Trattoria L'Incontro

……the king of Queens

Believe it or not, you can leave the Manhattan city limits and find incredible places to eat. One such gem is Tratottia L’Incontro, which is conveniently located in Astoria, Queens one block away from the N, W Ditmar’s Boulevard stop. L’Incontro has all the warmth of a traditional, family-style Italian restaurant as well as all the bells and whistles that go along with fine dining. The atmosphere was loud and vibrant and the paintings on the walls reminded me of my travels along the northern coasts of Italy. Even more impressive, was that the servers were extremely well trained and even wear ear pieces in order to hear last minute changes to the menu directly from the executive chef (Rocco).

A well known tradition of L’Incontro is the number of specials the waiter lists each and every night (which apparently rarely ever changes but they still continue to do it). First, the waiter listed over 20 appetizer specials in addition to regular menu; my head was starting to spin. Then, he got to the entrees. I lost count, but I think he topped 30, not including the regular dinner menu. This place had everything under the sun (I was in food heaven), and if they didn’t have it our waiter assured us they would do their best to make us whatever we wanted. To me, that is a sign of a great restaurant that will be staying put for a long, long time.

APPETIZERS

Before we even ordered appetizers the waiter brought out Rocco’s famous sun-dried tomato tapenade, consisting of pureed sun dried tomatoes, anchovies and olive oil. Thank god I was with some returning customers of L’Incontro or else I would have filled up even more. This stuff was addicting and they kept bringing more and more each time we downed another bowl of it. We actually had to tell them to stop. Just beware of this and TRY your best not to go overboard.

Ravioli stuffed with veal, filet mignon and sprinkled with crumbled sausage

Welcome meatlovers! This dish is your destiny. Every single bite had a multitude of flavors. First, I tasted the veal and filet mixture, which was so elegantly stuffed inside homemade ravioli. Then, I immediately got the taste of the ground sausage on the outer layer along with the mushroom based sauce.

Homemade Chestnut Pasta with leeks, crumbled sausage and truffle oil

This was a house specialty and came highly recommended by our waiter. We ordered an appetizer portion for each person at the table to have a taste. The pasta was long and flat and had an earthy taste to it which was well complimented by the leeks, cabbage and crumbled sausage that it was accompanied by. This was not a creamy dish but none-the less very rich and delicious. Although I was partial to the Ravioli, I am not sure you could go wrong with any pasta you ordered.

ENTREES

Grouper stuffed with spinach and mascarpone cheese

Rich flavors were present in every bite of this dish. The fish was prepared beautifully; perfectly butterflied, and then stuffed with the spinach and mascarpone mixture. On top, it was sprinkled with bread crumbs which encrusted the fish giving the soft and creamy flavors and a crusty and hard texture. Also, as all of my readers are well aware of my love for spinach, it was one of the deciding factors when ordering this entrée. If you love rich, creamy flavors then I would highly recommend this dish. (This was one of the specials recommended by the waiter)

Black cod encrusted with pistachios

My beautiful date ordered the black cod encrusted with pistachios and served with string beans and potatoes. The fish was soft and flaky and melted in your mouth. In addition, the crust was a delicious combination of nuts and spices and not too overpowering.

Overall, this is one of the best Italian restaurants that I have been to in the NYC area and it rivals any of the top places in Manhattan. It is definitely worth the trip to Astoria. Just remember to pay full attention to the list of specials from the waiter. My ADD kicked in when he got to the entrees so I may have missed out on a few great dishes. Either way, I plan on going back very soon.

	Restaurant Review Rating Scale
			Total Points Available
Food	9		10
Service	8		10
Ambiance	9.5		10
Bang for the Buck	8.5		10
Overall	9		10
	44		50

Neighborhood: Queens/Steinway
2176 31st St
Astoria, NY 11105

(718) 721-3532

www.trattorialincontro.com