• Located in the heart of Garden City, Novita Wine Bar Trattoria is the first of its kind on Long Island with 100 Global Wines by the glass served from a state of the art wine preservation system. The system is digitally temperature controlled and is the largest on the East Coast. So come in and enjoy the most unique wine and dine experience. Novita's kitchen serves lunch, dinner and late night dining.
• "Sleek and sharp, Novita seems part send-up, part serious in its evocation of Eurochic. Chef Ed Davis' Italian dishes are full-flavored and satisfying. Look for the swordfish "chop" atop polenta, saltimbocca made with monkfish, rigatoni in a vivid ragout, bucatini alla carbonara, rack of lamb, and addictive zeppoles." - Peter M. Gianotti, Newsday
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Not impressed. The sea bass was bland and the lobster risotto was very 'fishy' smelling. A la vodka was OK but a bit spicy. The fried artichokes had no flavor.
Atmosphere
Way too loud!!
Service
The waiter and the service was the only good thing about the dinner!
Value
Wines are very expensive. The entrees were also pricey.
Overall
Would not go back!
Janie and Charlie
5/9/2008
Food
I have had several appetizers there. The salads are fresh and plentiful. Their mussels with fried artichokes make your mouth water and want to come back. The Peasant Chicken with white beans are excellent. Don't order the meats...unless you are really hungry or are sharing.
Atmosphere
The decor is fun as is the wine bar. You can wait for friends at the high bistro tables and people watch or just enjoy conversation. If you are looking for a quiet place here, go during the week. Weekends are fun and loud but quiet enough to hear your own table's conversation.
Service
Obviously during the week it is quieter so the service is great. During weekends, although busy, you do get the wait staff's attention. They are busy so don't expect them to be at your elbow. You are not ignored though. Joe, one of the owners always is around to chat. Drinks are brought immediately and the wines are great. Seghesio is our favorite (by the bottle) and it is moderately priced.
Value
Great value for the portions served and the drinks are comparable to other restaurants. They are tasty, so in my opinion are great.
Overall
You do need to make reservations for the weekend. Wish I could say it was horrible so no one else would go there and I could make reservations at any time. Fun place and the food is yummy.
Jean
1/27/2008
Food
The fried calamari were overcooked and dry. The Buffalo mozzarella appetizer was served hot (spicy) and not described as such. The pasta portions for a full price menu were appetizer portions. $24 for pasta, the least expensive item in the world, and they could not even provide a full portion for an average male. The osso buco was reheated and the taste was just OK. The waitress told us that the appetizer was Nutella Crème Brulee. I did not even get a hint of the Nutella but there was Nocciola, which is a different flavor. They do not even know what they are serving.
Forget the wine list. Not one bottle was under $40 and they were trying to push off an $8 bottle as a quality wine. I am willing to pay a premium for food that deserves it, but here you pay the premium and the quality is just not there. PS - What's with the paper bag for the bread? Also, the olive oil used for dipping was of a very, very poor quality. They could have given me Mazola and it would not have been much different. They really should not cut corners on this or maybe it was just noticeable to me. But I do know my food.
Atmosphere
Loud. Too loud for the price. Acoustics are rarely done properly in restaurants.
Service
Staff was OK, but very inexperienced. I really do not appreciate having the wait staff come to my table with a wet bar mop and wipe down my table twice during the course of my meal (between the appetizer/main course and again between the main course/coffee) because the owners are too cheap to use table cloths and good linen. Additionally while wiping down my table, the wait staff constantly was lifting up my water glass. Please leave your germ filled hands off my serving utensils while I am at dinner.
Value
A little pricey, but that is not the issue. The issue is the quality of the food, value, service and atmosphere for the money. Definitely not there.
Overall
I might go there if a guest suggests it, but there are plenty of better place on L.I. and this is definitely not one of them.
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