Lunch Review: Lusardi's

Benny, behind Lusardi's bar

(August 23, 2002) Lusardi's, a family-owned restaurant on Palmer Avenue in Larchmont, has been serving fine Italian food to appreciative Westchester diners for over seven years. Usually packed at dinner, the restaurant is inexplicably underused at lunchtime, so the Gazette's hardy and self-sacrificing reviewer and companion decided to fill a couple of chairs.

The cool late August afternoon made an al fresco lunch seem just the thing, so we happily sat at one of the small tables on the Palmer Avenue sidewalk. Benny, our charming waiter, rattled off a luscious-sounding raft of specials, and he was equally charming when we called him back to recite them again. Are we the only Larchmont diners who have senior moments at menu time? Perhaps it's not elegant, but a printed list of specials, or even a portable blackboard, would be helpful, especially in restaurants with substantial lists of dishes in foreign languages.

The grilled prawns, in a light butter and white wine sauce with canellini beans, were meaty and cooked just right. The tongue was surprised at intervals by the sweet punch of a tiny chunk of chutney. The chef was having fun with this dish, and so did we.

Zuppa di Cozze, or mussels in a spicy tomato sauce, is from the regular lunch menu. Perfectly steamed, the mussles swim in a tangy, light tomato sauce.

Lusardi's chef has a light touch with fish and seafood, true to the restaurant's Northern Italian focus. Sea bass in a mild lemon/butter/white wine sauce was delicate and flavorful, graced with scallops and shrimp, resting on wafer-thin slices of potato. Lunch main dishes are as large as dinner portions, so beware if you don't have a large appetite.

A veal dish from the regular menu, Battuta al Gorgonzola, was underwhelming. The paillard of veal, topped with fresh arugula and drizzled with a light Gorgonzola sauce, was dry and flavorless. The sauteed green beans, fat and juicy, were much more satisfying.

If you go to Lusardi's, you must try the heavenly flourless chocolate cake. More a dense mousse/brownie, it's enough to make an Atkins dieter fall off the wagon.

Several gelati were on offer. The hazelnut, creamy and tasting faintly of mocha, hid crisp nut pieces amid the frozen delight.

Maitre-d' Frank, part of Lusardi's well-trained dining room staff, said the restaurant's management prides itself on running a tight ship. "We try to stay on top of things," he said. "We see something not quite right, we take care of it." Lusardi's eponymous sister restaurant has been going strong on Manhattan's Upper East Side for 20 years. A third sister has joined the family: Moscato Ristorante on Scarsdale Avenue in Scarsdale.