Not Wowed In Woodbury

Café Diane

2 stars out of 4

The name “Diane” has become branded in the LI restaurant world by wife-and-husband team Diane Margaritas and John Durkin. Starting small as a Roslyn Village bakery, Diane’s Desserts, now known as Diane’s Bakery, begat Trattoria Diane next door. More recently, Diane’s Bakery birthed the Panini Café at Diane’s. Less than a year ago Café Diane came to Woodbury with its good pedigree, and Diane’s dynasty continues. In the process, what started out as a casual shoppers’ stopover turned left and went uptown-all the way up, abandoning lunch and Italian food, and hiring Nick Molfetta, former executive chef of the perennially top-rated Mill River Inn.

I’m not a fan of restaurants trying to be upscale in shopping centers, no matter how nice the stores. Storefronts-even with expensive renovations-facing parking lots are absent the charm that a high-ticket place should possess. The dining room, quiet and staid, is all beige, tan and bland. More casual is the bar at the front, bright from the light of the window.

The New American menu changes monthly. I liked my “BLT” Salad ($14), stacked with thick bacon and Stilton cheese slices. Maine Crab Cakes ($16), thick and crunchy, fell somewhere between appetizer and main course, good for sharing. Risotto ($14/$26) can be ordered as either; I recommend that you do. Flavored with Parmesan cheese and plenty of shrimp and vegetables, it’s another good choice. Monkfish ($29), however, was a disaster. Thick, meaty and simply prepared, it was flavored by raisins, capers and toasted pine nuts. Unfortunately, the capers and nuts were devoid of taste, making the fish as boring a piece as I could remember. My wife was shocked as I put down my fork after a few bites. Part of the waiter’s shtick is to ask, “Are you happy with your choices?” I nodded, not needing to complain about something that was properly cooked, just disappointing-I can do that in this column.

We looked forward to dessert-after all, this is Diane’s forte. Profiteroles ($8) seemed to come directly from the fridge, hard and unyielding to a fork.

Next time, we were wowed by Roasted Fig Salad ($11) bedded with arugula and prosciutto, the fig halves filled with Gorgonzola and Tuna Tartare ($14) sitting on soft avocado and brought together by soy lime dressing. The price of the tuna had been reduced from $16. We also noticed that the Monkfish had been reduced to $27. I wondered if they had also reduced the painful $10.50 for a Wild Turkey on the rocks. Chicken Milanese ($20), pounded thin with a Parmesan crust covered with salad, was another good menu addition. But my Berkshire Pork Chop ($27), lowered from $30, was ordered medium but came overcooked and dry and had to be sent back. Again, my wife was stunned, not being able to recall witnessing a meal of mine being sent back. I recovered fully with sliced Pan Seared Loin of Lamb ($28), with a hardy red wine sauce with mashed potatoes, and dessert of chocolate-flecked Angel Food Cake ($8) with chocolate sorbet. Our bill came and our two glasses of wine had been removed. An unspoken but classy gesture, I thought.