Something to Wine About: Spuntino Wine Bar & Italian Tapas
Centrally located in The Gallery at Westbury Plaza, a visit to Spuntino Wine Bar & Italian Tapas means there is no need to travel into the city for world class wine and dining.
When discussing wine with international sommeliers, they will say wine should be the gravy with one’s meal washing over the food in your mouth, enhancing the food’s flavors. They often lament that Americans want to drink wine without food, and that is not what wine is made for.
Letting that argument lie for now, Spuntino Wine Bar & Italian Tapas in Westbury truly knows how to pair wines with food. And because of the excellence, breadth, and depth of their wine selection, the wine bar is celebrating its fourth individual “Best of Award of Excellence” 2-Glass Award from Wine Spectator Magazine. This is a prestigious and rare award to win once, so to win it four times is truly an accomplishment.
Under the watchful eye of general manager Nicole Bartoline, the warmth of manager James Marchignoli, and with the scrumptious food of Chef Paul Leader, Spuntino is celebrating September with a number of delectable events including a Louis Latour wine dinner Thursday, Sept. 22. This is a ticketed event. They are also offering a “Feast San Gennaro” special menu for the entire month of September.
Those accustomed to thinking of Italian food as predominantly heavy will be so pleasantly surprised by the food offered at Spuntino. Leader has an incredibly light touch. For example, arancini elsewhere is often softball sized balls, with the weight of a shot put. However, the delightful arancini at Spuntino are barely larger than a golf ball. They are so exquisitely light, the sauce is heavenly, and they are meat free. One can easily eat six.
The Pork Medallion and Cherry Peppers dish is more than just delicious, it’s lusciously tender and just a bit spicy.
If you think of zeppole as the carnival food you’re forced to endure as you pay another $6 for your child’s third ride down on an oversized slide, forget it. Spuntino’s Chocolate Chip Zeppole are the closest thing to heaven you will ever taste as a dessert.
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