Top 100 Italian restaurant gets revamp, new name

One of Newsday's top Italian restaurants just got a fancier dining room and a fresh name. 

Sandro's Italian has been building a cult following since Alessandro and Diane Acquista opened the spot in 2021. But even though the Manhasset restaurant has consistently made Newsday lists like the Top 100 Restaurants, it's never been known for its décor, which was minimal and decidedly more casual than the food coming out of the kitchen.

The Acquistas were already planning on remodeling the restaurant when Alessandro got a call from the owner of another Sandro's restaurant this November. He said he was initially able to smooth things over, but the issue turned into months of back-and-forth legal discussions that were sucking his creative energy, he said. A couple months ago, he decided to do his renovations and change the name at the same time. 

"I could name it anything at the end of the day," he said. "We decided we just wanted to focus on the restaurant and not this other noise, so we changed it to Alessandro’s."

The Acquistas worked with local restaurant designer Dallago Associates to give the small dining room a statelier look. Bright white walls have been replaced with dark artichoke green, interspersed with wood paneling and mirrors that make the space look larger. Seating now has a classic art deco look with deep green booths. Soundproof panels have been added to reduce the noise level. And even the servers are looking fresher, wearing plain black uniforms instead of the previous T-shirts with a slogan on the back. 

"We opened with very little money, and we did what we could just to open up. We didn’t expect to be crazy busy," he said. "There's still a little noise, but now you can have a conversation without raising your voice. We've cosmetically changed the whole place."

The menu appears identical to the previous assortment of regional Italian and Sicilian-American dishes that put Sandro's on the map. Pasta is still made in-house daily, including a mean take on the classic Pugliese combination of broccoli rabe and sausage, which subs out the orecchiette for little snail-shaped noodles called lumache ($29). Drizzled in olive oil and specked with salty pecorino, the pasta snaps. 

Like before, monthly specials are also highly prominent. Another pasta dish from the printout menu featured freshly-made spaghetti prepared allo scoglio with Maine mussels and baby clams ($35) in a simple sauce of plump tomatoes and garlic. The banger of the evening, a $65 veal chop Valdostana layered with prosciutto and melted fontina cheese, was going out to several tables in the packed restaurant. Reservations are recommended even on weekdays, as the space filled up early. 

As the restaurant celebrates its three-year anniversary this Labor Day, Acquista said business has been constant. 

"My eyes are blown up, just from the nerves of being nonstop. But I’d rather have that than no tables," he said. "It’s been nonstop, thank God."

Alessandro's Italian, 1496 Northern Blvd., Manhasset, 516-467-4266, alessandrositalian.com. Open 5-10 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday, 4-9 p.m. Sunday, closed Monday. With lunch hours possibly coming soon. 

By Andi Berlin

andi.berlin@newsday.comAndiBerlin

Andi Berlin is from Arizona and does not know where she is going. But when she gets there, she’ll find something beautiful and delicious that the world needs to taste.