Louis Neglia never planned on running a restaurant, let alone two original brands across Long Island.
But after the 2008 mortgage crash wiped out his banking career, he and his cousin Anthony St. George took a leap into food.
And they have never looked back.
“We grew up in a big Italian family from Brooklyn,” Neglia said. “All our memories were about food, laughing, fighting — it was chaos, but beautiful chaos. That passion never left us.”
Today, that passion is behind Tony & Luigi’s, a rustic Italian restaurant in Merrick that’s been turning heads since opening in February 2024. And this summer, Neglia and his team officially rebranded their original Merrick café, formerly a La Bottega, into a new concept called Loutonys, ushering in a whole new era for the hamlet.
How it happened
Neglia and St. George first entered the restaurant world in 2010 with their first La Bottega franchise spot in Syosset. Over 15 years, they expanded with more locations in Merrick and East Meadow, learning the business from inside-out.
But they wanted more freedom.
“There were things we wanted to do, from different ingredients to new ideas, but we couldn’t,” Neglia said.
So when the storefront next to their Merrick café opened during COVID, they jumped on it.
It wasn’t easy. The space needed major renovations. The landlord sold the building. The town threw up hurdles. And they got tangled in a legal battle with the franchise.
But by February 2024, after more than three years of fighting to bring their dream to life, Tony & Luigi’s finally opened.
And in April 2024, they closed their East Meadow shop after completing a 10-year lease, officially ending their time with La Bottega.
Last month, their reimagined Loutonys concept took its place in Merrick.
The Syosset La Bottega location was sold in July, freeing them to focus on their two homegrown brands — and to start dreaming even bigger.
“We’re finally free,” Neglia said. “And we’re heading east next.”
If you go
Tony & Luigi’s is all about attention to detail.
Every item on the menu is built around high-quality, often imported ingredients — like the four-ingredient pizza dough that takes 72 hours to rise using a traditional Biga method, Neglia said. That means no bleach, no bromates, just flour, water, yeast and Sicilian sea salt.
“Our pizza grows outside your stomach,” Neglia joked. “It’s light, it’s real. It’s how it’s meant to be.”
There’s also wild king salmon (never farm-raised), Dutch milk-fed veal chops, organic eggs and chicken, homemade focaccia and sauces cooked with the love of an Italian grandma.
One house favorite is the Sunday Meat Sauce — made with ribs, pork sausage, and meatballs using a family recipe.
It’s only available Sundays, and always sells out, Neglia said.
Other standout dishes include:
- Roman-style fire-roasted artichokes
- A “new age” Caesar salad served in a parmesan cheese bowl with avocado and cashews
- Chicken entrees that are baked, not fried
- House-made dressings and croutons
- Wood-fired pannuzzos with fresh-baked bread from their 800-degree oven
On the bar side, cocktails are crafted with the same level of care. The Margarita uses fresh agave instead of Triple Sec. The Old Fashioned swaps in Demerara syrup. Seasonal specials rotate to highlight fresh flavors.
“We never cheap out,” Neglia said. “Our bartender has a background in pastry school. [And that means chemistry!] She obsesses over the smallest details.”
Tony & Luigi’s doesn’t take phone orders, and takeout is limited to ensure the in-house vibe stays strong.
“We wanted to create a real dining experience,” Neglia said. “Phones and distractions ruin that. We want you to feel like family.”
At the brand-new Loutonys, guests can expect a more casual café-style menu with salad bowls, paninis, piadinas and house-made focaccia sandwiches. The team plans to grow both brands across Long Island, starting with a second Tony & Luigi’s location that they’re hoping to open later next year farther east on Long Island.
“Money never motivated us,” said Neglia. “We just want to put out the best food with the best ingredients and treat everyone — from the dishwasher to the chef — like family.”
Top: Cousins Anthony St. George and Louis Neglia outside their new Loutonys at 2010 Merrick Road in Merrick. (courtesy photo)
