Trullo D'Oro closes in Hicksville
Trullo D’Oro owners Maria and Gino Giannuzzi at their Hicksville restaurant in 2019. Credit: Yvonne Albinowski
Ten years after they opened Trullo D’Oro, Gino and Maria Giannuzzi served their last meal on Christmas Eve.
"We sold the property," Maria said. "But we didn’t close the deal until Dec. 26. We just didn’t want to say anything in case the deal fell through."
Both in their 70s, the Giannuzzis' tenure at this Hicksville address dates back to 1985 when they converted "an old gin joint" into La Caravella. That restaurant closed in 2003 and was succeeded by Capriccio, La Primavera and Nubon Sushi & Grill, all of which rented the space. Not that the Giannuzzis were resting on La Caravella’s laurels: During that period, they also established Caffe Donatello in Plainview and Villa Parma in Syosset.
In a sea of samey-samey Italian American eateries, Trullo D’Oro stood out for its dedication to the foods and wines of the Giannuzzis' native Puglia. ("Trullo" refers to the distinctive conical-roofed home that is the signature building of that region that occupies the heel of Italy's boot.) Gino’s kitchen specialized in two great Pugliese pastas, hybrid shapes that are made by hand like the fresh pastas of the north, but from hard semolina wheat and no eggs, like the macaroni of the south. Orecchiette ("little ears") were served here with meatballs. Larger, more elongated strascinate came with the very traditional Pugliese duo of broccoli rabe and sausage.
Traditional Pugliese pasta strascinate with broccoli rabe and sausage at Trullo D'Oro in Hicksville. Credit: Yvonne Albinowski
Many meals began with panzerottini, diminutive fried calzones stuffed with mozzarella and tomato, and were accompanied by Primitivo, the great, big red of Puglia made with a relative of the zinfandel grape. (If you’ve got a yen for Pugliese cuisine in the wake of Trullo d’Oro’s closure, head to La Nonna Bella in Garden City whose chef-owner, Lino De Vivo is, like Gino, from the town of Conversano.)
Maria is looking forward to kicking back a little in retirement. "I’m going to enjoy the friends and family I’ve abandoned over the years — if they are still speaking to me," she said.
Gino may have a tougher time slowing down. "He’s still going to do private catering, we are still producing and importing olive oil from Puglia," Maria said. "And we are planning to open a B&B in a renovated trullo in Putignano."
