Generation gaps still exist. In areas such as fine dining, there is a delicate struggle between the time honored practices and new techniques. Striving for originally in a world that has seen just about everything, can be quite a daunting task. The question is, does one conform or create? At Venere in Westbury, older traditions of dining might not be totally gone, but they have evolved. “Dressing up for dinner” is now more of a choice than a requirement. Older recipes our parents or grandparents enjoyed are being purposely (gasp!) left off the menu. It is here the worlds of three chefs collide in a restaurant named in honor of artist Botticelli’s The Birth of Venus, one of many famed paintings commissioned during the Italian Renaissance – which of course, was a period of converging schools of thought.
Venere Restaurant was opened by a 21-year-old Angelo Graziosi in 1979. The elder Graziosi is still involved, but his sons Frank and Joe now handle restaurant responsibilities. Both younger Graziosis studied Culinary Arts in North Miami’s Johnson and Wales University. After graduating, Frank worked under the guidance of world renowned celebrity chef Daniel Boulud. Joe refined his skills in Los Angeles and finally returned to the family business full of new ideas. Herein lies the dilemma: Old World culture, mixed with a French techniques, polished off with West Coast flair; that is Venere. Venere is also where the LIB Magazine team enjoyed one our best meals of the year.
Best Appetizers: Butternut Squash Soup and Italian Egg Roll
Our feast began with butternut squash soup accented by a crushed Amaretto biscotti. Rich and decadent, the garnish of Amaretto added an interesting play on flavors that gave this typically French dish had a pleasing Italian twist. After a freshly tossed Caesar salad made with all the right ingredients, we moved onto light appetizers. The Clams Oreganata and Spicy Calamari were good, but the OMG moment was when we bit into the Italian Egg roll. I have never had anything this good in my life! What is an Italian Egg roll? It is a Chinese-styled egg roll stuffed with pork sausage made in house, pepperoni and ricotta cheese. This is, quite simply, Italian soul food at it’s best!
Appetizers Clams Oreganata, calamari and Italian style egg rolls.
The Comfort of Meatballs
Let’s move onto the entrées: Braciole aka, comfort food served over cavatelli. Braciole is comfort food The American classic meatballs at Venere have reached superstar status; it was fantastic. The above are classic dishes made in the same fashion my mother would have.
New World Entree Tasting
One might ask, “What’s so new about Braised Short Rib?” Try it slow cooked for 5 hours in red wine over butternut squash. Amazing! I didn’t even use a knife; the ribs pulled apart lushly with a fork. As it melted in my mouth, I tasted the complexities of the merlot reduction. Once again, Italian foods with a French flair. Everything here was prepared carefully; every taste accounted for.
The theme of old versus new applies to Venere’s service as well. All servers wore the same classic black and white attire, but their inquiries were conversational. They didn’t ask the normal “Did everything come out OK?,” they asked “Did you try the [new world dish]yet?” It goes to show that when old versus new ideas clash.. everybody wins! The cuisine at Venere is as perfect as the Botticelli painting it is named for. The restaurant also offers catering and has ample space for large parties with convenient parking.
Venere Restaurant is located at 841 Carman Ave in Westbury, right off the Wantagh Parkway and minutes away from Roosevelt Field Mall. For more information, visit VenereRestaurant.com
John Milovcic is a writer and photographer with LIB Magazine. He received his B.S. from Long Island University, C.W. Post, in Management and Finance. John has been a weekly contributor for LIB Magazine since February of 2013. His “man on the street” approach to covering events does bring the reader backstage with him. Under John’s belt is a completed screenplay and novel along with a range of poetry. He is the founder of Drunk Philosopher Photography and can be reached at 1drunkphilosopher@gmail.com.
