Luxe and luscious Italian fare at Il Posto

It’s not often that a restaurant caters to both gourmands andfamilies, but Bergen Beach’s Il Posto does just that.

Housed in a 70-year-old former horse barn, uncontestably the oldestbuilding in the area, the eatery dishes up superlative Italian fareunder the watchful eye of chef Nino, and served with style andattentiveness in an environment that is still casual enough forgroups including young children to feel right at home.

Fresh is the operative word for every dish on the menu, as Ninofills his dishes with tomatoes, basil, greens and other vegetablesharvested from a garden behind the restaurant.

These include the chopped chunky tomatoes, garlic and parsley ontoast in the bruschetta that arrived at our table as we read overthe menu, as well as the arugula used as a bed for two seasonalappetizers – plump figs baked with melted fontina cheese andwrapped with prosciutto that was a mouthwatering marriage of saltyand sweet, soft and crunchy; and stuffed zucchini blossoms, light,crispy fritters which featured the restaurant’s homemade ricottacheese and vodka sauce.

The menu regulars were equally tasty. Shrimps Fradiavolo ($13) weretoothsome and tender, served on a bed of fresh and seductiveroasted tomato sauce. Stuffed Artichoke ($9) came perched atop apiece of white bread drenched in a sauce of artichoke juices,garlic and olive oil, its leaves tender, and topped with a lightlayer of baked cheeses.

Main dishes are also supremely satisfying – hearty without beingheavy. Chicken Francese ($19) featured two citrus-sparked cutlets,topped with sliced lemon, and served with fresh mashed potatoes andstring beans. The Risotto of the day featured sun-dried tomatoes,chopped asparagus spears and mushrooms in a sizable portion ofcreamy decadence that can double as lunch and dinner for anotherday, as well.

Just when we thought we didn’t have room for a single morsel more,dessert arrived, tempting us with two of the eatery’s richsignature sweets – homemade Italian Cheesecake ($7) and ItalianCannoli ($7), plus a cream-filled cake studded with fresh berriesand red currants – not on the daily menu.

It’s the combination of fabulous food and homey atmosphere thatkeeps customers coming back, said Niko N., the restaurant manager.People come from out of state on Fridays and Saturdays, keepingthe eatery busy because Nino [the chef] has got a name forquality.

Everything is fresh, homemade, nothing out of a can. I’ve neverhad a dish brought back to the kitchen, honest to God, Niko said.Nino is a perfectionist. Every string bean, he approves, and webuy our own leg of lamb and cut it ourselves.

Besides the a la carte menu, diners on Tuesday through Thursday canopt for a three-course special ($27) that includes appetizer, maincourse and dessert. There’s also Grandma’s Sunday Special, whichcombines Hot Antipasto, Pasta with Meatballs, Pork Skin, Spareribs,Homemade Sausage and Braciole, and dessert ($27). And on Fridays,there is live music from a rotating cast of crooners performingoldies, Italian music and romantic dance music.

Il Posto

7409 Avenue U

Brooklyn NY 11234

718-241-4317

Lunch:, Tuesday to Friday, noon to 3 p.m.

Dinner: Tuesday to Thursday, 4 to 10 p.m., Friday and Saturday, 4to 11 p.m., Sunday, 1 to 9 p.m.