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Think football and chicken parmesan sliders.
Or, if you can picture it, think football and empanada calzones.
While we’re at it, think football and a signature beef blend burger topped with fresh mozzarella, arugula and prosciutto on a brioche bun — alongside rosemary olive oil fries.
Welcome to what might be Long Island’s only Italian sports bar.
Welcome to Allegro Bar & Grille, now open at 157 Hempstead Ave. in West Hempstead.
“You get a fine dining experience, but the menu is still that small bite and casual feel,” owner and West Hempstead native Frank De Lorenzo told Greater Long Island. “It’s a blend between the two worlds of casual and fine dining.”
Or, the new world meets the Old Country. De Lorenzo not only brings his Italian heritage to his new restaurant, but 10 years’ worth of experience as a bar consultant.
That means you’ll be sipping curated cocktails, if you like, during the big game.
Click here for the cocktail menu.
Photos from Allegro Bar & Grille
If you indeed clicked, you also might have noticed the wide array of espresso martinis available at Allegro.
“We have the largest selection of espresso martinis on the Island,” De Lorenzo said.
That includes eight regular selections, including the classic, hazelnut, mint chip, and more.
As for old-meets-new, the Italian egg rolls and empanada calzones might be the perfect example. The empanada shells are stuffed with ricotta cheese. The egg rolls are stuffed with broccoli rabe and sausage.
De Lorenzo opened Allegro in September, and to fanfare. We’re talking a 5-star Google rating from 44 diners already.
If you go
The owner highly recommends the Allegro Burger, as described above.
The focus here is on sports combined with a fine dining experience at a moderate price for customers. Everything is made freshly and in-house each day, De Lorenzo says, and the quality of the food is a point of emphasis for ownership.
Allegro also offers a variety of flatbreads, salads and other small bites. And, if you were wondering, pictured above is a martini sampler — a Tini Tree, where you could try three different 3-ounce espresso martinis at once.
Allegro opens at 4 p.m. on weekdays for dinner. On weekends, it opens at noon and keeps late-night hours. Click here for the full menu.
Follow the journey
— photo courtesy of Allegro Bar & Grille on Facebook
