Bar Americano replaces Casarecce in Bellmore

Out of the ashes of Casarecce in Bellmore has risen a new restaurant, Bar Americano. It doesn’t look drastically different and owner Alex Fiorentino is still on board, but diners will find lower prices, a new menu and a new partner.

Casarecce debuted early in 2022 but, a year later, Fiorentino had to admit that it wasn’t working. He closed last May and considered a few ideas and partnerships before launching Bar Americano in February. The new eatery, he hopes, will solve the problems that doomed his first concept.

First, he was stretched too thin between Bellmore and Meritage, the Glen Cove wine bar he opened in 2017. “I needed a strong number two,” he said. He found one in Craig Forney, whom he had met decades ago when both men worked at California Pizza Kitchen. Forney is a chef at the Capital One headquarters in Melville, but that workday ends at 2 p.m., allowing him to be full time at Bar Americano.

Forney not only handles the day-to-day in Bellmore, but he brings a common touch. “My pedigree has been fine dining,” Fiorentino said. “I think I lost touch with what people want.” As an example he pointed to the name “Casarecce,” a hard-to-pronounce double entendre that means “homemade” in Italian and also describes one of the homemade pastas that was a focal point of the restaurant’s ambitious menu.

“It was a perfect name,” he deadpanned, “for food nerds.”

The name accurately described a concept that, Fiorentino sees now, was wrong for the location. “It’s an everyday location — it needed an everyday concept. Not fancy Italian with a $100 steak.”

Forney created a tight, straightforward menu — although Fiorentino didn’t make it easy. He initially proposed an asparagus souffle that Forney nixed. “No one wants that on a Tuesday,” Forney said. “People will come back for simple, good food.”

Among those simple, good selections are tuna tartare, “hot honey” chicken thighs, meatballs with grilled bread, fried calamari and grilled octopus with white bean purée and crispy potatoes. Entrees include mesquite salmon with potatoes and asparagus, braised short ribs with Parmesan polenta, roast chicken with Swiss chard and steak frites made with prime tenderloin. There’s also an Americano burger with aged Cheddar and chorizo jam and rock shrimp tacos. Vegan and vegetarian dishes include cauliflower steak with asparagus purée, mushroom risotto with cashew cream and avocado and toast. Starters are $12 to $18, most mains are $20 to $30. There’s also a roster of charcuterie and cheese, with most items around $12.

The name “Bar Americano” telegraphs the United States, of course, but it’s also a cheeky reference to the Italian sobriquet for concoctions that are watered down for Yankee tastes: Caffe Americano is a diluted espresso; an Americano is a cocktail with vermouth and Campari, the bitterness of which is offset by club soda.

The truth is, you can’t beat the drinks nerd out of Fiorentino. He’s created an engaging explainer on the history of and relationships between the Americano, the Boulevardier, the Negroni and the Negroni Sbagliato. Bar Americano’s cocktail list comprises even more classic concoctions including Aperol spritz, Sazerac, gin fizz, sidecar, Manhattan, bee’s knees, Vesper martini and more. From the well-priced wine list are more than a dozen by-the-glass offerings.

“Bar” informed the modest renovation as well: More TVs were mounted on the walls, barstools were brightened, and a dividing wall between bar and dining room was converted into a high-top counter so the whole front of the restaurant is now a lounge.

Bar Americano, 2620 Merrick Rd., Bellmore, 516-308-7311, baramericano.net. Open 4 to 9 p.m. Sunday to Thursday, 4 to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday.