Trattoria L'incontro 21-76 31st Street (Off Ditmars Boulevard) Astoria + 718-721-3532

I t's been eight years since Trattoria L'incontro opened on 31st Street in Astoria, and still there is always something new and exciting to try, whether you visit on a weeknight or weekend. Owner and Executive Chef Rocco Sacramone

pushes the envelope each and every day by creating

unique and inventive dishes from the finest ingredients available. His patrons, many of whom are regular customers, trust that Sacramone will bring them an eye-dazzling, palate-pleasing dish with wonderful combinations of flavors and textures, and they're never disappointed. In fact, many folks don't even consult the menu. The expert staff, led by manager and maitre'd Vincent Vizati, tends to the guests in the spacious dining rooms as if they were family. Everyone is made to feel welcome here.

Sit back and relax with a bottle of wine from Trattoria L'incontro's temperature-controlled cabinets. Prices for the extensive list of vintages start at just $20 and the wines come from all over the world. The woodburning oven renders incredibly crisp, tender pizza as well as warm flat bread, which is brought to your table, along with a tapenade of savory sun-dried tomato to spread on top. The extensive menu offers more than enough choices in appetizers, pastas, meat and fish entrees. One of my favorite appetizers is the grilled escarole with buttery white beans drizzled with extra virgin olive oil and fresh rosemary ($9.95). Plenty of

fresh mussels are steamed in either a delicate tomato sauce or white wine, leaving delectable juices for dipping ($12.95). Pulpo alla brace, grilled, marinated octopus, is impossibly tender.

Our waiter described at least 20 special salads, appetizers, pasta dishes and entrees, all of which made deciding difficult. These creative specials come from Sacramone, who is inspired by the fresh ingredients he receives each day. The rest of the magic comes from his imagination and years of cooking experience. One example is the paper-thin slices of raw yellowtail tuna topped with a chiffonade of greens and sesame oil. While this tender fish melts on the tongue, the real surprise comes from a round of foie gras underneath. Ocean fresh blue marlin is wrapped around vegetables unexpected in a typical Italian restaurant for a sushi style roll. There is nothing typical at Trattoria L'incontro. Even classic dishes such as lasagna and spaghetti alla chitarra use house made, fresh pasta and the spaghetti is topped by polpette (meatballs) made according to a recipe handed down from Sacramone's mom. Classic veal, chicken and eggplant parmigiana are given new life by using the finest ingredients and delicate seasonings.

If you're seeking a new culinary experience, you'll never be disappointed at Trattoria L'incontro. Some of the

specials offered on the evening we visited included appetizers such as fresh beet salad topped with frisee greens and ricotta salata, buttery buffalo mozzarella with cherry tomatoes and watercress and house made chicken and escarole soup. Fresh pappardelle pasta was lightly dressed with a rich veal and tomato sauce cooked for hours to fully develop the intense flavors. A favorite dish here is a bundle of tagliarini (angel hair) pasta with peas, pancetta and a touch of cream, gently wrapped in thinly sliced prosciutto for a touch of drama.

Fresh fish is brought in daily and only the finest is selected for each day's menu.

Australian striped bass fillet is

sautéed with lemon, white wine and capers. Black sea bass is steamed in a light tomato sauce with mussels and clams. Flaky white tuna is encrusted with sesame seeds and finished with a light sauce of balsamic vinegar and Asian pears for a unique combination of flavors and textures.

Stuffed veal chop with prosciutto, spinach and fontina cheese is tender and juicy. The grilled quail is accompanied by pomegranate sauce. Next time, I'll have to try the grilled breast of duck with its red wine reduction. Sacramone is always eager to offer something new and different, including rich game meats. Medallions from a loin of farm-raised elk served on a

pomegranate reduction were rich in flavor and forktender. Ostrich medallions are equally as tender and Kobe pork scalloppine is prepared in much the same way as tender veal cutlets.

Sacramone constantly shuttles back and forth between the dining room and the kitchen, which comprise the two worlds of the restaurant business. One minute, he's chatting at a table with customers or passing around piping hot pizza with gorgonzola and pears for all to taste. The next minute, he has disappeared into the kitchen where he has personally prepared a pasta dish with shrimp topped with a sauce made with rabbit and scented with a touch of fresh mint. Impossible? Not when he does it. Best of all, he makes it look so easy and really, really loves what he does.

Sacramone is opening a new wine and cheese bar in April, just next door on Ditmars Boulevard and accessible from the restaurant. Sixty fine wines will be offered by the glass, along with an array of artisanal cheeses and warm herb bread from the brick oven. You're invited to join us there for the opening. A private party room holds 35 people, making it ideal for showers, birthdays and business events.

A meal at Trattoria L'incontro is a unique and memorable experience. The food defies description, the staff and service are excellent, and live background music plays each night. Congratulations to Trattoria L'incontro for eight delicious, memorable years. The restaurant is open six days a week for lunch and dinner, closed Mondays. Don't forget to look for the opening of the new wine bar in April. Tanti Auguri, Trattoria L'incontro.