Restaurant Review: La Tavola Trattoria

I was driving around Sayville on a Monday night, trying to make a decision on where I wanted to eat. My intentions were to sit outside so you can imagine my disappointment when it began to rain. Luckily I remembered seeing outdoor seating under a deck at La Tavola and decided to check it out.

We sat outside and our server was very professional, friendly and knowledgeable. The manager and food runner were attentive and personable as well.

My favorite aspect of La Tavola is the menu selection. Although they have a variety of traditional Italian dishes, everything seemed to be prepared with an authentic spin. There were so many items that sounded delicious. I will definitely have to go back to try the seared sea scallops with butternut squash risotto ($26), and the sweet & spicy sausage pizza with tomatoes, onions, roasted red peppers, and mozzarella ($13).

While I was there, my boyfriend Tom and I shared the meat and cheese combination platter ($20) which was set with three cheeses; la tur, Pecorino and goat cheese as well as three meats; soppressata, genoa and prosciutto. Since I was in the mood for a little bit of everything, I chose the hot antipasti appetizer for 2 ($20) as my entrée which included eggplant rollatini, baked whole clams, meatballs, long stemmed artichokes and fried rice balls with fennel sausage and provolone cheese. Tom had the filet mignon with gorgonzola, wild mushroom chianti sauce and garlic mashed potatoes ($29). The steak was cooked to perfection and the presentation of all the dishes was lovely. I did find that my dinner was slightly salty for my taste, but that did not stop me from devouring all of it. For dessert we split the homemade panna cotta with raspberry drizzle ($6) –an absolute perfect light dessert for summer. 

Overall, La Tavola is a wonderful addition to Sayville's restaurant community. It is a great place for a romantic dinner for two or large groups alike. They are extremely accommodating and provide a comfortable atmosphere any one would enjoy.

La Tavola is open for lunch and dinner daily and offers in-house and off premise options for private events.  Happy hour is from 4 to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday and Saturday from 9:30 p.m. to 12 a.m. Brunch is offered on Sundays from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Call 750-6900 for reservations.