Tocolo Cantina opens in Glen Cove

It’s been eight years since Lloyd Rosenman and his partners opened the modern Mexican restaurant Tocolo Cantina in a shopping center on a busy stretch of Old Country Road in Garden City. For his second act, Rosenman went in an entirely different direction: Downtown Glen Cove. Tocolo 2.0 takes up residence in Village Square, the new luxury apartment building that is a cornerstone of the city’s hoped-for renaissance, and it is a big, beautiful affair with multiple stylish dining rooms, a lively bar and outdoor seating. 

“Glen Cove is on the upswing,” said Rosenman, who is sole owner of the new venue. Besides Village Square, the city has two other splashy apartment developments, Fairfield Metro, a few blocks south on Hendrick Ave., and the waterfront rentals and condominiums at Garvies Point, a mile away.

“There are tons of people in these apartments,” he noted. "We also have a number of customers on Old Country Road who are closer to Glen Cove and can’t wait to avoid the traffic.”

Rosenman’s Garden City chef, Ramiro Hernandez, has moved to the new location, having handed the day-to-day kitchen operations to his sous chef. His menu includes all the classics — guacamole, tacos (including carnitas, grilled fish, tempura avocado and birria), burritos, enchiladas, fajitas, quesadillas — plus some less traditional dishes such as Mexican Cobb salad, loaded fries with melted Chihuahua cheese and chorizo, salmon “Yucateco” with mangos and hot peppers, and Negra Modelo-braised short ribs on corn polenta.

Tocolo Cantina, 120 Village Square, Glen Cove, 516-222-0060, tocolocantina.com. Open Sunday-Thursday noon to 9 p.m., Friday-Saturday noon-10:30 p.m.