November 2, 2009

Porto Vivo Restaurant in Huntington

by Christine Gerani

In the lively town of Huntington comes a new restaurant with all the right flavors.  In only a few months Porto Vivo hails as the new hot spot in town. I was pleasantly surprised as soon as I walked into Porto Vivo of the restaurants size and warmth.  This is a multi level room with a woodsy yet contemporary feel.  Sexy yet cozy, Porto Vivo will capture the hearts of many diners around the island with its oversized booths, fireplace and immense wine cellar. The bar is on a level all its own with plenty of seating and a lounge area.  The music is jazzy which helps give the restaurant a New York City vibe.  The best part of the experience is the food.  Celebrity Chef Steven Lecchi [Chef for Jennifer Lopez and Marc Anthony] cooks up bold flavors and delivers delicious art.  Try the Colorado Rack of Lamb, it was perfectly cooked and the Rigatoni stuffed with braised lamb shank will melt in your mouth.  Don’t forget it’s Long Island Restaurant Week! Great time to try this amazing restaurant!

We chatted with Chef Steven about the restaurant, the menu and growing up cooking!

Christine – Your mom is from Northern Italy, and you were born in Brooklyn, tell us about your early days in the kitchen with your family?

Chef Steven – Our house revolved around the kitchen. My mother was always in the kitchen cooking. She ran hotels in Rimini before she met my father.  My father went to St. Johns University and then from there he went to medical school in Bologna and that’s where he met my mother.  His parents are also both from Italy.  I’m a 100% Italian.

Christine – Any brothers and sisters in the household?

Chef Steven – I have two sisters and a brother.  My family loved to entertain and make people happy. Our house was the party house.  Everybody always came over for lunch, dinner.

Christine – How old were you when you started cooking?

Chef Steven – As soon as I was tall enough to crank the pasta machine I was rolling the pasta out!  We used to make homemade tortellini, gnocchi and lasagna, everything from scratch.  We had great holiday parties at the house.

Christine – You probably had a full house when there was a party or holiday?

Chef Steven – On a major big party my mom would do about 180.

Christine – At home? You must have had some house!

Chef Steven – Yup, it was nice.

Christine – You’ve worked at some incredible restaurants including your mom’s restaurant Reba in Great Neck, Lespinasse St. Regis Hotel, and Basilico in the Hamptons. What made you decide to actually become a Chef?

Chef Steven – I used to spend a lot of my summers in Italy. When we very young, my Mom ran seasonal hotels in Milano, Marittima on the Adriatic Coast. Growing up I was in the kitchen with her and running around the hotel.  I just always had a love for the restaurant, I didn’t know if I wanted to be the Chef or the actual cook, which is a lot more difficult.  I always had a great passion for it, just a love for it. Luckily I developed a palette at a very young age.  As I got more into it and more mature I just fell in love with it.  It’s who I am.  It’s what I do.

Christine – In 2006 you were the Private Chef for Jennifer Lopez and Marc Anthony. What was their favorite meal that you would cook for them?

Chef Steven – They loved my mascarpone polenta, wild mushrooms with a port wine demi-glace.

Christine – Tell us about the cuisine and menu at Porto Vivo.

Chef Steven – We try to appeal to everybody and it’s priced very well.  We use top quality products.  We try to do nice clean lines, nothing over the top.  Bold flavors but we keep it simple and authentic.

Christine – What is your favorite dish on the menu?

Chef Steven – The Osso Bucco is pretty amazing.  The Roast Rack of Colorado Lamb is very nice and that’s with stuffed rigatoni with braised lamb shank.  It also has a warm goat cheese fondue.

Christine – Chef if you can give us one piece of advice for the home cook about cooking pasta, what would that be?

Chef Steven – To definitely salt the water so it’s very salty, otherwise the pasta will have no flavor. Absolutely do not overcook it.  The water must be boiling when you put it in.  Do not rinse the pasta because then the sauce will not adhere to the pasta, plus you lose the color and the flavor.

Christine – When you’re not cooking what do you like to do?

Chef Steven – I like to play with my son Christian and take him out for the day!

Porto Vivo LLC

www.porto-vivo.com

7 Gerard St
Huntington, NY 11743-2706
(631) 385-8486

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2. long island interviews 2009
3. chef marc anthony bynum
4. chef heather west
5. meet danny gagnon