Del Fuego

Del Fuego, a new Tex-Mex concept by restauranteur/chef Joseph DeNicola, has fired up its ovens, serving burritos, tacos, assorted homemade guacamoles, ribs, Mexican specialties, and 50 tequilas at its bar. Del Fuego Tex Mex Kitchen is located on North Country Road in Saint James & our Newest location is on Deer Park Avenue in the Village of Babylon. Along with standard Tex-Mex fare like guacamole and quesadillas (three-mushroom, roasted veggie, and shrimp/black bean/corn), Del Fuego’s menu features traditional Mexican cuisine such as healthy black bean soup and spicy tuna ceviche. The menu caters to those on a budget as well as those looking for a hearty late-night plate of dry-rubbed pork ribs (full- or half-rack). All main courses come with rice and black beans, and, adds DeNicola, chuckling, "hot sauce everywhere – every ledge has a bottle of hot sauce." Like all his restaurants, DeNicola uses artwork and designs from local artists. It’s not hard to tell that DeNicola, and co-designer Niko DeMaria (nikoartifacts.com) had fun building Del Fuego. The stone bar’s rough-hewn solid oak top opens to the kitchen, "where you can watch the chefs cook everything right in front of you," says DeNicola. Knick-knacks abound: wild-west paraphernalia, rustic, vintage signs, and iguanas on the walls. Tables are wrought-iron and fired copper, edged with wood; chairs are stainless steel. But the atmosphere comes together in DeMaria’s colorful, Spanish-influenced collages, which are central to the restaurant’s décor, and which reflect Del Fuego’s bright, exciting menu. It’s something I’ve always wanted to do," says DeNicola, who has been building restaurants on Long Island for 11 years. "I wanted to do fresh, healthy food that’s fun. I wanted to bring the Southwest to St. James. The restaurant industry is heading in this direction: casual, fresh, healthy. This is modern Tex-Mex," says DeNicola, "and it’s a niche that is missing on the North Shore." Del Fuego is DeNicola’s fourth Long Island restaurant, once again in partnership with his brothers, Jim and Leo DeNicola. While Ruvo West (Greenlawn), Ruvo East (Port Jefferson) and La Tavola ( Sayville) all capitalize the DeNicola family's authentic Italian cuisine with an emphasis on high-quality service, the St. James restaurant is a dramatic shift in style. DeNicola and co-chef Anthony D'Amico worked tirelessly to create the Del Fuego menu and build on the strengths that have kept DeNicola's other restaurants in high standing by critics, and in high demand by customers. "We’ll be serving local and organic food and sourcing the menu's main ingredients from ethical farmers and slaughterhouses at Del Fuego whenever possible," DeNicola noted. DeNicola's kitchens have been long-time supporters of local North Fork farmers, and his wine lists prominently feature Long Island wines. Del Fuego will also pour eight microbrews on tap and serve two house wines made by DeNicola himself. With Del Fuego, DeNicola has taken dedication to the local economy a step further. Anything that he could get American-made to equip the restaurant, he did. "All the wood is from a Long Island mill, all the tables, chairs, silverware, china, glassware, kitchen equipment – all of it is made in the U.S., " he says. ("Unfortunately," he adds, "there’s not a TV made in America.") DeNicola says he has been inspired to explore Mexican-influenced menus by some of the great Hispanic chefs on Long Island, notably Wilmer Bedoya, who is a chef de cuisine at DeNicola’s Greenlawn location. Del Fuego’s signature tequila is infused with habanero, poblano, and jalapenos, while its featured cocktail is the Casa Del Fuego, which includes chili-infused tequila, and, as with all the restaurant's specialty drinks, fresh squeezed juices and purees. DeNicola is a veteran of the restaurant industry. He learned to cook from his mother and grandmother, and has worked in every position – from busboy to general manager, from dishwasher to executive chef – that running a restaurant requires. Having worked in some of the finest establishments in Manhattan and Long Island, DeNicola sums up his latest project in one word: "honest."