BY SHEILA LEVY
Gourmet dining has come to Great Neck at Station Grill.
Located just down the block from Station Plaza, the grill has turned a small corner of the neighborhood into a Manhattan-style oasis. Alex Levine is the owner, and as a genuine host to his guests, all of the details are important to him, including a beautifully decorated dining room filled with many shimmering lights.
Levine spent a great deal of time searching for the right chef for his dream restaurant. Having a great passion for food and novella cuisine, he was amazed at the skills and backgrounds of Milton Enriquez, a champion of Food Network’s “Chopped” competitive cooking competition in 2012.
Enriquez’s journey over the last 20 years has taken him to many great Manhattan restaurants from Arizona 206, to the Royalton, to Eleven Madison Park, to the Compass, where he graduated to executive chef. Working with him is an excellent staff dedicated to providing first-class service to their customers, who return again and again.
The menu is wide and comes in three different versions. The lounge menu is perfect if you are looking to have drinks and a quick bite. There are seven wonderful items on the menu ranging from BBQ brisket sandwich and homemade smoked paprika potato chips ($8) to a chopped vegetable salad with white balsamic vinaigrette and Maytag blue cheese that’s beyond words ($8). Other chicken salads and burgers are available.
The prix-fixe menu offers three wonderful courses for $27.95 per person. One of the appetizers was an outstanding rustic rotelle pasta with zucchini, yellow squash, olive tapenade and fresh mozzarella. For a main course, I had the grilled prime flat-iron steak with roasted bliss potatoes, spinach and bell peppers, served with red wine. Complementing it all was a delicious buttermilk panna cotta with blueberry compote and candied pecans.
Then there’s the main menu, and there are only so many flavorful choices that can be printed in this column. Be sure to try some of the highlight items such as the exotic mushroom tartlet with truffled ricotta cheese, a petite herb salad and red bell pepper coulis ($10); dry diver scallops featuring Israeli couscous, melted leeks, mascarpone cheese and a fennel curry madras emulsion ($29); and Atlantic salmon with beluga lentils and fondue snow peas with tomato confit ($22).
Served before dinner were cheddar and chive biscuits, old-fashioned cornbread with a honey and butter dip. It does not get better than this.
The wine selection is very special; Alex truly knows his wine and has the knowledge and passion needed to gather a full list of terrific wines.
Enjoy your visit to the Station Grill — you will no doubt be happy with the trip.
Station Grill
20 South Station Plaza, Great Neck
516-482-3652
Open Tuesday through Sunday 6 to 10 p.m.
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