Give your summer nights an Italian flair at Concettina, a Southern Italian restaurant nestled in the heart of Whitestone.
The restaurant, located at 160-24 Willets Point Blvd., Whitestone, has been part of the Northeast Queens community since it first opened its doors in 2018, providing authentic Italian cuisine with a focus on seafood, homemade pastas, and recipes that have been in the family for generations.
The cozy space is owned by Alberto Cadolini and his wife, Mary Alice. They first sought to bring a taste of the Amalfi Coast and southern Italy to the area, including a focus on high-quality and authentic cuisine that they felt was lacking. The space has become a hub for incredible food and attention to detail inspired by Alberto’s experiences growing up in Sorrento and his experiences in the kitchen.
While the menu periodically has seasonal changes, their Southern Italian roots make the space a perfect place to go to on a warm summer night, to indulge in seafood dishes and handmade pasta, which are light and easy to enjoy in the midst of hot days.
“The fact that the menu is based on Southern Italian cuisine means it’s a lot of fish,” said Alberto. “And based on where I come from, the menu has a lot of things like clam sauce, seafood, shrimp, all types of pasta, octopus, mussels, so the menu is naturally very summery.”
The hidden gem has earned a reputation for bringing a taste of Italy right to Queens. The dishes offer a trip to the Amalfi Coast minus the long plane ride, with a focus on experiencing every ingredient in the dishes, enjoying a meal with family and friends, and truly indulging in the moment. Whether customers are novices at authentic dishes or are rediscovering a meal just like back home, for born and raised Italians who visit the space.
Every day, Alberto wakes up early and personally picks out seafood, meat, poultry, and other ingredients to make everything fresh from scratch. Some of their most popular dishes include truffle pasta, along with fresh handmade pasta dishes like gnocchi Verdi and black squid ink spaghetti with shrimp. The authentic dishes pair perfectly with a refreshing cocktail like an Aperol spritz or can simply be paired with a great glass of wine.
The restaurant offers an array of specials throughout the week, including Wine down Wednesdays, featuring 50% off all bottles of wine and buy one glass, get one free, homemade lasagna night on Thursdays, crab cakes with homemade tartar sauce on Friday, veal chop for two with two sides on Saturdays, authentic spaghetti carbonara and 20% off truffle pasta on Sundays.
For dessert, the restaurant offers an assortment of delicious dishes, from tiramisu to cold treats like gelato or affogato, and something refreshing like gelato al limoncello.
According to Mary Alice, customers’ only regret about dining at the space is that they wish they’d found it sooner. The space often becomes a favorite place to return to with friends and family to share their discovery of the restaurant.
Whether guests are looking for a spot to enjoy dinner or have drinks and appetizers, Concettina provides the perfect place to unwind and indulge in authentic Italian cuisine.
Concettina is open Wednesday and Thursday from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m., Friday and Saturday from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m., and Sunday from 5-9 p.m. Visit the restaurant’s website to make a reservation or learn more.
