FROM TIME HONORED CLASSICS TO CONTEMPORARY APÉRITIFS, THIS BARMAN EXTRAORDINAIRE KEEPS PATRONS’ GLASSES FULL AT ONE OF THE ISLAND’S MOST POPULAR ITALIAN RESTAURANTS

BY AMANDA McCOY PHOTOS BY AMANDA DOMENECH

Inside the cozy, dimly lit walls of La Strada the longstanding Italian fine dining concept from owner/chef Anthony Santisi consistency is a pillar. While the seasons might influence menu changes, the overall experience holds steady, from the fireplace side atmosphere to a familiar face crafting martinis behind the bar.

“I think people keep coming back again and again because of the way we treat them,” explained Michael Cassese, La Strada’s primary bartender. “Our quality of food and drinks is dependable, and people like that.”

For 24 years, Cassese has been the architect of La Strada’s drink menu. An alumnus of the American Bartending School, he honed skills at some of Manhattan’s most venerated establishments before finding a professional home at Santisi’s Italian bistro. He knows full well the vital role a cocktail or glass of wine plays in the dining experience, as his craftsmanship is typically the first taste of the evening. Cassese takes that responsibility seriously.

“I look at it this way,” he explained. “When people come in, most of the time the first thing they want is a drink. If it’s your first time in the restaurant, and the drink is good, then we are off to a good start. So, I’m a perfectionist.”

With 36 years of experience under his belt, Cassese can make upwards of 300 different cocktails, from time tested throwbacks like Long Island Ice Teas to contemporary favorites like Moscow Mules and white and red sangria. He keeps a list of in house specialty recipes, too, like the Paloma Cocktail a blend of Tito’s Handmade Vodka, St. Germain, grapefruit, lime, and orange juices, and splash of lemon. Then there’s the Tropical Sunrise, which combines coconut vodka, melon liqueur, pineapple and orange juices, and grenadine. But the mixologist’s real specialità, he was eager to point out, is a martini.

VJ SPREAD

“Espresso, chocolate, or just a really good dirty variety martinis and dessert drinks are my specialty.”
Though the rise of craft cocktail culture over the last decade has given birth to a mélange of new varieties, Cassese reported that he is also witnessing a renaissance in classics. More patrons are requesting drinks from the late 19th and early 20th centuries, including slow sippers like the Manhattan, Brandy Alexander, and Old Fashioned. One of the marks of a great barman, he pointed out, is the ability to craft an Old Fashioned, particularly, with all the requisite amount of precision.

“It’s one of the most difficult drinks to make, because it has to be done just right. You can’t rush through it. You need the precise amount of bitters and to muddle the fruit correctly.” (One of the earliest dating recipe drinks in the cocktail canon, an Old Fashioned requires that fruit, sugar, and bitters be muddled in the rocks glass prior to other ingredients inclusion a time consuming process.)

For wine drinkers, there’s also an extensive list on tap. House varieties are, fittingly, Italian, and multiple pages of bottle and half bottle options span the globe, from Tuscany to Australia, South America to Napa Valley. The La Scolca Gavi Dei Gavi, from Piedmont, is a particularly bright and versatile spring menu friendly white.

Looking ahead, the mixologist has ambitions to share his libations with those outside La Strada’s walls. He’s in the process of penning a cocktail book featuring personal recipes learned over the years. Highlights include dessert drinks, light summer splashers, and, unsurprisingly, a range of martinis.

La Strada
139 New Dorp Lane /
718.667.4040 cafelastrada.com