Bites Nearby: Novita Wine Bar and Trattoria in Garden City

Handsomely done up in red, tan and dark brown, with a 50-foot wine bar, a high-table lounge and a dining area with comfortable banquets, Novita is a great place for dinner, a casual meal, a slice of specialty pizza or just a glass of wine.

Thanks to a wine refrigerator designed to store opened bottles of wine without any deterioration from oxidation, Novita offers 100 wines by the glass without any loss of quality or flavor. This allows for interesting possibilities for wine lovers and wine novices.

Instead of ordering a full glass of wine, you can get a three-ounce pour. Novita also provides half-ounce samples. Regulars can rent a wine locker to store their own wine or to buy Novita’s at a discount.

The meal begins with crusty bread to dip into olive oil. A nice complement to the wine are meat and cheese platters. Meat choices include Prosciutto de Parma, sopressata di Calabria, spec and Spanish chorizo; among the cheese choices are brie triple crème and Parmigiano Reggiano. For pasta there’s choices such as spaghetti and meatballs, penne and chicken with mozzarella and tomatoes and cavatelli with sausage and broccoli raab, plus fish, chicken and meat dishes. Portions are hearty. A delicious salad is chicken Milanese—arugula, oven dried tomatoes, cannelini beans, prosciutto de Parma and Parmegiano. Desserts are fun: you can order warm cinnamon-sugar coated zeppoles and tiramisu is served in a jar.

Novita offers a three course prix fixe Sunday through Thursday for $19.95. On Sunday and Monday, diners cans purchase a bottle half off to have with their meal. Other special offerings are flight nights on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesdays where the wine director selects three wines that are within a region or same varietal; Thursday Ladies Night, Thursday wine dinners and wine and cheese tastings.

Pizza from $12 to $15; salads from $11 to $18;pasta from $17 to $21; entrees from $21 to $28; dessert from $8 to $10. Novita serves lunch, dinner, late night and Saturday and Sunday brunch.

Novita

860 Franklin Avenue

Garden City

516-739-7660