Enology Wine Bar & Bistro in Saint James has a new chef and a new menu. Franco Pollini, a Long Island native who has spent 25 years cooking in New York kitchens, now leads the kitchen at the North Country Road wine bar, and his first fall menu is on now.

"We are celebrating a beautiful Mediterranean restaurant here, a little bit of French, a little bit of Spanish, a little bit of Italian, and all things Long Island."

Chef Franco Pollini

That is how Franco describes the room he is cooking for. "We are trying to present the greatest quality of ingredients here," he says, and the menu reads that way: Prime beef, octopus from Portugal, cheeses and cured meats from across Italy, Spain, France and Portugal, and plates built to sit beside the wine list rather than compete with it.

A Long Island chef, back home

Franco was born and raised on Long Island, a second-generation American. His father is Italian, and his mother's family roots run through South America and the Caribbean. He learned to cook young, beside his Nonna and his Nana, and came back to the kitchen after years of study in both science and art.

Twenty-five years of kitchens

His résumé runs from Huntington to Tribeca. Over 25 years, Franco has cooked at:

  • Four Food Studio in Melville
  • PRIME American Kitchen & Bar in Huntington
  • Yankee Stadium in the Bronx
  • db bistro, for Daniel Boulud, in Manhattan
  • The Grand Banks in Tribeca

Since the pandemic, he has opened projects of his own, most recently Sunset Club at Tappen Beach and Frankie's Table in Commack.

A USDA Prime NY strip taking its grill marks over the flame in the Enology kitchen

The dishes he is proudest of

In a short video introducing himself, Franco walks through the plates that define the new menu.

The whipped ricotta tartine is open-faced, finished with a butternut squash caramel and brown butter chestnuts for the fall. The flatbread comes with figs, honey, fresh herbs, burrata and mozzarella, or in a spicier version with 'nduja.

The octopus comes from Portugal and is roasted on the grill, then served over crushed fingerling potatoes with a smoked paprika aioli and an herb salad.

The steak frites start with a USDA Prime 12-ounce New York strip, grilled to order and sliced, with au poivre sauce and house-cut fries cooked in beef tallow.

The charcuterie board changes with the season. Right now it carries speck and prosciutto di Parma, with Beemster, Grana Padano and a peppercorn pecorino, finished with Marcona almonds.

Au poivre sauce spooned over steak frites at a table in the Enology dining room
Charred octopus over crushed fingerling potatoes with smoked paprika aioli and herb salad
Whipped ricotta tartine with butternut squash caramel and chestnuts
A burrata flatbread on a long plate between wine glasses
The charcuterie board with cured meats, cheeses, Marcona almonds, apricots and cornichons
Sole meunière with capers and herbs over crushed potatoes

The full fall menu

Here is everything on the food menu this fall, as Enology lists it. Current prices are on Enology's menu page.

Plates & shares

  • Caesar: Baby gem, Parmesan, croutons.
  • Winter salad: Castelfranco, frisée, citrus, lemon vinaigrette.
  • Whipped ricotta tartine: Butternut squash caramel, chestnuts.
  • Tartare: USDA Prime beef, capers, shallots, herbs, aioli.
  • Butternut squash soup: Apples, pepitas, extra virgin olive oil.
  • Charred octopus: Crushed fingerling potatoes, smoked paprika aioli, herb salad.
  • Crab cake: Blood orange beurre blanc, herb salad.

For the table

  • Charcuterie: The chef's selection.
  • Dips: Tzatziki, baba ganoush, hummus, pita, pickled vegetables.
  • Flatbread: Burrata, 'nduja and honey, or burrata, figs and honey.

Entrées

  • Burger: 8 oz signature blend, caramelized onions, Brie, dijonnaise, fries.
  • Steak frites: USDA Prime NY strip, fries, au poivre.
  • Pappardelle with lamb ragù: Braised lamb, apricots, olives, Marcona almonds, fresh herbs, olive oil.
  • Sole meunière: Brown butter, lemon, capers, fresh herbs, crushed potatoes.
  • Free-range chicken breast: Chanterelles and wild mushrooms, creamy polenta.

Sweets

  • Autumn crème brûlée: Fall spices, vanilla.
  • Crêpes: Nutella and figs.
Brown butter and capers spooned over sole meunière in the Enology kitchen

The wine list runs from the North Fork to the Old World, poured by the bottle, the glass and the half glass, and the staff will suggest a pour for any plate on the menu.

If you go

Enology Wine Bar & Bistro is at 412 North Country Road in Saint James. Tables can be booked through OpenTable or by calling (631) 517-0277. The full menu is on Enology's website, and Franco's own page, with his introduction video, is here.