Lobster nights are nothing new on Long Island, but they don’t usually come with an Italian twist. Sophia Italian Bistro in Amityville is bucking that trend: Every Tuesday brings a dinner special that incorporates Long Island’s favorite crustacean into more than half a dozen Italian-style creations — all for $29.95.

There should be more Long Island restaurants like Sophia Italian Bistro. It's generous, calm, unpretentious, and honest, with a gifted chef in the kitchen and a concerned host in the dining room. Enrique Bermeo, who deservedly attracted many fans at Luigi Q in Hicksville, is the chef while Riccardo "Richie" Sanseverino presides in the dining room. Although both have been on the local restaurant scene for some years, this is the partner's first ownership venture.

The first hint: those long, hot Italian peppers.

A fiery opener, they're finished with pepperoncini, pan-roasted garlic and extra-virgin olive oil, and guaranteed to awaken any appetite. Diners may remember the explosive flavor from Luigi Q, the excellent Italian restaurant in Hicksville.

The winning strategy for many successful restaurants is to have one owner in the dining room and another in the kitchen. Sophia Italian Bistro has such a dream team. Riccardo Sanseverino was the captain in charge of the dining room at Tesoro in Westbury for many years. His partner at Sophia, Enrique Bermeo, was the chef at Luigi Q in Hicksville for over a decade. These two first-time restaurateurs opened Sophia in Amityville in early September.

Sophia Italian Bistro has opened in Amityville, a collaboration between two veterans of the Nassau County Italian restaurant scene.

In the kitchen is chef Enrique Bermeo, who earned 3 ½ stars when he was cooking at Luigi Q in Hicksville. The dining room is the domain of Riccardo (Richie) Sanseverino, formerly of Tesoro in Westbury.