Restaurant Review: Il Toscano, A Northern Italian Restaurant in Douglaston, NY

Family-run Il Toscano, in Douglaston, is one of the best restaurants in Queens, New York. You will pay handsomely for the stellar service and absolutely top quality food, but it is worth every penny. Go for a special occasion or at the end of a regular day: Il Toscano will always feel like a celebration. Though this level of excellence demands high prices, the restaurant is a bargain compared to Manhattan restaurants of equal quality.

Lasagna is not a food normally ordered at an expensive Italian restaurant, but Il Toscano treats this classic family dish like no other. A bolognese sauce infuses the noodles, turning it into a hearty, savory dish, nowhere near the floppy or scorched noodles served at countless banquets.

The chefs borrow from other Mediterranean and California cooking, though always with balance and an eye toward Italian flavors. A dinner companion had a Mediterranean dish of delicious perfectly grilled and seasoned shrimp with semolina and vegetables. Another companion lingered over seared tuna that came with a sesame dipping sauce. The tuna was sashimi grade, more akin to steak than a fish fillet.

I concentrated on a rack of small, tender lamb chops, each glazed lightly with mustard, the pick of the evening. Every dish we enjoyed came to the table at the right temperature and with skilled presentation.

It is physically impossible to save room for dessert. However, you must. I recommend conversation while the stomach gets its second wind. Again, Il Toscano does the classics right. Their Napoleon pastries are full of cream, yet light and airy, delicious, a million miles from the thickly frosted versions found at a diner. Chocolate cake, sorbets, and cheesecake will find willing mouths and mouths willing for more. My zabaglione was tasty enough for its fresh, ripe berries, but I tasted no marsala wine in the sweet cream sauce. This one gaff, however, is the exception that proves the rule.