A Monte Cristo at Watermark of Wading River in Wading River. Credit: Randee Daddona
Fall is always hot and heavy with new restaurant openings, and this autumn keeps that trend intact. We’ve clocked at least 16 new Long Island restaurants that have recently opened, from a polished Italian trattoria at Walt Whitman Shops in Melville to a Brazilian restaurant in Glen Cove with charcoal-grilled meats to a next-wave Mexican spot in Sayville. There is truly culinary treasure waiting for every palate, from octopus carpaccio to crispy rice topped with seared yellowtail to a red-velvet waffle topped with a deep-fried lobster tail.
JIA (84 Old Shore Rd., Port Washington): More proof that Chinese cuisine is taking a great leap forward on Long island, JIA's artistry and décor are more in line with fine dining than combination platters or takeout. The mostly Cantonese repertoire is prepared with skill and imagination: Crystal shrimp dumplings, packed with shrimp and fresh bamboo shoots, are tinted pink and brushed with gold; soup dumplings (a specialty of Shanghai) are handmade to order — evident in their gossamer but supple skins — and crowned with sweet-tart goji berries; tea-smoked chicken is made with Bo Bo Farms heritage poultry; the fish of the day might be local black sea bass; seafood fried rice is made with lump crabmeat, jumbo shrimp, bay scallops and squid. More info: 516-488-4801, jia-dimsum.com
Tea-smoked duck at JIA in Port Washington. Credit: Newsday/Erica Marcus
The Salt Grill (975 Cedar Swamp Rd., Glen Cove): If your only exposure to Brazilian cuisine is at one of the all-you-can-eat steakhouses such as Fogo de Chão or Texas de Brazil, you are in for a surprise at The Salt Grill where chef-partner Joerley Da Silva applies French elegance to the Brazilian flavors he grew up with. Don’t start your meal without a tray of pão de queijo, hollow spheres made of cheese and cassava flour. The chef takes the chicken salad known as salpicão (made with peas, diced beef sausage and much more) and tucks it, taco style, into lettuce leaves topped with matchstick potatoes. From the charcoal grill comes, among other steaks, the typical Brazilian cut, picanha, or culotte. Other mains include moqueca (Chilean sea bass, clams and mussels in a mellow coconut-milk broth) and pan-seared chicken with passion fruit-carrot puree and maitake mushroom. The bar does wonderful things with cachaça (distilled from sugar cane) including, of course, the caipirinha, Brazil's national cocktail. More info: 516-200-9902, thesaltgrill.com
Waffles & Soul (461 Station Rd, Bellport): Wings and tenders are the main meat event at this counter-serve spot just off Montauk Highway, and all share a crust that is not too thick or thin, not too spicy or bland. As for the waffles, they came about in a roundabout way: “I love bread,” said owner Ralph Mann, “but it seemed like no one was eating it anymore. It doesn’t completely make sense — maybe it’s because they are sweet — but people are happier to eat a waffle.” The menu starts with the W & S “classic” (four wings on a waffle with two sides) and then veers, whimsically, into “the Red Sea” (a red-velvet waffle topped with a deep-fried lobster tail) and the “soul tower” (waffled mac-and-cheese topped with a fried chicken breast, candied yams and the house sweet-spicy syrup). The soul theme also extends to the soundtrack which is 100% ‘70s soul. More info: 631-803-2658, menu.wafflesandsoul.com
The "Red Sea" at Waffles & Soul in Bellport features red-velvet waffles and a fried lobster tail. Credit: Newsday/Erica Marcus
Vico (313 Main St., Farmingdale): With Vico, chef Eric LeVine (also of 317 Main, next door) is taking regional Italian cuisine to a new level of specificity. Not just Southern Italian, not just from the region of Campania, Vico’s fare draws inspiration from the town of Vico Equense, across the Sorrento Peninsula from the Amalfi Coast. The menu features very little of what you see at most Long Island Italian restaurants; witness starters of whole roasted baby eggplant with Calabrian chilies and a tuna crudo garnished with red and white endive. All pastas are made in house and include ricci (ruffled ribbons) tossed with fioretto (sprouted broccoli) and sausage, and mushroom agnolotti with fava beans and pancetta. Among mains you’ll find pan-seared prawns with fennel pollen and lemon risotto and roasted chicken (dark meat!) with escarole, eggplant and fennel. Pizzas range from traditional — Margherita, prosciutto and arugula, mortadella and pistachio — to more fanciful creations such as artichoke with bacon and mozzarella, roasted mushrooms with tomatoes and whipped goat cheese. More info: 516-875-8426, viconewyork.com
The essential guide to Long Island dining.
By clicking Sign up, you agree to our privacy policy.
Luca (93 Main St., Stony Brook): Luca opened in Stony Brook Village Center in August, in the space of its beloved predecessor, Pentimento, whose closing last year became a local cause célèbre. Gone is Pentimento’s rustic homeyness; Luca is cool and sleek. The menu, still Italian, is elegant and modern — with modern pricing: four courses for $84. Chef Luke DeSanctis’s menu draws inspiration from regional Italian cuisine: Sicilian orange and fennel salad (here gussied up with dates and pistachios); Campanian buffalo mozzarella with basil and balsamic vinegar; Roman spaghetti carbonara; Bolognese tagliatelle. Entrees skew more New American: Swordfish chop saltimbocca with charred lemon; American Wagyu strip steak with blistered tomatoes and porcini dust; sweet and sour Crescent Farms duck with herb salad. For dessert: tiramisu, lemon tart and more. You can order a la carte at the bar. More info: 631-675-0435, lucaitalian.com
Capunti with broccoli rabe, pesto, pine nut and pecorino at Luca in Stony Brook. Credit: Yvonne Albinowski
Cenote Modern Mexican (45 Foster Ave., Sayville): Cenote is not your average Mexican restaurant. Alongside the ceviche and guacamole, is “repollo de la plancha: charcoal-grilled cabbage with chimichurri, radish and smoked cashew.” Owner Mike Turner, who operated Bistro 25 at this address since 2011, was determined not “to do refried beans and overstuffed burritos.” Even the most expected items on chef Chris Owen’s menu have been re-imagined and elevated: Pescado crudo is made with Montauk-caught fluke, sesame, avocado and coriander; queso fundido includes not only chorizo but shishito peppers and wild mushrooms; the enchiladas verde are stuffed with chicken that’s been smoked for 24 hours; Mexican street corn comes with shoestring fries, salsa macha and tomatillos. More info: 631-589-7775, cenotemodernmexican.com
Brass Swan (1363 Old Northern Blvd., Roslyn): Swanky Roslyn Village just got a little swankier with the opening this high-end restaurant-lounge that takes over from sports bar Roslyn Social. The dining room is all snappy black and white with brass accents, while the bar is a riot of luxurious colors and textures — black leather and marble, shiny copper, orange handblown glass pendant lights. Upstairs is a separate lounge for small bites and music. Chef Gus Galvaos' menu is a contemporary blend of Italian with New American and Asian twists with starters such as grilled octopus with corn succotash, Calabrian romesco, Israeli salad and toasted almonds, or pork belly crostini with guava glaze and whipped burrata. Pastas include ravioli with seafood and a lobster bisque reduction and truffle tortellini; mains include dry-aged tomahawk steak or king salmon. More info: 516-801-4963, thebrassswan.com
Grilled octopus at Brass Swan in Roslyn. Credit: Newsday/Erica Marcus
Edoardo’s Trattoria (300 New York Ave., Huntington): You wouldn’t think that Huntington needed another Italian restaurant, but Edoardo’s is a trattoria of a decidedly different stripe. For one thing, it’s also a pastry shop-cafe that makes croissants, bomboloni (Italian doughnuts) and such rare Southern Italian confections as delizioso di limone (a dome of sponge cake filled and blanketed with lemon cream) and torta soffice all’arancia (sponge filled with orange custard and covered with marmalade). Or, treat yourself to a hot breakfast frittata or uova in purgatorio (eggs poached in tomato sauce). No dinner yet, but the lunch menu offers sandwiches on homemade focaccia and pastas such as linguine with shrimp and lemon sauce and fettuccine ai funghi (with wild mushrooms, cream and Parmesan). All the pastas are made in house and are for sale in the market, along with prepared foods and more. Almost everything on the menu is under $20. More info: 631-683-4964
Meet Izakaya Bar & Izakaya (10 Jericho Tpke., Commack): How sweet it is (or savory, rather) that izakaya, or Japanese-style spots where you nosh on small plates alongside sake or cocktails and conversation, has finally taken root on Long Island. The original Meet Izakaya in Rockville Centre was part of that initial surge. Their second location takes up residence in the Mayfair Shopping Center in Commack, which is becoming something of a destination for East Asian food. The space is warm and serene, an elegant layering of jade-green leather booths, wooden rafters, low lighting and Japanese lines. The food follows suit — artfully composed small plates, such as crispy rice topped with seared yellowtail, quail eggs and caviar; salt-grilled salmon or yellowtail collar (kama); karaage chicken; pork-belly bao; or warm maitake mushrooms with miso-laced sweet potatoes and a soy glaze. The kitchen also skewers a robust lineup of yakitori, from lamb to okra to pork belly; heartier eats include bowls of ramen and larger plates such as falling-from-the-bone braised short ribs with barbecue sauce. The centerpiece bar is well-stocked with sake, Japanese and domestic beers, and cocktails such as the Kyoto Mule — Japanese whiskey, plum wine, ginger beer and lime juice accented with cardamom bitters. More info: 631-343-7066, meetizakaya.com
The rib eye skewer and the squid skewer at Meet Izakaya in Rockville Centre. Credit: Yvonne Albinowski
Swallow Kitchen & Cocktails (91 Broadway, Greenlawn): After stints in Huntington and Montauk, chef-owner James Tchinnis has settled his stylish, small-plates eatery into the heart of Greenlawn. He and his wife, Julie, removed all traces of pizzeria (the last few tenants), with a contemporary decor that blends dark wood, neon lights, pastel florals and a semiabstract “drip” mural on one of the dining room walls. The menu comprises about 18 small plates, some of which — butternut squash “cappuccino” with truffle froth; shrimp and grits with andouille sausage; macaroni-and-cheese with orzo, peas and bacon — have been Swallow standards for more than a decade. New to Greenlawn are charred cauliflower with cauliflower puree; sea scallop crudo with orange zest and red grapes; and mussels with fennel. The plates are designed to be shared, but Tchinnis made some menu additions to satisfy diners who want their own plates of meat: cheeseburgers and a grilled 32-ounce rib-eye. More info: 631-239-6643, swallowkitchenandcocktails.com
Nomiya Sushi & Izakaya (Roosevelt Field Mall, 630 Old Country Rd., Garden City): Some dishes are intended to be admired before they are consumed: A bluefin tuna, lobster and asparagus maki roll enveloped in blue flames, maybe, sesame oil smoldering along its base and lending smokiness. Or a tartare-meets-guacamole creation, called the avocado bomb, of wisps of avocado sculpted into an armor around an inner sanctum of bluefin tuna. Both are among the small plates at Nomiya, a placid sushi and izakaya restaurant that opened late this summer at Roosevelt Field mall. With muted tones, a hickory-and-granite bar and spare aesthetic, the 75-seat Nomiya is a distinct counterpoint to almost everything else offered at Roosevelt Field. Originally from Seoul, chef James Choi has peppered Korean touches across Nomiya’s menu, such as galbi, long-marinated beef short ribs, and sushi, including nigiri sushi, specialty rolls and three levels of omakase. The sake list is extensive, and the bar creatively wields soju, the Korean potato liquor, as a base for a handful of mixed drinks.More info: 516-605-5097, nomiyastation.com
The avocado bomb at Nomiya Sushi & Izakaya in Garden City. Credit: Noah Fecks
Nyam Sum Jamaican Cuisine (70 W. Suffolk Ave., Central Islip): Jerk chicken and oxtail, escovitched fish and flaky beef patties are mainstays in most Jamaican spots, but the chef’s personal signature leaves much room for contrast within the genre. Kirk Pusey, who grew up learning to cook in Kingston, Jamaica, spent much of his adult life developing his own style — and earlier this year, channeled a long-held vision into Nyam Sum in Central Islip, which he opened with his wife, Charmaine. Although Pusey always imagined having his own place, he waited (and saved) until after a decade-long stint in the Marines for 10 years and another yearslong follow-up career. The place is filled with splashes of lemon yellow and emerald green, as well as with aromas of cinnamon, garlic and pimento. Behind the counter is oxtail that braises for hours, as well as jerk chicken, rasta pasta, curried goat and slow-cooked cowfeet and beans, among other dishes, plus sour sop and moringa teas. More info: 631-439-1639
7 Seventy 7 (777 W. Beech St., Long Beach): One of the newest additions to Long Beach’s bustling West End is this moodily lit trattoria that rolls a few things into one: Bar, lounge, restaurant and takeout spot. In that spirit, the menu is a patchwork of cuisines whose strongest vein is Italian-American, from clams Oreganata to Kobe-beef meatballs, chicken Francese to shrimp scampi with cauliflower risotto. (A mix-and-match pasta approach allows pairing your choice of noodle, from penne to ravioli, with sauces such as amatriciana or marinara). Also in effect is a sprinkling of American-slash-Meditteranean dishes — think charcuterie boards, grilled octopus and lamb chops with mint gremolata — and outliers such as Peruvian-style shrimp ceviche and pan-seared, sesame-crusted tuna with wasabi aioli. All of it springs from the mind of chef Saul Mejia in the space where Mio Posto used to be. More info: 516-544-6173, 7seventy7longbeach.com
Shrimp scampi with cauliflower at 7 Seventy 7 in Long Beach. Credit: Yvonne Albinowski
Carpaccio (160 Walt Whitman Rd., Huntington Station): The Limani restaurant group's spin on Italian food is plopped it into a dramatically revamped space at the Walt Whitman Shops in Melville which used to be BRIO. Carpaccio is an expansive, handsome place of clean lines and decorative tile, equally suited for a shopping-break lunch or an evening out. Chef Massimiliano Francucci channels the Mediterranean stylings of his home region (he’s from Capri) into a dense, bistro-like menu that does indeed include carpaccio as its starting point —four in all, including a classic beef version, yellowtail, salmon and perhaps the only octopus carpaccio for miles. There’s also pizza, panini, salumi boards, salads, classic Italian starters such as clams Oreganata or grilled octopus, plenty of pasta (think gemelli genovese), meatballs and entrees galore (crab- and mozzarella-stuffed shrimp, filet mignon, chicken Piccata…). More info: 631-212-3000
Watermark of Wading River (2925 N. Wading River Rd., Wading River): Among the proprietors of this cheerful, modest eatery, which opened in June — taking over and reimagining the former home of Michael Anthony’s Foodbar, a pandemic casualty — is Cosmo Parrella, the former owner of Munday’s in Huntington. As such, the menu bespeaks a similar affection for brunch fare, from Monte Cristo sandwiches to blintzes to a veggie benedict with grilled portobello mushrooms. But Watermark, a sleek, modern-looking establishment that Parrella runs with his son Nick, seizes the rest of the day as well, featuring salads, pizzas and sandwiches of the crabcake and prime rib variety, along with a respectable bar program showcasing eight local beers on tap. More info: 631-886-2343, watermarkwr.com
A Monte Cristo at Watermark of Wading River in Wading River. Credit: Randee Daddona
Uthai Bistro (8285 Jericho Tpke., Woodbury): Building on the success of his Maple Thai Eatery, which launched in Astoria in 2018, Bangkok native Apikorn Lombardi’s second restaurant, in Woodbury, has been an unqualified hit from the get-go. Credit his evangelical dedication to freshness, quality ingredients (kaffir lime leaves! no canned tamarind!), and labor-intensive approach, all of which are wonderfully evident in his khao soi, a complexly flavored noodle curry and coconut milk noodle soup often associated with the northern city of Chiang Mai, and here executed with a perfect balance of sweet, spicy and sour. But Uthai’s is a menu filled with delights, including a Tom Yum fried rice with shrimp, calamari and scallops folded into it, and salmon pan-fried on rice paper with steamed bok choy and a ginger teriyaki sauce. More info: 516-304-5880, uthaiwoodbury.com
Newsday's food critics cover Long Island's dining scene, from new restaurant openings to under-the-radar spots.
Privacy Policy |Terms of service |Subscription terms |Your ad choices |Cookie Settings |California Privacy Rights |About Us |Contact Newsday |Reprints & permissions |Advertise with Newsday |Help
Copyright ©2022 Newsday. All rights reserved.