Borrelli's Taproom opens in Long Beach

One of Long Island's oldest Italian restaurants just opened a second eatery in Long Beach's lively West End.

Known for its pizza and sports friendly atmosphere, Borrelli's has been serving residents of East Meadow since 1955. Its new sister restaurant, Borrelli's Taproom, opened earlier this month in the Beech Street space that used to house The Beach House. The bar's logo features Borrelli's signature cartoon chef wearing a Hawaiian shirt and holding a draft beer. 

With its black tablecloths and dark lighting, the dining room looks more like a bar. On a recent evening, the space was rocking a high-decibel soundtrack of Foo Fighters and early 2000s rock bands. A tap list on the wall advertised 15 draft beers, a mix of local craft selections and domestic lagers. The Pixy Stix ($8.25) from Bright Eye Beer Co. in downtown Long Beach was a highlight, a dry hopped West Coast IPA with a hoppy but crisp flavor. The menu also has a few cocktails and a 14-strong can list with beers from Montauk and Stratford, Connecticut. 

Both the chicken parm ($24) and the polpettine ($22) featured a similar mound of rigatoni pasta in a mild, chunky tomato sauce. The baby meatballs in the latter dish were lovingly tender and lightly savory. 

The space is managed by owner Frank Borrelli's nephew Stephen Carbonaro, the man behind a mobile catering operation (Carbonaro Pizza Co.) that does wood-fired pizza out of a miniature truck. Borrelli's Taproom also plans to make wood-fired pizza out of a sizable dome pizza oven located in the back of the restaurant. But for now, the menu is a mix of old-school Italian appetizer plates, salads, three varieties of Parm and pasta dishes.

Borrelli's Tap Room, 912 W. Beech St., Long Beach. borrellistaproom.com

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.