JUNE 2018 • LONGISLANDPRESS.COM 61
STEAKS, SUSHI AND TRATTORIA
By JEFF and VERA WURST
An experience to behold is dining
at Monsoon in the former Bank of
Babylon building, run by the trendy
Bohlsen Restaurant Group, renown
ed for restaurants such as Prime,
Tellers, and Verace.
Monsoon’s Manager, Doug
Riley, oversees an enthusiastic
staff serving creative, tasty and
attractively presented food. The
eco-friendly modern elegant décor
includes a mezzanine overlooking
the action. The lighting and music
form a cool setting featuring a lively
bar as you enter.
Chef Jack Grace devised a distinct
Asian-influenced menu with sushi,
sashimi, rolls, dim sum, dumplings,
steamed buns, and more. Monsoon
is also known for its steaks. The
notion is that dishes should be
shared.
We chose an exciting specialty roll,
the Japanese Cowboy, made with
Wagyu beef, lobster, and avocado
with dips of eel sauce and yuzu
mayo. We also enjoyed a sushisashimi
sampler, finishing our
small-plate tasting. We rounded off
our small plate tasting with crab
cakes that were crabby, not bready.
The heart of our experience was
steak and duck. The New York strip
steak was superb — aged 21 days and
served perfectly rare, harmonizing
with a duo of crispy shrimp and
lobster wontons and accompanied
by a subtly dressed watercress salad.
The Peking duck, made in a special
roasting oven, was moist inside and
crispy outside, served with steamed
buns, thinly sliced cucumber,
scallions, and hoisin sauce. We
ordered a side of wok-charred
mushrooms popping with crispy
shallots. Wines are on tap or by the
bottle.
The signature dessert, the Tempura
Fried Oreos, has a chocolate dipping
sauce supplemented with powdered
chili.
A meal often leaves you thinking
about the best part. This time, we
had a conflict because each dish was
as terrific as the other.
Monsoon: Steak & Sushi, 48 Deer
Park Ave., Babylon, 631-587-4400,
monsoonny.com. 5-11 p.m. Mon. to
Thurs, 4 p.m.-2 a.m. Fri. and Sat.,
4-9 p.m. Sunday.
DA GIGI TRATTORIA
& BAR
Many homemade pasta
manufacturers deliver to restaurants
serving “fresh” pasta, but they
cannot compare with the freshness
of the few that serve pasta made on
premises, or pasta fatta in casa.
We recently discovered Da Gigi in
Lynbrook, whose fresh homemade
pasta is the real deal. This destination
restaurant is not easy to find, which
may be why it has been Lynbrook’s
best-kept secret — until now.
The evening started with
complimentary pesto bruschetta
with thinly sliced pepperoni to
tempt our palate as we perused the
menu. Although not extensive, the
wine list includes a nice selection
priced from $25 to $85 per bottle,
with each also available by the
glass. We went right to the top and
enjoyed a Brunello di Montalcino.
Our granddaughter was with us, so
we had the opportunity to sample
even more than usual.
We started with polpettine al
sugo, a remarkable casserole of
tiny veal meatballs dancing in a
light tomato sauce garnished with
melted Auricchio cheese — our
granddaughter’s favorite. The polpo
alla Siciliana (grilled octopus),
served over shaved fennel, was
presented with orange slices. The
burrata Pugliese is a soft mozzarella
escorted by zucchini flowers, baby
spinach and roasted peppers.
On a subsequent visit, we tried the
salumi e formaggi, selecting from a
choice of eight cured meats and eight
cheeses. Strongly recommended for
a Tuscan dining experience.
We love tuna tartare, which was
a special. Chef Will Merget says
he cuts tuna to order, then dices
and mixes it for the tartare. The
freshness was apparent.
We shared three wonderful pastas:
the bigoli al torchio al ragu anatra
(duck tomato ragu), trofie al pesto
and the special, squid ink black
capellini served with seafood.
Trofie is our favorite pasta, native
to Liguria, the Italian Riviera. From
Genoa east it is served with potatoes
and fagiolini (string beans). Da Gigi
adopts the western version of pasta
and pesto, no additions.
The trifle we are accustomed to is
rolled like a mini-crescent roll. Da
Gigi’s was made in a pasta pressing
machine and appeared much like a
fusilli. It was tasty with structure,
like fresh pasta should be. Buono!
The brasato di bue alla piemontese,
braised boneless short rib in red
wine sauce, was a reminder of our
Torino dinners.
Dessert was homemade tiramisu,
well worth the calories.
Da Gigi Trattoria, 174 Merrick
Rd., Lynbrook, 516-599-0298,
ptwelvecatering.com. 5-10 p.m.
Wednesday through Saturday. 11
a.m.-10 p.m. Sunday.
Jeff is a practicing attorney. Vera
is a retired schoolteacher. Both
love Long Island food and wine
and are delighted to share their
discoveries with you. Send your
recommendations to lipressfood@
gmail.com
BEST OF THE WURSTS
The New York Strip steak at Monsoon takes
patrons by storm.
Monsoon, housed in the old Bank of Babylon building, stands out from
the crowd on the main drag.