Italian restaurant Mangia E Bevi opens in Massapequa Park

The sprawling Italian spot Mangia E Bevi on Merrick Road is looking fresh as new nearly a year after the previous eatery, Il Vizio Park, was closed by the health department. 

New owners Michael and Stacy Lessne took over the lease in February and said they spent seven months working on the interior of the building and installing a 400-bottle wine cellar. They're aiming for an upscale experience similar to restaurants they frequent in Miami, where they have their second home. Fancy touches include golden silverware on the tables and a Bentley convertible parked at the entrance. On weekends the music gets louder and the lounge area has more of a nightclub vibe. 

Mangia E Bevi is the couple's first restaurant and it's a family affair. Michael Lessne owns the luxury used car dealership Alpine Motors in Wantagh, where he grew up. Stacy has a background in high-end retail and helped design the modern Italian menu. Their 16-year-old daughter, Jordyn Lessne, works as a hostess.  

"It keeps the family tight and gives everybody a little job," Michael said.

The highlight of the menu so far is the pizza-style flatbreads, which are finished in a rotating stone gas oven in the dining room by a chef brought over from Sicily. The pepperoni and hot honey flatbread ($26) is worth traveling for — its rectangular crust is puffy and light, the tomato sauce rich and fruity, the pepperoni crispy at the edges.

Larger groups can order several appetizers to pass around. The tuna crudo ($29) is a generous portion of raw tuna sashimi with ripe avocados, chunks of citrus and Castelvetrano olives. Even the bread basket is better than average. 

The menu includes imported fresh pastas and meat dishes, including a $65 bone-in veal chop Valdostana smothered in melty mozzarella and brown sauce. Service is warm and friendly throughout the meal, an early sign this could pan out to be a real special-occasion spot. 

Mangia E Bevi, 4857 Merrick Rd., Massapequa Park, 516-804-2400, mangiabeviny.com. Open 4-11 p.m. Monday, closed Tuesday, 4 p.m. to 1 a.m. Thursday through Saturday, 4-10 p.m. Sunday.

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.