A GLAMOROUS ITALIAN RESTAURANT IN BAYONNE SERVES UP CLASSIC COCKTAILS INSPIRED BY THE GOLDEN AGE OF HOLLYWOOD

BY ERIK SCHONING PHOTOS BY ALEX BARRETO

James Bond may be forever associated with the martini, but the first cocktail he ever ordered in Ian Fleming’s novels was an Americano. Bayonne’s Americano takes more than its namesake from that classic cocktail: this upscale Italian haunt is an homage to Hollywood glam and the elegance of yesteryear.

At Americano, The massive bar is watched over by black-and-white portraits of iconic silver screen stars, and behind that bar on any given night you’ll find Kevin Reina, the mixologist responsible for the restaurant’s robust cocktail menu. Since coming to the states from Ecuador in 2018, he’s worked nearly every position in the restaurant industry, both in front and back of house. After cutting his teeth at Sirenetta in Hoboken, Reina worked at a couple different bars before settling at Americano in December of last year. It’s a wealth of experience he draws on to this day.

“I have a mix of experience in this industry,” Reina said. “I have worked at big high-volume places, and I have worked at smaller places with higher quality ingredients. So all my knowledge helps now, because Americano has a mix. We do high quality and high volume at the same time.”

At Americano, the cocktail menu is presented in a leather booklet, and the drinks themselves share that classic touch. But mixology, like the James Bond series, is always evolving, and Reina and his team work hard to blend classic and modern philosophies in each and every drink. You’ll find a Perfect Martini on the menu, but you’ll also find the popular Goodnight: a summery number that blends vodka and St-Germain elderflower liqueur with lemon sherbet and cranberry juice.

Reina’s recipes are informed by his experience as a chef. Mixology, like cooking, is an art form: every ingredient must be considered, and every drink must be executed perfectly, every single time.

When owner Lance Lucarelli Sr. tried a pistachio martini for the first time, he tasked Reina with developing one for Americano. But adding pistachio to a martini isn’t as simple as dropping a couple nuts as garnish. Drawing on his understanding of the nuances of flavor, Reina set out to find creative ways to bring pistachio flavor into the classic drink. He infused vodka with pistachio, whipped up a pistachio syrup, and grabbed pistachio creme from the kitchen. To balance the sweetness, he added crème de cacao. The result is a cocktail that builds in pistachio flavor at every step.

“We have three complex ingredients in there, and that’s what makes the cocktail great,” Reina said. “I wanted it to be more of a martini than a dessert. That’s why people order two or three instead of one. They enjoy all the pistachio flavors in there, but it’s not overpowering.”

As one might expect, martinis abound at Americano, but what’s particularly striking is how Reina and his team are able to push the boundaries of such a straightforward cocktail. Beyond the aforementioned pistachio variety, you’ll find the Gold Martini, mixed with Lillet Blanc; the Big Apple Martini, an elevated appletini with Cointreau and cinnamon syrup; the Lychee Martini, infused with lychee fruit; and the French Quarter Martini, built on a base of Courvoisier VSOP. For the purists, the Perfect Martini is always there, much like a familiar song on the radio.

Reina is always working to develop new offerings. His latest project has been a robust expansion of Americano’s mocktail offerings, bringing the same level of detail to a non-alcoholic roster of drinks. But no matter what he’s working on, he has always been drawn to the creativity that mixology demands.

“We try to mix classic recipes with new techniques,” Reina said. “I try to give my staff a vision of innovation. That’s why we make infusions and play with new garnishes. We try to improve our knowledge and techniques. The restaurant is always evolving.”

Since opening in 2023, Americano has made its reputation by being an experience for its guests. The restaurant has the feel of an elegant lounge; on Tuesdays and Thursdays, live jazz adds an additional layer of ambiance. For Reina and his staff, hospitality is also a part of that experience; connecting with guests is an integral part of the job, as important as finding that perfect garnish for a cocktail.

A good cocktail itself is also an experience; these are drinks that demand to be appreciated, to be contemplated before they are enjoyed. James Bond may have ordered the same libation over and over again, but the real thrill at Americano is trying something new.