FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT WWW.QNS.COM JUNE 14, 2018 • BUZZ • THE QUEENS COURIER 79
dining out
Living it up at Vivo! of Bayside
BY PEARL ADLER
Th ere’s nothing like dining al fresco
under a moonlit sky at Vivo!
Mediterranean Grill of Bayside. Th ey
had opened its romantic and comfortable
outdoor dining terrace. With the full
moon lighting our table, my guests and I
enjoyed a meal under the stars.
Vivo!, located in the historic former
mansion of Rudolph Valentino, is
reimagined from past ownership from
Café on the Green to Valentino’s and
then Vivaldi. Vivo’s owners are experienced
passionate people: Paul Nicaj, his
wife Sonya and their partner are all experienced
restaurant entrepreneurs.
When they took over the management
of the beautiful mansion, they invested
heavily in improving the exterior and
interior of the property; the result is a
warm, intimate and elegant environment
for all to enjoy.
Vivo! has trained a dedicated service
staff , and retained the best people from
the previous owner, to assure a warm
welcome for all patrons at the restaurant,
which features a huge parking lot on the
perimeter of the Clearview Golf Course.
We were a group of four people and
we began our meal sampling each other's
courses. Although the chef has added
new items to the menu, I’m happy to
report that the grilled octopus Modo
Milo is still available and now comes
with crispy fi ngerling potatoes in a garlic
sauce. Delicious and tender.
Th ere were a selection of Vivo! sliders,
and I sampled each: the crab with red cabbage
slaw, then the short rib served with
sweet onion marmalade in a horseradish
cream. It was a beautiful blend of fl avors.
Last we had the angus beef slider prepared
with Vermont sharp cheddar served with
house-made pickles. Th ere is a large selection
of other appetizers to choose from.
For those diners craving pizza or just
appetizers, it is prepared in multiple ways.
We shared a Mediterranean salad off ering
deep red vine ripened tomatoes,
cucumbers, bell peppers, pepperoni and
stuff ed grape leaves with chunks of feta
cheese. Perfect! Th ere are seven other salads
to choose from.
Th e entree options include fl avorful
pastas, meats and fi sh.
I decided to order my favorite Chicken
Scarpariello with spiced local sausages,
pickled red peppers, and fi ngerling potatoes
with a garden herb demiglacé. It was
as good as any I ever had.
My guests had the fi let mignon cooked
perfectly to order, and presented with garlic
mashed potatoes with crisp watercress.
Th e Scottish wild caught king salmon
served on Adriatic-spiced orzo with sautéed
garlic spring beans an cooked to my
medium rare order, it fell off my fork.
Tender and tasty.
Th ere are 10 diff erent pastas served and
we chose the Eggplant Parmesan presented
in a cast iron skillet. It was the best I’ve
ever had.
No meal is complete without dessert
and here we had four to share from the
multiple choices available. Th ey did not
disappoint. We fi nished off a perfect evening
with classic cheesecake and homemade
bread pudding, made with white
and dark chocolate and a caramel-fl avored
brioche. A mouthwatering, fl ourless
chocolate cake was a scrumptious
ending to a delightful meal. For the faint
of heart, there are also fresh-cut fruits
available.
Visit Vivo’s and you’ll love it, too.
Vivo! Mediterranean
Grill & Catering
201-10 Cross Island Pkwy., Bayside
718-352-2300, vivobayside.com
Open Tuesdays through Saturdays for
dinner and Sundays for brunch
Music every Th ursday night