I've heard about Trattoria L'Incontro for years and it's sat gathering dust on my list of restaurants to visit. This is mainly because it's in Queens, and I'm a Brooklyn guy. I have no big impetus to come up here. However, the other weekend I wanted to go have a great meal somewhere new. With Rosario's as a good place to pick up a sandwich for work on Monday, La Guli nearby to pick up dessert after, and the subway a block away, L'Incontro came out on top. The place is a lot larger than I expected. High ceilings, big open dining area, and a lot of tables. Regardless, the place was bustling by 6:30. Some people had special occasions, others didn't, some young, some old; it was a good mix. I grabbed a table right in front, which was good for people watching. I didn't realize it at first, but it reminded me of Italy more so than 9/10 other Italian restaurants--especially those that play up kitchy decor. In the back, the chef, Rocco Sacramone, was not just schmoozing people but making sure that the operation was running well. My waiter, Carlos, was excellent. He was friendly, unpatronizing, and even putting the recitation of the 20 item specials menu aside, he was knowledgeable as well. One of the best waiters I've seen in quite some time, and that's coming from an ex-waiter. That's a lot of good things to list about a restaurant, and luckily for me, the food was even better. For a starter I got the wild game meatballs special, which are ostrich and venison in a sauce with mushrooms and truffle oil. I hadn't had either meat before so it took a little bit to disseminate the different flavors, but I thoroughly enjoyed this dish. The ostrich tastes mostly like beef, with the venison adding a slight gaminess and oily aftertaste. The mushrooms were delicious, as was the sauce which added a earthiness to complemented the meat well. I was a bit disappointed that I only got two balls, but from a pacing perspective it worked. This dish paired well with the Nero D'Avola I got by the glass. For a pasta, I got the much talked about mezzaluna ravioli, which are stuffed with mascarpone and pesto, and come in a brandy and walnut sauce with shaved asparagus. This was an excellent dish! The pasta tasted homemade as it was, and had the perfect amount of bite to it. The filling was rich, creamy and flavorful, and contrasted well with the nutty flavors of the asparagus and sauce. For my main, I got a red snapper special which came in a chickpea puree with spinach and chantarelle mushrooms. The fish was absolutely delicious and cooked perfectly. The sauce was very simple; the chickpea sauce acted as a creamy, salty contrast to the rich flavor of the fish, with the spinach and mushrooms adding in a little variety. I thought the mushrooms could've stood out more, but it was still an excellent dish. I was too full for dessert, but got an espresso and sambuca. It was just like what I'd had in Italy; full of rich flavor. I did not bother using the sambuca on the coffee, as it wasn't needed.