LA PALA, Bistro, Pizza

Sharpening our knives, making the cut.

 Fitzgerald, Hemingway, and many other writers honed their skills by leaving their home land, in order to enjoy a better perspective. Visiting family on Long Island, provided me an opportunity to focus on perspective and what I really valued in a restaurant experience.

 Bob and Anne Marie told us about this very fine restaurant they had discovered recently in Glen Cove.

 Glen Cove, a very small city on New York’s Long Island’s North Store, was established to house the many servants and staff needed on the great estates of the roaring twenties, F. Scott’s Fitzgerald’s “gold coast.” It is, even now, surrounded by villages of great wealth, some even with a minimum zoning of five acres.  

 My challenge, what were the odds of finding a fair comparison so close to New York, comparable in intent and comparable in price.

Then I met La Pala, a newly opened restaurant that by ordinary predictors would seem doomed to a very short life span: very small, only 50 seats inside; not on a main street -- not even on a street; limited parking; tucked below ground under a many storied office building; and begun by two men in the construction business, neither of whom could cook.

The evening we visited was dreadfully cold, especially to our southern sensibilities. We drove down a dark snow sided alley emerging under a many storied building’s backside. How could such an out-of-the-way place succeed?

 However.

When we opened the door, our cheery host met us with a warm smile; Rick became both our waiter and bartender.  The glowing coals from the open brick pizza oven warmed our souls and eventually even our hands.  Rick seated us, and then professionally assessed whether we wanted an in-the-shadows waiter, or an active player in the fun of our dinner.  We, of course, invited him to participate – and what a joy, great recommendations, great attention to detail, and great fun.

At the table, I noticed that the china was thin, the glasses resembled fine thin crystal. Could “thinness” be an indicator of quality? It sure made the dining experience more worthwhile.  Clunky plates remind me of college dining.  Not bad, but not great either.

Our Long Island family had been there before, Rick knew from experience that Bob would be bringing wine from his own collection. For me, far less interested in fruit of the vine, the ambiance sung martini.  My problem: could I trust our waiter/bartender. When I tentatively wondered out loud about whether to order a martini, Rick replied, “Good choice, I also drink martinis.  In fact when I go out, I always ask the bartender what he drinks, unless he says martini, I keep to scotch.” He and I were martini brothers; we discussed the virtues of the seven different gins stocked in his bar. He even had me pre-taste his specially ordered olives. The martini glass itself was light and delicate, no clunkers here, with a 4.5” diameter, filled to the rim; New York does not suffer under the post-prohibition laws of North Carolina that allow only a few ounces to each pour. Later he brought out a few cocktail onions for me to try, delicious.  Here was a craftsman.  Later he brought me a sample of his Sable and Rosenfeld Tipsy Onions, I may even have a Gibson next time.

Deduction:

Standard one: attention to detail, evidenced here by La Pala’s special onions and olives, thin glasses, and delicate china.  Thinness.

Standard Two: the ambiance, rich but not fussy. Welcome without out homey.

Standard three: highly professional staff. Rick served us well, his recommendations were on target, his observations were fun, and he knew when to proceed, and, even more importantly, when to recede.

Standard Four: a well-stocked bar overseen by a knowledgeable tender.

The delicious bread was homemade. Even on a Thursday night, the tables were filled, mostly with older groups, but also a few young couples seemingly on dates.

Standard Five: the clientele, those who appreciate quality over quantity.

Standard Six: fun breads, homemade, different and tasty.

The owners hired very exceptional people and let them do their jobs. They kept the standard of quality high, and the price as low as possible.

 Standard Seven: a desire to deliver quality. Not limiting the service to the level of the clumsiest dishwasher.

Standard Eight: reasonably priced.

I was impressed with the range of offerings, all Mediterranean in origin, mostly Italian. The food pairings were unusual, and unusually good.  How many restaurants in Raleigh offer this range in quantity or types of food?

16 appetizers ($9 -- $14) e.g. calamari, octopus, sliders, lamb chops and ceviche.

   6 salads ($7 -- $9) e.g. spinach, pear, arugula and fennel.
27 main courses ($8 -- $33) small and large plates e.g. black linguini, paella, sea bass, blackened
            chicken, pork belly, lobster, burgers, stuffed salmon, and eggplant.
  9 individual pizzas ($9 -- $12) cooked in a brick oven.

Standard Nine: the range of food, unusual choices alongside old favorites well executed

Standard Ten: do only what you do best, and no more than the kitchen can easily handle.

 Hopefully La Pala’s great advantages (a sophisticated clientele pampered by expert staff; excellent word of mouth advertising, delightful range of menu, excellently cooked; and reasonably priced) will overcome its disadvantages (poor location, limited parking, and no curb appeal).

 Using a restaurant outside of Raleigh to distil my criteria has the advantage of not setting any single local establishment up as the be all and end all, though when I think of how our own fine dining opportunities match up, three immediately come to mind: Holly’s On Hargett, Irregardless, and Bloomsbury Bistro.

For my friends in Manhattan, get away from the noisy streets and take the train to Glen Cove; for those already on Long Island by all means try La Pala to see if you agree with my assessment. 

 For those of you in Raleigh, let me know what restaurants you feel meet these criteria.

 

La Pala Restaurant, located at 246 Glen St, Glen Cove, NY 11542, (516) 399-2255
          https://www.facebook.com/lapalaglencove?rf=1524241887815265
          Two blocks from the Glen Street Station on the Oyster Bay MTA Line.