NOVEMBER 2018 • LONGISLANDPRESS.COM 69
SEVENTH STREET CAFE:
PERFECT AUTHENTIC ITALIAN
By PATRICK KELTON
In the heart of idyllic downtown
Garden City’s shopping area, the
much-loved Seventh Street Cafe that
has been serving Long Island’s most
authentic Italian cuisine for a quarter
century is now amid a Renaissance.
Owner Victor Scotto, of Scotto
Brothers hospitality group, personally
took over operation of the
restaurant in December, taking
the reigns from outside management.
Scotto, who is wellknown
for his architectural genius, began
renovations.
He redecorated the European-style
dining room, opting for a lighter,
brighter color scheme, added comfy
booths in one section, and built an
expansive new bar area, made of
beautiful white quartz from Italy.
The private catering room also
received a fresh, new look, featuring
imported Italian ceramic tile
flooring. Scotto also redesigned the
semiprivate room for his new creation:
the 20 Table, a large, square
table, designed to allow large groups
to dine together, with each guest able
to easily see and converse with one
another. This unique offering was
inspired by Scotto’s own family.
“My sister had me tear down a wall
in her house, so she could have one
table large enough to seat her whole
family, which includes 10 grandchildren,”
Victor says. “I thought customers
might also enjoy this same feeling
of closeness and togetherness.”
They certainly do. The 20 Table,
which can actually accommodate up
to 24, has delighted both large families
and corporate clients alike, and
is in near-constant demand.
Scotto’s warm personality
provides a personal
touch in the dining room,
as he is often seen greeting
customers, many
of whom have become
friends, with his infectious
smile and joking
manner. When he is not
in the dining room, he is
taking care of things in
the kitchen.
Scotto has personally
retrained the entire staff
on the finer points of service
and hospitality and
put in place an all-new
management team, including
his cheerful and
gracious partner Brooke,
who works with him as a
Catering Sales Manager.
Scotto also enjoys expert
assistance from his son
and right-hand man, Victor
Scotto Jr., who graduated
at the top of his class
with advanced degrees
in restaurant and hotel
management from the illustrious
Johnson & Wales University, and is
now the General Manager of the family’s
Chateau Briand catering facility
in Carle Place.
To take the already fantastic food
up a notch even higher, Scotto hired
new Executive Chef Saverio Caratozzolo
from the five-star La Terrazza
in Rome. Caratozzolo has created
many unique new dishes, which have
been very well received. His specials
quickly sell out each week, and Taste
& Toast the Town recently named
his grilled Mediterranean octopus
appetizer served over quinoa and
arugula salad the Best Appetizer on
Long Island.
Chef Caratozzolo also began
importing numerous specialty
products from Italy, including burrata
cheese, an uber-fresh soft cheese
making its debut on the menu; the
finest bufala mozzarella; intensely
flavorful, farm-made pecorino
Romano; black truffles from Abruzzo;
nocciola (hazelnut) gelato; and
simple-yet-delicious biscotti, for his
scrumptious homemade tiramisu,
which is a must-try.
“The best way for me to use my knowledge
of food is to work with a person
like Mr. Scotto,” Chef
Caratozzolo says. “We
understand each other.”
New menu items also
now feature many organic
products, and gluten
free dishes are now
available as well. Scotto
also recently began
featuring whole fresh
fish on the daily specials
board, which are flown
in daily and are one of
the most popular new
items.
On a recent visit, our
waiter Fabrizio was our
culinary guide, describing
the mouthwatering
specials. We started out
with the Pumpkin and
Cheese Risotto, made
with organic pumpkin
and imported Pecorino
Romano cheese, followed
by Rigatoni Bolognese,
with a side of Fresh
Ricotta, and Branzino
Mediterraneo — broiled
branzino with kalamata olives, Sicilian
capers, fresh tomato, and roasted potatoes.
How was it? As we concluded our
meal, we heard the gentleman seated
at the table next to us compliment
Mr. Scotto, “The food is outrageous!”
and we both immediately nodded our
heads in emphatic agreement.
Whether trying it for the first time
or returning to try the new menu,
Seventh Street Cafe is one exceptional
restaurant you must experience.
Seventh Street Cafe is located at
126 Seventh St. in Garden City. It
can be reached at 516-747-7575 or
seventhstreetcafe.com
MAIN DISH
Owners Victor and Brooke Scotto.
The 20 Table allows guests to more easily see and
converse with one another.
The Branzino Mediterraneo is a
must-try.
Taste & Toast the Town named Seventh Street Cafe's
grilled octopus Best Appetizer on Long Island 2018.