Stunning, elegant and sophisticated.
Those are just a few of the adjectives Jim Metzger uses to describe the fine dining establishments in the ever-evolving Limani Hospitality Group.
No matter the restaurant — whether it’s Limani in Washington, D.C., the Limani Grille or their latest venture, Carpaccio — the strategy is the same, says Metzger, founder and chairman of The Whitmore Agency, which provides Limani Hospitality Group’s risk management and insurance needs: “To deliver the extraordinary dining experiences they are known for, their investments in people, facilities, and product must be significant and smart.”
After sitting atop a steadily growing empire of Mediterranean fare, Limani Hospitality Group’s partners decided to branch out to Italian fare with Carpaccio at Walt Whitman Shops in Huntington Station, which celebrates its one-year anniversary this fall.
“We wanted to have another venture,” says Franco Sukaj, general manager and partner of the restaurant group.
To ensure their new venture’s success, Sukaj brought along Chef Massimiliano Francucci, a native of the Amalfi coast isle of Capri, who had previously worked at the restaurant group’s modern upscale steakhouse Prime 1024 in Roslyn, to now focus on regional Italian specialties, with nods to Italian American, Continental and New American cuisine.
In Carpaccio’s tasteful modern rustic setting with soaring ceilings and abundant decorative tiles, Francucci serves up the namesake carpaccio – traditionally razor-thin raw beef – in three varieties: beef, salmon and yellowfin tuna.
Additional raw bar offerings are tuna or salmon tartare and oysters.
An assortment of antipasti includes perfectly grilled octopus, coconut shrimp with spicy orange marmalade, a platter of artisanal cheese and salumi, and burrata with prosciutto, roasted peppers and fresh tomato.
Regional entrees include vitello saltimbocca (veal with provolone, prosciutto and spinach), mushroom risotto, and pappardelle al ragu. Fans of American-style Italian fare can choose from spaghetti and meatballs, chicken Parmesan, and penne alla vodka.
Continental offerings include steak Diane served with truffle fries and filet mignon Fellini (pan-seared with peppercorn sauce) and the New American dishes of lobster mac -n- cheese and balsamic-soy-glazed yellowfin tuna.
Pasta dishes include red gnocchi di carpaccio (with creamy pesto, pine nuts and buffalo ricotta cheese) linguine alle vongole (Manila clams with white wine and garlic) and linguine del selvaggio (with wild mushrooms, spinach, sun-dried tomatoes and fresh mozzarella).
There’s an assortment of pizzas – from margherita to robiola tartufo (with black truffle) – all of which can be ordered with a cauliflower or gluten-free crust or with vegan cheese.
You’ll also find a few classic Limani standards, like the zucchini fritti — fried zucchini and eggplant with mozzarella and tzatziki.
Limani Hospitality Group’s other restaurants include the flagship Limani on Northern Boulevard in Roslyn, which opened in 2008; Limani New York, right in the heart of Rockefeller Center; and outposts in Washington, D.C.; Charlotte, North Carolina; and in Boston’s Chestnut Hill area.
All the Limani restaurants share the same menu, which specializes in beautifully presented Mediterranean fare that evokes the authentic flavors of the Greek islands, with a focus on fresh fish and seafood, vegetables, and first-pressed, cold-pressed Kalamata olive oil.
Fish and seafood specialties include calamari stuffed with feta, manouri and kefalograviera cheese, Dover sole from Holland, organic Scottish salmon, sashimi-grade big-eye tuna, and Nova Scotia lobster and carabineros.
For landlubbers, there are Colorado grilled lamb chops, a 26-ounce bone-in ribeye and the Limani burger, with caramelized onions, sautéed mushrooms, bacon and white cheddar.
Knowledgeable staff are on hand to help patrons pair their meals with an extensive choice of libations, from a wide selection of Greek, American and French wines or Limani’s ever-inventive craft cocktails.
The restaurant group’s 8,000-square-foot Limani Grille in Commack, which opened December 2021, offers much of the LImani menu and a few more grilled options, and Limani Taverna in Woodbury, which opened in May 2022 under the direction of Executive Chef Peter Spyropoulos, formerly of Le Cirque and Bouley, adds more mezze to its menu.
As Metzger observes, in every one of its restaurants, Limani hits all the right notes by steadfastly sticking to the basics.
“Their mission statement says it all,” Metzger says: “Our philosophy is simple: Food should be authentic, delicious, and shared with good company.”
