Closed in Oceanside: Prova

Prova in Oceanside has closed. The charming Italian restaurant, situated off the main thoroughfares, on Davison Avenue, first opened as Cinelli’s but changed its name to Prova two years ago.

Reviewed under its original appellation, the place received a two-and-a-half star rating in 2011. The review praised chef-owner Franco Abballe’s “passion for authentic Italian cuisine” and his repertoire of  imported “pastas, meats and cheeses rarely found at suburban Italian restaurants.” A specialty of his was the piadina, or piada, a flatbread sandwich popular in the Emilia-Romagna region of Italy. One I remember well was filled with speck (smoked prosciutto), caciotta al tartufo (truffle-infused sheep- and cow's-milk cheese), roasted peppers and spring greens. Another had Prosciutto di Parma, roasted peppers, artichokes, fresh mozzarella and arugula. I don’t know if I will see its like on Long Island anytime soon.