Although Matteo's four locations are spread across four cities and two states, they share a common mission: to bring Italy, piece by piece, ingredient by ingredient, to US diners. While the Roslyn Heights restaurant was originally one of the company's more casual outposts when it opened in 1992, it has since become a date-night hotspot. That's thanks to the renovations it underwent in 2014, when it added a rustic stone fireplace, geometric light fixtures suspended from coffered ceilings, and plush wraparound booths.

“It was time for a change,” Gennaro Sbarro, who bought Matteo’s in 2008, told Newsday. “This concept has been around for 25 years and we wanted it to evolve into something fresh.” And that's not the only fresh element at the eatery. Read on to learn about the refined Northern and Southern Italian food gracing the eatery's menu.

Sample Menu

• Crudo: Diners can whet their appetites with succulent, thin slices of salmon carpaccio, garnished with tomatoes, avocados, and a cilantro-lime vinaigrette.
• Pasta: The linguine pescatore's medley of shrimp, clams, mussels, and calamari in pomodoro sauce is among diners' favorites.
• Classico: All the menu items come in hearty portions, and the chicken Matteo is no different, pairing tender cuts with sausage, peppers, broccoli, and potatoes.