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For nearly 40 years, Agostino’s Ristorante in Brooklyn maintained a loyal following for its soul-satisfying Italian fare. That restaurant held court from 1978 until 2016, when the Gallo family sold the business to a new operator.
Now, Joe Gallo is reviving the family legacy. The restaurateur already was in the process of opening Agostino’s Bistro & Pub in Avon and Parma Heights when he stumbled upon a space in Little Italy that was too good to pass up. Gallo said that while dining in that neighborhood, he saw a sign in the window of the Salted Dough space, which recently closed after about two years in business.
“I’ve always loved it down here and I always wanted to have a restaurant in Little Italy,” says Gallo. “Even when I had Ridge Road I always kept looking to see if I could find a spot. It was just sheer luck.”
As it happens, the Little Italy space (12308 Mayfield Rd.) will be the first of the three to open. That should happen sometime next month. Gallo is building a bar, which will bring the occupancy to about 110 diners, with room for more on the patio. Diners can look forward to many of the classic Italian dishes that attracted so many to the Brooklyn location.
“I’m bringing back some of the stuff that we had back in the `80s and `90s that I don’t see many places doing,” he explains.
One of those dishes is the “famous calamari” starring flash-fried wild-caught squid with marinara sauce. Also coming out of retirement are the stuffed middle neck clams oreganata and clams Giuseppe, which are sauteed in garlic, olive oil, white wine and butter.
There will be plenty of fresh pasta dishes, chicken and veal parm, chicken and veal Marsala, fresh seafood and meats. Gallo says that every single ingredient in the kitchen will be organic.
Looking ahead, Gallo says that the Avon location on Lake Road will open in late-summer while the Parma Heights location at Southland Shopping Center is on pace for a late-fall, early-winter opening.
The Little Italy location will be open for lunch and dinner Friday through Monday and dinner only Tuesday through Thursday.
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