20 Years On, Grasso’s Keeps Swinging
/By The Foodies
Never mind Throwback Thursday – at Grasso’s in Cold Spring Harbor, it’s all about Throwback Sunday as they mark a major milestone and celebrate a yearlong birthday party.
Every Sunday since January, owner Gail Grasso and her crew have been celebrating the 20th anniversary of the iconic Cold Spring Harbor dining destination, known as much for its exquisite fare as its artistic inclinations – tableside Bananas Foster and live jazz? Yes, please!
From 3:30-8:30 p.m. on Sundays, they’re partying like it’s 1994, bringing back signature dishes – and even better, prices – from the first year they were open. You can bring your own wine, too; they’ll waive the corkage fee.
It all got started when Grasso and her parents bought the former Cold Spring Harbor Café and laid the foundation of what Grasso’s is today, a swinging spot on Main Street where music, art and food meld effortlessly and tapping your toe and dancing in your chair at the dinner table is not only acceptable, but good manners.
Gail Grasso, pictured with chef Tony Canales, has turned her 20th anniversary in Cold Spring Harbor into a yearlong, Sunday evening birthday bash with a throwback menu and throwback prices to boot.
Now on Sundays, you’ll get a look back at Grasso’s roots as Trattoria Grasso, when the menu had a much stronger Italian influence than its current New American makeup. Start with oven-roasted grilled zucchini and gorgonzola ($5.95); oven-roasted eggplant ($5.95) with diced fresh tomato basil, garlic and extra-virgin olive oil; or grilled Portobello mushrooms with goat cheese (also $5.95). Little Neck clams ($7.95) are available posillipo, oreganata and casino style.
Pasta choices, all $13.95, include Sabiatta, Ki Ki, pesto marinara, fusilli and farfalle marinara. Add $2 for orecchiette and linguine clam; or add $2 to any dish to substitute linguine. There’s also a fine array of risotto to be had, as well as a variety of chicken ($15.95) and veal ($17.95) entrees to please any palate. There’s also the Filet of Sole Costa Azura ($17.95.)
And as has always been the case at Grasso’s, live entertainment remains an integral part of the successful formula. If you’re looking to dine earlier, check out the Jazz Brunch on Sundays from 11:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m., and drink a toast to another 20 years for one of Cold Spring Harbor’s true treasures.
Grasso’s
134 Main St., Cold Spring Harbor
631-367-6060
Atmosphere: Subtle, swinging, sophisticated
Cuisine: New American; special 1994 Trattoria Grasso menu on Sundays
Hours: Lunch – Mon-Sat, noon-3:30 p.m.; Dinner – Mon-Sat 4 p.m.-close; Sunday 3-9 p.m.; Jazz brunch – 11:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m. on Sundays.
