Pietro's in Roslyn closes less than a year after replacing The Jolly Fisherman
Chicken Parm at Pietro's in Roslyn. Credit: Stephanie Foley
When The Jolly Fisherman closed in June 2023 after 66 years, Roslyn was abuzz with the news that Pietro’s of Manhattan was coming to town. The new restaurant opened a quick six months later, in November — yet on Saturday night, Pietro’s in Roslyn quietly served its final meal.
Founded in Manhattan in 1932 by Italian brothers Pietro, Natale and Luigi Donini, in 1992, Pietro’s was bought by Bill Bruckman Sr., who has stewarded it with his sons, Bill Jr. and David. Bill Jr. oversaw the Roslyn location; David ran the restaurant on East 43rd St., which also shuttered earlier this year.
During the Roslyn opening, Bill Jr. said the family had been thinking about a Long Island location for years. "It’s a natural for us," he said at the time. "Our client base in the city is at least 50% from Long Island."
In an effort to appease locals who bemoaned The Jolly Fisherman's closure, the Bruckmans’ renovation left the wood-paneled bar virtually unchanged. The menu, which mimicked the Manhattan menu with Italian American classics (baked clams, Caesar salad, linguine with clam sauce, chicken or veal Parmesan) plus signature dishes like pasta shells a la Nat, coated with a rich bone-marrow sauce, and chicken Pietro, smothered in onions, peppers and mushrooms — wasn’t met with the same reception.
Reached by phone, Bruckman Jr. confirmed the closing and said he's looking for a new city location and will "hopefully open up again before the new year."
A global freelancer who has checked her suitcase to raise her young daughter on her native Long Island, Marie Elena will always make time for good mezcal, even better tacos and killer conversation. Preferably, in a corner bar seat. She can be found on Instagram at @mariesworldeats.
