Sopranos’ Vito cooking at Il Luogo, Lynbrook
Joseph R. Gannascoli, aka Vito Spatafore on "The Sopranos," is interviewed at his home in East Rockaway. (March 31, 2006) Credit: AP
Il Luogo is a promising new restaurant that took over the Lynbrook space once occupied by Paul Anthony’s. The ambitious menu, from executive chef Marco Jara, blends Italian flavors with inventive platings. On Tuesday nights, there’s another draw: Actor Joe Gannascoli is in the kitchen.
Gannascoli is best known for playing the ill-fated gay mobster Vito Spatafore on HBO's “The Sopranos,” but the actor (and East Rockaway resident) is also an accomplished chef. Tuesday he’s making a salmon cake as an appetizer and, for entrees, grilled chicken with roasted peppers and asparagus over fettuccine and a “chicken” calzone where a chicken breast stands in for pizza dough and is stuffed with mushrooms, prosciutto, ricotta and mozzarella.
Dinner prices at Il Luogo are in the $12 range for starters, $18 to $25 for pastas, $20 to $33 for mains. The lunch menu is simpler and less expensive, with mains topping out at $14 and a three-course prix fixe for $15.99.
