New, Levittown: Cue Nine racks up culinary points
Pommes frites at Cue Nine, Levittown. (April 16, 2011) Credit: Joan Reminick
You don’t expect to find high caliber restaurant fare in a billiard hall, but Cue Nine in Levittown breaks the stereotype. The newly remodeled spot has a lounge-y look, with restaurant seating on the perimeter of the game room. The night I went, almost every pool table was busy.
Most restaurant tables, though, were unoccupied. A pity, since what I found were copious portions of serious food. Credit goes to consulting executive chef Marcus Bynum (a finalist on Food Network’s “Chopped Champions” who was executive chef of Tellers Chophouse in Islip and the former Venue 56 in Hauppauge) as well as chef de cuisine Tony Kang, who cooked at Maroni Cuisine in Northport and, with Bynum, at Venue 56.
Dinner kicked off with spicy-sweet-sticky-crunchy kung pao rock shrimp ($12). An order of hand cut “pommes frites” with truffle oil, Parmesan and parsley ($9) was irresistible — and enough to feed six. Entrees were preceded by big, bright well-dressed mesclun salads. An elegant half roasted chicken, boned but skin-on, came off as juicy and ultra-crisp. There was definite “wow” factor in the spicy “MB’s pasta rustica” ($16) with escarole, white beans, hot and sweet Italian sausage in a garlic white wine sauce.
Cue Nine is at 2953 Hempstead Turnpike Levittown, 516-796-4600
Pictured: Pommes frites at Cue Nine in Levittown
