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Fried calamari cooked "Lucca style" with broccoli rabe at Joey's Bold Flavors...

Fried calamari cooked "Lucca style" with broccoli rabe at Joey's Bold Flavors in Oceanside. Credit: Newsday/Andi Berlin

Joey's Bold Flavors may be the ultimate Long Island restaurant: Billy Joel is on the speakers as proprietor Joseph "Joey" Bonacore roams the room in his kitchen apron and servers rush from the bar with martinis. 

For the past 16 years, the Long Beach Road spot was known to locals as Brasserie Persil, but the French bistro closed in September after its owner cited challenges with running a high-end concept in the neighborhood. Joey's opened in October. The homey space has an old-school New York Italian vibe with wood paneling and menu is full of approachable standards like rock shrimp tempura and chicken Milanese.

The restaurant signals a return for Bonacore, a restaurateur who was behind former Oceanside hangouts Lawson Pub and Sole before decamping to Massapequa Park in 2015 to run Bacaro Italian Tavern. He still lives nearby in Oceanside and was having dinner at Brasserie Persil with his daughter one evening when he said the owner asked if he was interested in buying it. He named the restaurant after his son, Joey. 

"If you notice the prices on the menu, they're very reasonable," Bonacore said. "The price point and the quality are my biggest thing." 

Fried calamari is a must at a place like this, and here it's offered "Lucca style" which means the squid is tossed with slivers of red onions and vibrant green pieces of broccoli rabe ($16). Bonacore said he got the recipe years back from an "old-school Italian" chef in Miami. If you're one who appreciates vegetables, this is a game-changer. The bitter rabe is a fresh contrast to the crispy calamari rings, giving the dish well-rounded appeal. 

"Lobster, Lobster" at Joey's Bold Flavors in Oceanside with lobster...

"Lobster, Lobster" at Joey's Bold Flavors in Oceanside with lobster ravioli and a 4-ounce lobster tail. Credit: Newsday/Andi Berlin

Fresh pasta comes from the local outfit, Dolce Amore, and the selection includes dishes like Beggar's Purse moneybags in a vodka sauce with prosciutto and asparagus ($24). The "Lobster, Lobster" is a nice move if you're watching your carbs, as half the plate consists of a perfectly roasted Canadian lobster tail sitting atop its shell, alongside a smattering of striped lobster raviolis. Delish. 

The entrée section branches out from Italian-American classics with dishes like ginger teriyaki-glazed salmon ($30), Calabrese ribs ($30) and Lawson's Pub Style Filet Mignon Tidbits ($29). But the Parms are where it's at. A $38 veal Parmesan is beautifully rendered and tastefully plated with just enough of that zingy sweet tomato sauce and melted mozzarella. Its bone sticks out above the mound of julienned zucchini "linguine," which is snappy and fresh. It's difficult to imagine a better version of this beloved New York dish, whose bold but perfectly executed flavors live up to the restaurant's name.

Joey's Bold Flavors, 2825 Long Beach Rd., Oceanside, 516-992-1742, joeysboldflavors.com. Open 4 p.m. to 10 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday, closed Mondays. Private events on Saturday and Sunday afternoons.

 
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