Crime & Safety

Caracalla Restaurant Demolished Tuesday

Syosset restaurant demolished months after fire.

Caracalla Restaurant was demolished over six months after a fire tore through the Syosset eatery.

According to Chamber of Commerce representatives, the demolition took place Monday.

A midnight fire in July all but destroyed the Jericho Turnpike restaurant. 150 firefighters from ten different departments battled the blaze for over 40 minutes before it was brought under control.

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Watch video of the fire here.

The fire was especially challenging because of the summer heat that night, according to Syosset Fire Chief Robert Kaplan.

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"The intense heat of the fire combined with the heat outside meant the firefighters became exhausted quicker than normal," said Kaplan, adding that the many layers of the "older, wooden structure" contained pockets of "hot spots," making the fire harder to completely extinguish.

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Caracalla was formed as a restaurant deeply rooted in Italy. Named after a Roman dictator, the restaurant's kitchen was under the direction of Vincenzo Della Torre, who worked across Europe and North America cultivating his extensive culinary knowledge.

News of the fire upset residents.

"So so sad. one of my FAV restaurants. Wow," wrote reader Erica Shorr.

"Renzo...thanks for the great veal dishes from my past...press on and reopen if you can...great wait staff," said robert lamont.

A plan for a replacement has not yet been confirmed.


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