Anthony Cucinella brings family history, tradition to Lindenhurst wine bar

For Pino Wine Bar & Bistro in Lindenhurst, it’s all about hometown pride.

And family tradition.

Owner Anthony Cucinella was born and raised in Lindenhurst and grew up in a family that owned several Italian restaurants on Long Island over the years.

The Cucinella family at one point or another operated Joe’s Pizza in Plainview, Bono’s Pizza in Lindenhurst and Valentino’s Pizza in Bay Shore, all through which Anthony Cucinella gained his love of food and the restaurant business.

Along the way he learned these words to live by, work wise:

“If you wouldn’t serve it to your family and friends, why would you serve it in your restaurant?”

And he’s applied it to Pino Wine Bar & Bistro, which is much more than just a wine bar.

This is a full-blown restaurant, which opened in the fall.

Everything that Cucinella puts out is fresh, he told Greater Long Island, and he takes great pride in that. Take the Pino Wine Bar’s quesadillas, for which he makes his own four-cheese blend from scratch.

“When people eat something and tell me it’s the best they’ve ever had, I take great pride in that,” he said.

The charcuterie boards are also a customer favorite at Pino Wine Bar & Bistro.

They are all fresh and cut to order.

Naturally, still being a wine bar, Pino’s offers an extensive list of wine options. But there’s a full liquor license papered to the wall, and 14 specialty cocktails on hand. That includes the Lindy Express Martini, and a killer Old Fashioned.

Cucinella also emphasizes the quality of liquor used in the cocktails.

When asked what made him choose Lindenhurst, he asked simply:

“Why not Lindenhurst?”

In his mind, his hometown is good enough to rival any neighboring downtown area, and he wanted to further enhance it with Pino Wine Bar & Bistro.

“What makes a village grow is customers bouncing from place to place,” he said. “It’s going to make business better for all of us.”

The restaurant is named after his late father, Pino. The family thought it was the perfect way to honor him — and it’s a play on the pinot grape varietal, fitting for a bar that specializes in wine.

If you go

Pino Wine Bar & Bistro is open from Wednesday to Sunday, offering a DJ on Friday and Saturday nights and live entertainment on Sundays.

The address is 143 N. Wellwood Avenue, a block north of Hoffman Ave.

More photos

---

Top: Pino Wine Bar & Bistro owner Anthony Cucinella was born and raised in Lindenhurst, and grew up in a family that owned several Italian restaurants on Long Island. (Credit: Nick Esposito)