Gatsby’s Landing on Old Northern Boulevard is the new eatery in town, and restaurateur Glenn Falcone said he’s pleased to serve Roslyn’s food lovers.
The restaurant opened on Aug. 1, and it offers a menu of “new American” dishes, a fusion cuisine that reflects the country’s melting pot culture.
“We’ve met so many nice Roslyn residents in one week,” Falcone, 16-year Manhasset resident, said. “They’re pleasant, they’re knowledgeable, they know good food and good service. These are seasoned diners.”
Dishes are made from local farm-to-table ingredients, and they vary from fresh pasta to grass-fed burgers and pan-Asian entrees, Falcone said.
The restaurant’s name, of course, refers to the North Shore’s literary heritage with the F. Scott Fitzgerald character from “The Great Gatsby,” which drew inspiration for its setting from Kings Point.
“We came up with the name not only because we love the book and F. Scott Fitzgerald’s writing, but if you sit down and discuss it with 10 different people, you’re going to get 10 different views of how they felt,” Falcone said.
He said in just one week of being open, he’s heard conversations from book lovers at the bar about the Jazz Age novel.
While aspects of the restaurant pay homage to the past, like its gin-based cocktail “Old Sport,” Falcone said he aimed to marry the past with today’s food culture.
The novel’s theme had the dichotomy of old and new, and he wanted to bring that into his restaurant, he said.
The menu capitalizes on the farm-to-table movement, which encourages fresh, organic ingredients from local sources.
The restaurant buys from Farmingdale’s Main Street Meats and Two Cousins Fish from Freeport.
The executive chef, Juan X Pareja, brings years of experience in high-end cuisine after working with the chef Daniel Boulud at Boulud Bar, as well as Park Avenue and Hurricane Club. He collaborated with Falcone on the new American menu, a style he said he became interested in by working with several different cuisines.
“It’s a melting pot of cultures here, so why not start playing with the ingredients,” Pareja said.
Falcone has been in the restaurant industry for 25 years, mostly operating locations in New York City.
As a Manhasset resident, he said this opening hits close to home.
“I’m most excited about the fact that my wife and I are 100 percent owners, and that it’s in my backyard,” Falcone said. “I can close shop at midnight and be home five after 12.”
Falcone and his wife, Danai, had their eye on Roslyn for a few years, waiting for a location to open up, he said.
The restaurant was previously Bar Citron, which operated for 10 years. Management changed the name to Pomodoro not long before it closed.
Danai worked closely with the design consultant Salt Design Group from New York City to achieve the restaurant’s sleek look.
“I think they did a marvelous job for us,” Falcone said. “We love the fact that we’re right on the pond.”
Since the location is situated by Roslyn Pond, readers of the novel can be treated to their own waterfront view, like Gatsby’s mansion, Falcone said.
He said he’s even considering placing a green light out by the water to mimic the one featured in the story.
Falcone said he aims to create a welcoming space for patrons, not just for Roslyn residents but all the neighboring Long Island communities.
He said Gatsby’s Landing isn’t “a restaurant” but “their restaurant.”
“We expect them to feel they just walked into a place that made them feel like they were at home — open arms and everyone saying hello,” he said.
Falcone said he hopes to build a good rapport with the community, and become a Long Island staple.
