Bites Nearby: Steve's Piccola Bussola II

You could stand on a corner and look around until a restaurant sign draws you in. But we've got a better idea. Each week, Patch picks a great restaurant either in town or nearby that is worth checking out. Here's this week's choice:

Overview: When you go to Steve’s Piccola Bussola II, you can feel like you’re in Tuscany, Italy.

Decor: The walls are tan, and classic. There is not much on the walls, however there are shelves and organizers that hold bottles of wine to show off to the customers. The tables are fancy with white table cloths, proper seating plates and wine glasses just waiting to be filled.

The Drinks: There are red wines and white wines to compliment any meal you may have. There are also soda’s like Pepsi and Sprite and of course there’s water. The bar can also serve mixed drinks if you order one.

Appetizers: There are genuine Italian appetizers that the restaurant makes which are cooked to perfection.

Some of these are:

• Stuffed Mushrooms
• Fried Mozzarella
• Stuffed Artichokes
• Baked Clams
• Fried Calamari

Entrees: Each entrée is made family style and for two or more people to enjoy. It makes it easier to order if you’re on a date or with your family. You only need to order a few entrée’s to satisfy everyone.

• Rigatoni alla Vodka: This meal is truly Italian. The vodka sauce is homemade and perfectly creamy. It is not spicy or tangy and there is just enough sauce to use for the entire dish. The pasta is cooked al dente and is never mushy. The ridges on the rigatoni catch the vodka sauce and each piece of pasta is coated perfectly. The whole meal, though the sauce is creamy, doesn’t seem heavy or over done. It is a perfect Italian dish for a vegetarian who doesn’t like to eat meat.
• Chicken Parmigiana: The classic Italian chicken meal. The regular sauce that covered the chicken is spicy but just enough to give it a ‘wow’ factor. The pieces of chicken are large and nearly perfectly shaped. It is covered in sauce and then mozzarella cheese which is melted just enough to make it a little toasty. The cheese is stringy so you have to be careful and chew it right, but the chicken is cooked the exact amount of time it should be cooked. It was tender and juicy even without the sauce. It was breaded and fried, however it doesn’t taste fried. It is made with garlic and oregano to give it just a little bit more flavor.  

Sides

Salads:

• Combination Salad
• Chopped Salad
• Caesar Salad
• Tri Color Salad

Desserts: If you want a traditional Italian desert, then this restaurant is where you want to be. They have cannoli’s, napoleon pastries and even come tira-mi-siu. You can order regular ice cream and other types of pastries like you could get in an Italian bakery.

Service: The wait wasn’t too long and the staff is beyond friendly. Though my party was only two people, the waiter had no problem checking back with us to make sure we had enough drinks, napkins, our utensils didn’t fall, and to see how the meal was. Whenever they past us, even if it was to check on another table they would stop and ask if we were okay, or just stop and say hi. They were beyond patient with us and didn’t mind helping to figure out which food we should order since I like one thing and my fiancé likes the other. They assured us that we could take the meals to go if we didn’t finish it all.

Signature Dish: Steve’s Veal Chop Bussola.

Steve’s Piccola Bussola II

Address: 41 Jackson Ave, Syosset

Cost: $$-$$$ (but remember it’s all FAMILY STYLE so everything has more than one serving in the dish itself).