Vittorio's Celebrates Wine Spectator Award With Tuesday Wine Dinners

Vittorio's Restaurant and Wine Bar (184 Broadway, Amityville, NY (631) 264-3333 or www.vittorios.biz) celebrates its second Award of Excellence from Wine Spectator, the international wine magazine that awards restaurants with wine lists that offer interesting selections, are appropriate to their cuisine and appeal to a wide range of wine lovers.

The Award of Excellence acknowledges Vittorio's well-chosen selection of wine from quality producers along with a thematic match to the menu in both price and style to the American/Italian cuisine. A strength in Californian wine is noted along with a selection of 165 international wines at moderate prices.

In celebration, every Tuesday Vittorio's offers a $39.95 three course wine dinner - three courses including soup or salad, appetizer and entr�e paired with three glasses of wine. Vittorio's Tuesday wine dinners offer selections from the main menu with appetizers such as grilled portobello & fresh mozzarella tower ($9) and shrimp martini cocktail ($12); and entr�es such Hawaiian lobster tails ($28), sea scallops ($24) and veal saltimbocca ($24). There are restrictions on certain meat dishes with an additional $10 requested for items such as filet mignon ($33) and veal chops ($34), an additional $15 for the porterhouse steak.

Leading wines names one may expect to find at Vittorio's are: California's Artesa, BV, Francis Coppola and Charles Krug; Spain's Casa de la Ermita; Italy's Villa Antinori, Bertani, Ferrari-Carano and Feudi di san Gregoria; Chile's Yelcho and Argentina's Punto Finale; and from New York, upstate's Millbrook and Long Island's Bedell and Pindar.

Vittorio's Restaurant and Wine Bar offers dining with a unique blend of American specialties and classic Italian dishes. Owner Michael Esposito grew up working in his father's pizzeria, located just across the street from Vittorio's in Amityville Village, with dreams of one day starting his own restaurant. On Valentine's Day of 2002, Esposito fulfilled his lifelong dream. In the process of opening Vittorio's, named in honor of his father, he also pioneered the facelift of the Broadway area. He returned a landmark 1880s building, once a pharmacy at the center of the community, to its former prominence. Today, Vittorio's is an established member of Long Island's fine dining community. In 2007, Vittorio's received its second Award of Excellence from Wine Spectator acknowledging its well-chosen selection of wine from quality producers along with a thematic match to the menu in both price and style to the American/Italian cuisine. Strength in Californian wine is noted along with a selection of 165 international wines at moderate prices.