu changes weekly and each visit is better then the last. BYOAnything and cash only. There’s not much else I can say except go here if you’ve never been. You will not be disappointed.
Just be sure to make a reservation.
5 star food
5 star service, in a casual setting