The Village of Roslyn Board of Trustees approved a new farm-to-table restaurant for Old Northern Boulevard and advanced changes to the village’s snow removal law aimed at easing winter parking problems on Tuesday.

During its Feb. 17 meeting, the board heard from Pasquale Abbatiello, chef and owner of the proposed Griffon Restaurant, which plans to open at 1512 & 1514 Old Northern Blvd., the former site of Limani Mezze.

Abbatiello told trustees the restaurant will be a “contemporary American” concept, emphasizing seasonal, locally sourced ingredients and elevated brunch offerings. He said the restaurant will operate seven days a week from noon to 10 p.m.

Explaining why Roslyn is an ideal location for that approach,Abbatiellopointed to Long Island’s agricultural resources.

“There are a lot of farms. You can buy milk in Riverhead. You can get local ingredients from the North Fork,” he said. “There’s plenty of farms around here where you can find those things. So those are the things that I want to bring to the restaurant — kind of use what’s available, what’s fresh.”

The eatery is expected to employ about 20 people, with roughly 10 working at a time. Abbatiello said the total seating capacity would be 94, including bar seating — a reduction from the prior configuration at the location. Abbatiello said this is because the tables will be larger than normal for extra comfort.

“We want to put out a great experience,” he said. “We don’t necessarily want people walking into a packed restaurant.”

A Long Island native, Abbatiello said he previously oversaw multiple restaurants in Westchester County and is returning closer to home after the recent birth of his twin children. He said he aims to create an owner-operated establishment where guests regularly see both the chef and the front-of-house partner on-site.

“Now that I have a family, I want to be close to home,” he said. “This opportunity came up over here in Roslyn, and I felt like it was the right time.”

Mayor John Durkin said primary concerns centered on parking and traffic flow in the area, particularly given ongoing congestion issues in the municipal lot serving the building.

Source: LI Press