New Long Island restaurants to try

Lil' Al's, Long Beach

Chef Alexis Trolf, the auteur behind Newsday Top 50 restaurants Lost & Found and Lost at Sea, cooking burgers out of a kitschy takeout window. And his takeout window is the old Waffle Cabin, a tiny storefront on Long Beach’s West End that’s literally built to look like a log cabin. Trolf's weekend burger concept is called Lil’ Al’s, named after his daughter Alice. Lost & Found makes a legendary burger, so fat and juicy that it’s currently on Newsday's list of standout Long Island burgers. His menu is stylishly small, with only one burger and a couple of sides. On a recent Friday night, this meant French fries and a paper cup filled with an ooey gooey bechamel mac-and-cheese. A new item, a "sausage confit" with Dijon, turned out to be a well-done spicy sausage in a bun.

MOTW Coffee, Hicksville

Java lovers on Long Island have been enjoying lots of new coffee spots popping up, and now it’s Hicksville’s turn with the opening of MOTW Coffee. The shop opened in November at the new Soni Centre strip mall on South Broadway. MOTW Coffee, which stands for Muslims of the World, started as an Instagram page in 2014 and grew into a community of over 700,000 followers, according to the organization’s website. The 1,700-square-foot space, with seating for 25 guests, feels elegant and warm, with blue velvet benches, soffit ceilings and murals. The menu includes "Arabic-inspired twists and flavors," Qureshi said, such as a date cardamom latte. Get your caffeine fix with a Yemeni chai or pistachio latte . Caffeine-free drinks include the velvety Egyptian chamomile tea. Pastries range from a French toast muffin to a savory chicken empanada.

Rites Brewing, Bay Shore

With only five beers on tap, an off-the-beaten-track warehouse brewery has quickly become a destination spot for New York beer lovers. Owned by a former head brewer from Sand City and Barrier, the new Rites Brewing has gone into the space previously occupied by The Brewers Collective, which closed in May. Chris Dougherty, who owns the business with his cousin Tim Irwin, has been a professional brewer for 12 years and started Rites as a side project while at Sand City, where he was head brewer from 2020 to 2023, he said. Rites is certified as a New York State Farm brewery, which means that 60% of the hops and other ingredients must be grown here.

Tang Yun Noodle House, Centereach

Tang Yun Noodle House, specializing in soups from China, Japan and Vietnam, opened in October. The shop’s signature soup is from China’s Sichuan Province: sauerkraut fish soup. Not only does it not contain noodles, it does not contain sauerkraut. "Suan cai yu" takes its name from suan cai, salted-and-fermented mustard greens, a condiment that is similar enough to European sauerkraut (salted-and-fermented cabbage) to explain why it is regularly translated thus. The menu also features non-soup items from China (dumplings, pork bao, steamed bok choy with oyster sauce), Japan (edamame, octopus balls) and Vietnam (summer rolls, over-rice dishes) as well as Thai tea, Vietnamese coffee, fruit and boba teas. 

Beehive Espresso Bar, Huntington

Remember that sunny, oversize space on the corner of Prime and New York avenues just off Heckscher Park in Huntington that used to house a dry cleaner? It has joined the cast of Long Island’s fall coffee shop openings as Beehive Espresso Bar. With an expansive sitting area, bright orange walls, a bumblebee motif and premium java drinks made from roasted Georgio’s Coffee beans out of Farmingdale, Beehive Espresso Bar serves both classic espresso drinks from cortados to cappuccinos to lattes, as well as Turkish coffee, the strong unfiltered cousin of espresso. Drinks include espressos, macchiatos, Americanos, cappuccinos and mochas, as well as drip coffee, cold brew and Turkish coffee. A plethora of syrups for flavoring, from butter pecan to gingerbread to praline to peppermint are on offer. Non-coffee drinkers will appreciate the hot chocolate made with rich Ghirardelli chocolate; the vibrant green matcha latte is another winner.

Perfect Pasta & Gelato, Bay Shore

\Bay Shore is the latest town jumping on the fresh made pasta pop-up trend. Perfect Pasta & Gelato has opened, offering fresh made pasta for takeout as well as cappuccino and gelato. The tiny, white subway-tiled space serves espresso drinks and has a nearly a dozen gelato flavors, from hazelnut to rainbow cookie. First, pick a pasta base: There’s spaghetti alla chitarra, fusilli and rigatoni. Next, add one of six sauces, including tomato and basil, meaty Bolognese, creamy Alfredo, garlic and oil, pesto Genovese or spicy arrabbiata. From there you can add chicken, shrimp, sweet Italian sausage or heavenly meatballs. Veggie options include mushrooms, spinach and cherry tomatoes. And don’t forget the cheese: ricotta, shredded mozzarella and Parmesan.

Chico's Tex-Mex, Commack

Chico’s Tex-Mex, owned by Shirley native Vinay Galani, started as a food truck in 2018. The eatery opened its fourth outpost in Commack, in the space that housed Burrito Loco on Commack Road. Chico's Tex-Mex has other locations in Selden, East Setauket and Bohemia, plus two food trucks. With a menu of crowd-pleasers like chicken wings and BBQ chicken empanadas, Chico's also serves birria tacos, chalupas. Twists on Tex-Mex favorites include a chipotle chicken bacon mac and cheese burrito and crunch tacos, a hard shell wrapped in a soft tortilla bonded with queso, stuffed with meat, lettuce, cheese, tomato and sour cream.

Umberto's, Farmingdale

Umberto’s of New Hyde Park turns 60 this year and, to celebrate, the celebrated pizza chain (and contender for the title "Home of Grandma Pizza") opened a sixth location. Last week, Umberto’s debuted in Airport Plaza in Farmingdale, taking over the former home of Bellagio Pizzeria, which moved less than two miles away. The new spot seats about 100 and has separate areas for a counter-serve pizzeria and a full-fledged restaurant. The menu is as familiar as it is extensive, a collection of antipasti, pastas, Parms and other entrees, heros, rolls, calzones and, of course, pizza, which can be had in Neapolitan, Sicilian grandma and deep-dish formats, by the pie or by the slice. There are also individual pizzettas with traditional or cauliflower dough.

Tasting Room Kitchen & Cocktails, Farmingdale

Farmingdale has a new restaurant in a familiar spot. Earlier this year Vintage Wine Bar and Bistro owner Jeff Rumman said he closed the restaurant because of "the high cost of doing business in New York." Now he's opened Tasting Room Kitchen & Cocktails, an upscale, moody restaurant with dark walls, an elegant bar, warm orange accents and a menu by former Farmingdale resident-chef Marc Anthony Bynum. Bynum’s Tasting Room menu has a little bit of everything, including simple starters like avocado hummus served with naan bread, fried calamari, lobster-stuffed egg rolls and kung pao pierogies. There’s charcuterie for two or four people, salads from a Mediterranean-style piled high with quinoa, chickpeas, cucumber, pistachios and feta, to an Asian-inspired seared tuna with carrots, scallions, sesame seeds, crispy noodles and honey soy vinaigrette.

Millie's Smash Bar, Patchogue

There’s a shake-up and expansion happening in Patchogue: That Meetball Place rebrands; a speakeasy lounge debuts next door, and Millie’s Smash Bar, a burger joint and retro diner, opens in the space connecting the two. Partner Joe Reale and chef Pedro Morales worked on the burger blend, adding sauces and a bourbon bacon jam. Now, they’re slinging classic smashburgers on sesame seed buns like The Crusha, featuring American cheese, secret sauce, that finger-lickin’ bourbon bacon jam and pickles. The Hot Chick is a spicy fried chicken sandwich with lettuce, tomato, avocado ranch and pepper jack cheese if you'd like. There are disco fries, which come with an extra side of brown gravy, and onion rings, a full bar and a walk-up window for those with the late-night munchies. Offerings include the Adult Happy Meal, made up of a martini, a burger and a side of fries. Daily specials from special milkshakes to limited edition burgers are also on rotation.

Two Thirty Six Omakase, Syosset

A sleek, new omakase bar and lounge has opened in Syosset, giving Long Islanders another spot to try this adventurous style of dining, in which the chef decides what you'll eat. Two Thirty Six (named after its Jericho Turnpike address) is in the former Mara’s Southern Kitchen mere steps away from Syosset Lanes. Reservations are essential, as is prepayment for the $231 all-inclusive, multicourse dinner experience at the sushi counter that involves an assigned seat and a menu inscribed with your name. But first: You can start at the lush, exclusive-feeling lounge up front that's full of blue-velvet chairs, moody table lighting and clubby wood paneling. It serves curated selections of imported sake and Japanese whiskey, plus cocktails like Yuzu Verde featuring tequila, basil syrup, pineapple and yuzu, described as "a garden party gone rogue," or the Midnight Doctrine, "a velvet echo of old jazz and candlelight" that riffs on a Manhattan, with bourbon, vermouth and buttered cacao. Its a la carte bar menu includes cold plates such as sea bream crudo with shaved uni and lemon zest; and a four-piece Toyosu nigiri selection that give a glimpse of what’s happening in back. Hot dishes feature batter-fried chicken thigh, lobster udon pasta, and an 8-ounce A5 Wagyu strip with polenta fries.

Kahani, Huntington

The three Singh brothers behind one of Long Island's top burger joints have opened a buzzy new concept in Huntington: Kahani, an Indian cocktail bar with Punjabi food. Raja and Bobby Singh helped open the smashburger joint BRGRS in 2024 as a way to give back to their brother Rana Singh, who had spent years recovering from a serious car accident. But the brothers wanted to have a restaurant that honored their Punjabi culture. In October, they opened Kahani down the street, in the former Italian spot Lasagna Ristorante. The redesign gives it a look that's a cross between a swank New York City speakeasy and a tapestry-laden Indian restaurant. The two-sided menu is a greatest hits of Punjabi and Northern Indian fare, with buzzy dishes you'll see on hip Indian restaurant menus these days. (There is even steak on the menu, as Raja says, because beef is more commonly consumed within the Sikh community in Punjab.) The popular South Indian dish, 1965 chicken is a hit with crispy nuggets of fried chicken tossed with a spicy mix of peppers and curry leaves. The Punjabi bharta features eggplant roasted in a tandoor before being hand-crushed to a paste and sautéed with peppers and spices. Skip the Taj Mahal lager in favor of a cocktail — there are 13 on offer, most featuring cardamom, jaggery cane sugar, masala powder or coconut water.

Flippin Buns, Hicksville

The dining scene in Hicksville just got beefier, with the new halal smashburger spot Flippin Buns. The concept was started by the brothers behind nearby chicken joint Slappin Chick, Aziz and Zafar Ahmad. It took about 15 months to open the takeout-centric eatery, which opened last month, Aziz Ahmad said. The menu includes classic burgers with onions, pickles and a signature Flippin Sauce as well as twists like the Green Kick burger with jalapeños for a bit of heat. Fries are served plain or loaded with onions, cheese and sauce.

Karmic Grind, Oyster Bay

The first Karmic Grind, a chic cafe with pastel-colored merch that asks patrons to "grind & be kind," opened seven years ago in Locust Valley. Partners Regina Smith, a former yoga studio owner, and Alicia Zarou Scanlon, a former restaurateur and art dealer, have teamed up to open a second outpost on Pine Hollow Road in Oyster Bay. The large, white, sun-drenched space, outfitted with subtle art and windowed garage doors that open up in warmer weather, entices guests to slow down, sit and savor as they sip. It also expands the reach of fair-trade Colombian coffee brand Devoción, which just debuted a new Brooklyn flagship in Williamsburg. Their Wired and Inspired blend, made exclusively for Karmic Grind, is a medium roast with chocolate, vanilla, raspberry and almond notes. Have it in espresso, latte, macchiato or cortado, among other classic drinks. Devoción's cold brew is on tap, and the organic teas include chai and matcha, as well as hot and iced teas. Additionally, there’s a growing food menu, including decadent grilled bacon, egg and cheese sandwiches on Bread Alone sourdough, avocado toast, fresh bagels from Glen Cove Bagel Cafe, muffins and pastries from King Street Bakery and doughnuts from Doughnut Plant.

Alto Enoteca, Roslyn

With Alto Enoteca, the tiny new Italian eatery on Old Northern Boulevard in Roslyn, Nico Di Lullo is back where he grew up — in a restaurant. His parents, Franco and Gemma Di Lullo, settled in Bayville after emigrating from Italy and owned two restaurants. Di Lullo recruited chef Massimiliano Francucci, born in Capri, to run the open kitchen and the two have put together a casual menu that can take customers from wine-adjacent snacks to full-blown meals. Cheeses and salumi are imported from Italy — except for the bresaola (air-dried beef) made from Italian cattle raised in Nebraska — and bread is made on the premises. Snacks  include marinated stem-on artichokes and wild mushrooms sott’olio; bruschette are topped with sweet-sour eggplant; mortadella, stracciatella and pistachio; semidried cherry tomatoes and stracchino; salami, mushrooms and ricotta. Plates are divided into cold (among them, burrata di bufala and oven-dried cherry tomatoes; shaved fennel, grapefruit, olives and candied walnuts; greens with Nebbiolo-poached figs and citrus vinaigrette; tuna crudo with lemon and cilantro) and hot (Tuscan-spiced ribs with lemon-parsley emulsion; roasted cauliflower and cannellini beans with lemon-caper tahini; skirt steak with white miso and cherry tomatoes). 

Nautilus Roasting Co., Huntington Station

Nautilus Roasting Co., a small storefront with a large adjacent seating area in Huntington Station, begs a visit for its coffee, but also its wholly vegan menu of sweets and muffins. Contrary to its name, Nautilus doesn’t roast its own coffee (although they have a roaster and hope to in the future), but highlights exclusive blends and single origins "from a couple of different roasters." Within its subway-tiled white storefront, Fitzgerald is sticking to coffee basics like lattes, iced coffee and cold brew, as well as fall specials like maple and pumpkin creme lattes. There’s raspberry hibiscus tea, and something called the Jackie Daytona, which is raspberry tea mixed with a cold brew. Don’t miss the sweet offerings from cookies to cupcakes, all of which are 100% vegan and made in-house by baker Malyssa Sue Ferruzzo. Recommended: the cinnamon coffee cake muffin and Fluffernutter cupcake.

Sweet Harbor Coffee, Roslyn

Sweet Harbor Coffee is a cozy, family-owned cafe with seating for 14 and a tight menu of perfectly executed espresso drinks. The easy-drinking opening coffee is an exclusive medium to dark blend for Sweet Harbor from Shared Roasting, a wholesaler in Brooklyn. From that base, they plan to expand to various blends and single origin offerings. Iced lattes are clearly top sellers, with the seasonal special — a maple sea salt latte — being the most requested; on a recent day, one party ordered eight of them. The other current special is a dirty cardamom rose chai that the Jensens plan to make a regular menu item. Non-coffee drinks include hot and iced tea, hot chocolate and matcha lattes.

Eddie's Bistro and Bar, Oyster Bay

Soccer-themed Eddie's Bistro and Bar, owned by mother-daughter team Michelle and Elizabeth Reilly, honors their late family patriarch Edmund "Eddie," a beloved coach in the community, according to Elizabeth. Bistro classics include starters like stracciatella with tomato and basil with sourdough crostini and lamb meatballs with whipped ricotta. Generous pizzas include a Margherita and Mo’s mushroom truffle, while green salads range from a lightly grilled baby gem Caesar to a harvest option with endive, arugula, seasonal fruit, Gorgonzola and candied walnut. Intricate pastas like blue crab torchio with Calabrian chiles offset a simple a cheese agnolotti. There is a daily catch plus a more casual roster of sandwiches, ranging from steak to crispy chicken to cheeseburger.

Mokafé, Melville

Yemeni coffee shops are the biggest dining trend of the fall, and now Long Island has its first shop with a drive-thru. The shiny and spacious Mokafé opens today on Route110 in Melville, in the former fast-food spot Cheezly’s. The Astoria, Queens- and Paterson, New Jersey-based chain differentiates by asking each customer whether they prefer Guatemalan or Yemeni coffee for each drink. Mokafé offers a full menu of espresso drinks as well as halal food items like honeycomb bread, pastrami sandwiches and avocado toast. 

Tacos Malamadre, Mineola

One of Long Island's best restaurants has expanded with a second, clubbier location and new menu items. Tacos Malamadre has opened in Mineola as an extension of its sister spot in Westbury, Mala Madre Taqueria, currently on Newsday's Top 50 restaurants and best Long Island tacos lists. With a bigger kitchen, Owner Alejandro Nava expand the menu with new tacos, an excellent aguachile seafood dish and Mexican torta sandwiches, which are currently one of his top sellers. The two new taco selections are impressive: The pulpo and chorizo taco features crumbled and spiced chorizo with fat slabs of grilled octopus. The second taco, inspired by a spot in Mexico City called La Once Mil, features a juicy slab of rib-eye with a cheese crust on a housemade hibiscus tortilla, made from the leftover flowers used to steep hibiscus agua fresca.

Naya, Oceanside

Think of it like the Middle Eastern version of Sweetgreen — a growing NYC chain serving Lebanese salad bowls and wraps has opened in Oceanside, its second Long Island location. Originally a spinoff of a Manhattan Lebanese restaurant, the fast-casual spot Naya has been around since 2010, and boasts 39 locations in surrounding states. Choose a wrap, bowl or salad and pile on the fresh veggies and Lebanese dips, like hummus, cucumber yogurt and toum, a creamy garlic whip. They also sell packages of this to go, and it's worth bringing some home and spreading on everything in sight. Proteins like chicken and beef shawarma are scooped from troughs rather than being prepared to order. During a recent visit, the salad with roasted cauliflower turned out to be a better option than the wrap, which was packed loose.

Kalamaki Greek, Hauppauge

It’s been 14 years since Chris Giorgou and his partners closed their quick-serve Greek eatery Kalamaki in Roslyn, but he recently saw an opportunity in Hauppauge and couldn’t pass it up. In June, he took over the 4-year-old Pete the Greek in Motor Parkway Plaza. "Kalamaki" refers to the skewers of grilled meat that, in the United States, are more commonly called souvlaki. You’ll find skewers of chicken and pork and vertically roasted gyros of beef-lamb, chicken and pork. The beef-lamb is of the usual prefabricated minced-meat variety but both the chicken and pork are made from stacked slices of meat. Along with grilled chicken, falafel and salmon, proteins of all forms can be ordered in full-blown pita sandwiches, small or large platters. Platters come with one side, soup or salad, pita and sauce. There are also plenty of classic Greek starters, soups, salads and desserts.

Millie's Mimosa House & Eatery, Babylon

Brunch in Babylon is getting its latest refresh, at Millie’s Mimosa House and Eatery, which has opened in the former Don Ricardo's on a prime stretch of East Main Street in the village. The spot was last home to another brunch concept, Mack's, which closed over the summer. The two-floor eatery serves breakfast and lunch in a remodeled space (think breezy sky blues and white) designed to transport guests to the muse, the French Riviera. The menu offers elevated takes on quintessential brunch dishes such as lemon meringue French toast and a riff on eggs Benedict with duck confit. Millie's takes a specific approach to mimosas, treating the classic brunch drink as more of a cocktail. The Capri Sun is made with mango-orange juices and a raspberry puree. The Evil Queen winks to the classic Brothers Grimm fairy tale with apple juice, raspberry puree and caramel.

Two J Kitchen, Oceanside

Two J Kitchen in Oceanside, which popped up this July in a former bubble tea spot on Long Beach Road, serves must-try kimbap rolls, a savory seaweed and rice wrap that's one of the most popular foods in South Korea. With nine varieties, the rolls can be stuffed with fish cakes, Spam, bulgogi beef, chicken and spicy tuna. Two J Kitchen also serves rice plates, ramen noodle dishes and other snacks like kimchi french fries and Korean corn dogs. The galbi short ribs rice plate has been on constant rotation at my house.

Wonder, Westbury

Billing itself as a "new kind of food hall," Wonder lets diners order popular menu items from well-known restaurants in one place — a celebrity chef ghost kitchen with no celebrities or chefs, if you will. On the heels of the first Long Island Wonder storefront opening in Melville, the chain has expanded to Westbury and has seven more locations planned to open here through the end of the year.  Diners can mix and match say, Jonathan Waxman’s roasted chicken with salsa verde and crispy rosemary Parmesan potatoes from Barbuto. Or try Marcus Samuelsson’s fried chicken (made famous at Streetbird in Harlem) alongside brisket from the Texas barbecue spot Tejas, or Bobby Flay's steak in one meal or delivery/takeout order. Besides signature dishes from headlining chefs, Wonder offers Hawaiian poke, DiFara pizza, Thai from SriPraPhai, kids’ meals from Bellies, and dishes from Yasas, a Mediterranean bowl concept by Michael Symon — over 20 concepts in all — all prepared in the Wonder kitchen.

Chiyoda, Great Neck Plaza

In the former home of Mi Casa es Tu Casa, this certified kosher restaurant is a more casual alternative to upscale kosher spots like Tiger Sushi. The space is significantly larger than other sushi spots, making it an ideal venue for parties and large groups. The small menu is dominated by rolls. The rolls here are well constructed and don't skimp on the fish. The Edelman roll was particularly substantial, stuffed with spicy tuna and avocado, and topped with fatty hunks of bluefin tuna. There's also a small menu of Chinese American stir fries for those who aren't into sushi. 

Benny's Sushi, Great Neck

Loyal customers were crushed when the local standby Matsuya closed and moved to Roslyn when its lease expired this spring. People had forged a connection with Benny Tong, an amiable sushi chef (and original owner) who continued to work there under a different owner for 30 years. This summer, Tong formed a new concept, albeit in a tucked-away locale. He partnered with Marco Polo's restaurant inside the Inn at Great Neck, which has rebranded its menu with an "East meets West" theme. There's classic hotel restaurant fare like French onion soup and steak Diane, but then there's a separate page of specialty rolls and nigiri. Tong is a fixture behind the sushi bar, chatting up regulars and offering up his creations, like a plate of yellowtail topped with jalapeño and bathed in truffled ponzu sauce. The nigiri shine brighter than the rolls here; and a bite of fatty chutoro tuna on rice is the highlight.

The Gourmet Bagel Co., Riverhead

A taste of Brooklyn comes to Riverhead at its newest bagel store, The Gourmet Bagel Co., which has opened on Old Country Road. Co-owners (and cousins) Joe Aceto and John Felleti are using the same bagel recipe from their first shop in Brooklyn Heights, which opened in 1994. The two have owned several bagel stores in the past, but currently operate one other,The Gourmet Bagel Co. on Lakeland Avenue in Bohemia. Bagels run from standard (plain, onion, egg everything bagels) to specialty (Asiago, French toast, rainbow). Cream cheese spreads hit all the expected notes: scallion, chocolate chip, bacon and herb. The menu goes beyond bagels to include breakfast staples such as omelets, breakfast wraps and pancakes as well as lettuce wraps like the Poultry in Motion with chicken salad, cranberries, apples and walnuts drizzled with honey. Other playfully named specialty sandwiches nod to TV and Hollywood characters: The Chuck Norris is a riff on spicy Southern fried chicken while My Cousin Vinny is a turkey and bacon wrap with ranch dressing (both $12.99). Italian specialties include parmigiana heroes and "drunkin’" chicken, which is chicken cutlet served with vodka sauce, hot honey and fresh mozzarella on a garlic hero.

Pasta Joint, Huntington

Huntington’s newest restaurant is brought to you by two of the town’s most established operators, Eric and Jason Machado. Last month the brothers opened Pasta Joint, a value-priced Italian eatery where fresh pasta is produced right there in the open kitchen. The menu is anchored by eight pasta dishes. The Machados use different doughs in their Arcobaleno machine: egg and finely milled "double zero" flour for the fettuccine, water and semolina for the spaghetti and rigatoni. You’d be wise to take their suggestions for which pasta goes with which sauce: fettuccine with pomodoro, Alfredo and a delicate lemon-Parmesan sauce; rigatoni with Bolognese, vodka and pesto; spaghetti with carbonara and a good-and-porky Amatriciana. Portions are generous and pasta is not drowned with sauce. Pasta Joint considers focaccia, chicken Parm, chicken Milanese, meatballs and fried burrata as sides, plus they offer salads, appetizers and tiramisu for dessert.

Branzinos, Northport

When James Villani opened Branzinos Bar & Restaurant in Huntington Station in 2020, he wanted to bring modern Italian dinner classics to an area better known for its lunch options. In Brazinos’ new Northport outpost, it’s the opposite. The new restaurant, in the former Southdown Market off Fort Salonga Road, features more lunch-friendly options as well as a wood-burning oven in which pizzas and fire-roasted fish are cooked to perfection. At lunchtime, a fixed-price option for $24 includes soup or a house salad. Diners can choose between large salads including Caesar, wedge and crispy artichoke options and 12-inch pizzas spanning Margherita, hot honey pepperoni, vodka and pesto varieties. At dinnertime, the menu remains true to its Huntington Station counterpart, only it’s been enhanced by three versions of the namesake branzino — one with mussels and clams in a white wine sauce, one butterflied with herbed bread crumbs, the last topped with olives, tomatoes and capers — served whole or filleted.

The Granola Bar, Massapequa Park

The Granola Bar on Long Island, which opened in Woodbury a year ago, has expanded to Massapequa Park, giving the South Shore another brunch option. The health-conscious, modern comfort food menu includes all-day breakfast, toasts, a build-your-own granola bowl bar, parfaits, loaded salads, hearty sandwiches and a bevy of coffee drinks, including hard lattes laced with alcohol, and dirty sodas in a pop of color. There are even root beer floats and egg creams.

Tatte Bakery & Cafe, Garden City

The high-end Boston-based chain Tatte Bakery & Cafe operates more than 30 locations on the East Coast, most of them clustered around Boston and Washington, D.C. The new Garden City location has dozens of baked goods: muffins, apple pie and mini cheesecakes, Linzer cookies, tiramisu and a few items that express founder Tzurit Or’s Middle Eastern heritage such as halvah tea cakes and Jerusalem bagels — huge, tender rings of sesame-encrusted dough which, unlike actual bagels, are not boiled before they are baked. There are also cookies, coffee cakes and artisan breads. You’ll also find an extensive range of coffee and tea. Tatte has a full-service kitchen that prepares a range of breakfasts, salads, soups, sandwiches, quiches and shakshukas.

Rockefellers Kitchen & Cocktails, Lake Grove

Lake Grove’s newest restaurant, Rockefellers Kitchen & Cocktails, has opened in the former Village Idiot Pub. Pivoting the 5,500-square-foot space on Middle Country Road to a Prohibition-inspired eatery was driven by a need to expand the demographic, its owner said. Renovations added Art Deco touches such as black velvet seats, royal blue damask wallpaper and a large mural with New York City landmarks. There's seating for 200 and a private party room for up to 50. The new menu offers a modern twist on American fare, including more seafood. For appetizers, think lobster bisque, "drunken" mussels steamed in a garlicky beer broth and crispy pulled pork croquettes served with spicy horseradish and Parmesan cheese. As for mains, there's a "drunken" chicken melt and crab-stuffed shrimp pomodoro, plus an expanded cocktail menu.

White Bear, Great Neck

They've been called the best dumplings in New York City — White Bear, a cult-favorite dumpling stall from Flushing, Queens, has quietly opened a Great Neck location. In the same vein as the original, the new shop on Bond Street is basically a takeout spot, with a thin bench and barstools running along both sides of the room. With 17 items, the menu is half the size of the original, but that's no matter. Most people will be ordering some variation of the No. 6, the wontons with hot sauce (available in multiple sizes). The new spot also serves noodles, pan-fried dumplings and a few other dishes from the eastern province of Shandong, China, and classic Taiwanese dishes like braised pork rice.

Focāris, Lynbrook

Co-owner Sergio Sontay learned the craft of Neapolitan pizza while working at Sotto Casa and Simo Pizza, both in Manhattan. Sontay and his brother Melvin renovated the former B. Greek Kitchen, reopening this May as Focāris, which he said means "hearth" in Latin. Sontay brought in an Italian Fiero Forni oven and started making pizzas using only four ingredients: Caputo flour, water, salt and yeast. The pizza gets a 48-hour ferment before it's baked in the oven. The Focāris menu is small but mighty, with eight varieties of Neapolitan pizza including the classics (Margherita and marinara), mushroom, diavola and a white pie with ricotta cheese. Pizzas aren't too big, so you might want to get a couple or supplement it with one of their three fresh house-made pasta dishes.

Magnolias, Bay Shore

A taste of New York City hospitality has arrived in Bay Shore. Magnolias, a Manhattan-inspired, martini-forward cocktail bar, has opened at the former King’s Chophouse location on East Main Street, which closed this spring. The food menu includes small bites, a raw bar and some larger format options. Munch on a seared tuna steak served with wasabi risotto, crispy buttermilk chicken or the spicy tuna sliders made with rice crackers, avocado sesame and scallions. enjoy the hot and dirty martini made with Fear City Gin, dry vermouth and banana pepper brine. Magnolias egg-spresso martini is made with Blank Farm vodka, port wine, espresso, cinnamon and egg yolk. The rotating menu also features seasonal cocktails and mocktails.

Tiki Tacos, Miller Place

Crazy Beans in Miller Place might not be the first place Long Island foodies think of to go to for mai tais and tacos, but its new nighttime concept seeks to change that. By day, Crazy Beans is an all-day breakfast and brunch spot, serving comfort food like chicken and waffles alongside avocado toast and pancake quesadillas. Rather than close for the day at 4 p.m., owners Callie and Timothy Martino partnered with John Louis of the Maui Chophouse food truck and chef Madison "Maddy" Bender (you've seen her on the reality cooking show "Hell's Kitchen") to create a nighttime taco restaurant open until 10 p.m. The Hawaiian-inspired menu is similar to the menu Louis had at the now-shuttered Maui Chophouse in Rocky Point. Build-your-own tacos ($13.99 for two) can be had with teriyaki beef or tofu, coconut shrimp, pulled pork or garlic butter shrimp, and your choice of toppings and sauce. There's a beef "spamburger" served with pineapple, jalapeño and sriracha aioli. Tiki-inspired drinks include non-alcoholic Hawaiian POG — that's passionfruit, orange and guava juiced — along with the requisite mai tai or blue Hawaiian made with made with coconut rum, blue Curacao and pineapple juice.

The Farm Italy, Westbury

When The Farm Italy debuted in Huntington in 2023, it was one of the biggest openings of the year, transforming a Huntington Village steakhouse into a sprawling Tuscan fantasy. Now it has a sibling as The Farm Italy opened in Westbury. Similar to the Huntington original, the design mimics a sweeping Italian countryside estate, transporting guests as they enter the stunning space. Not to be missed: The serene, covered outdoor terrace, complete with fire pit, that adds 70 seats to the 150 inside. Chef Roberto Baez replicates the same seasonal menu featured in Huntington here, with starters like tagliolini, a creamy, cheesy pasta dish made with Pecorino, eggs and coppa. In the pasta category, don’t miss the signature cacio e pepe and more seasonal offerings like spaghetti with lobster in a creamy, fra diavolo sauce, and ribbonlike malfandine with jumbo lump crab, gremolata butter, bread crumb and Fresno chile. For entrees, requisite chicken, veal and eggplant Parms sit alongside fileted branzino, NY strip and more.  

La Bottega, Babylon

La Bottega, a casual Italian chainlet with five locations across the Island, has added a sixth: Babylon Village can now share in the joy of oversized chicken cutlets, hand-pulled mozzarella and gently pressed paninis. With just nine tables inside and four along the sidewalk, Babylon’s La Bottega is cozy and warm, with a counter to the left and sit-down dining room to the right. The menu is loaded with Italian-inspired fare — both light and heavy — from soups, salads and sandwiches, all popular at lunchtime, to hearty pastas, generous chicken Milanese variations, and entrees including chicken breast in a white wine and lemon sauce, flank steak and grilled salmon served with shrimp.

Hundredfold, Elmont

The new Hundredfold sure is a handsome space, with a star chef to boot. With its tall ceilings, open kitchen and art-gallery-meets-farmhouse decor, the sprawling brasserie is a lovely place to spend an afternoon. Hundredfold opened in July with a James Beard-winning chef from Los Angeles, Timothy Hollingsworth, who previously worked as chef de cuisine at The French Laundry in Yountville, California. There is a raw bar complete with a caviar bump and a vodka martini, along with dishes like escargot, spinach artichoke dip and a small but worthy trio of deviled eggs complete with an adorable caricature on the plate. The restaurant also has a nostalgic thing going with its French bread pizzas, which can come smothered in mushrooms, French onion toppings or pepperoni hot honey. The Hundredfold cheeseburger is a highlight, with its tasty tomato jam that added a sweet touch. 

Fēniks, Southampton

The focus of Fēniks is the chef’s tasting menu, served at a six-seat counter and prepared by Douglas Gulija, who ran The Plaza Cafe, the Southampton restaurant that he and his wife, Andi, opened in 1997 and which closed in June. The tasting menu, $285 for eight courses, changes constantly but might feature Wagyu tartare with potato pavé; a tower of local tuna and lump crabmeat atop avocado-wasabi mash with yuzu "air"; duck breast with Asian slaw, peach-hoisin sauce and duck-fat fingerling potatoes; prime rib-eye cap roulade with Okinawan sweet potato, snap peas and soy Bordelaise sauce. But there’s also an a la carte menu for the 20-seat dining room adjacent to the counter and a roster of elevated bar snacks served upstairs at "Skip’s Lounge." The a la carte menu includes some old Plaza Cafe favorites: plancha-seared local calamari on hummus and day-boat scallops on sweet-corn polenta.

Banjara, Bethpage

Banjara seems like a giant, cinematic restaurant — it's the kind of place that sets its chicken tikka on fire at the table and has its servers pouring curry out of seashells onto your plate. Nearly every dish has a theatrical component, even the ice cream. The Indian fusion menu imanages to encompass most of the regions of the Indian subcontinent. Scanning the two pages, you'll see lots of interesting titles, like shrimp malai curry, crab sukkha and paneer pinwheel changezi. One visit barely scratches the surface here, but initial highlights included a deeply spiced goat curry called laal maas and a standout chicken biryani.

Pisco Nikkei, Centereach

When Christina and Harry Caldera discovered Peruvian cuisine during many food-driven trips to Queens, it resulted in the opening of Selden’s Picchu in 2022. Three years later, the pair opened their second Peruvian restaurant, Pisco Nikkei, just a stone’s throw away on Middle Country Road in Centereach. This second restaurant is an homage to Nikkei, the Japanese-Peruvian fusion that focuses on sushi, raw fish and other Japanese influences. The Pisco ceviche, made with sea bass, is served with fried calamari atop, while the tricolor version features tuna, yellowtail and salmon. The Labyrinth, or generous portion of tuna tataki, is served around a microgreen salad dressed with toasted sesame and a citrus soy drizzle. The Papa roll is stuffed with crab, avocado and cucumber, topped with salmon, crunchy potato sticks and creamy papa a la huincaína sauce. If raw fish isn’t your bag, there are plenty of hot, classic Peruvian entrees, like stir-fried lomo saltado.

Abu Zayn, Rockville Centre

Abu Zayn looks like a place you'd find in the Little Egypt neighborhood of Astoria, Queens. Rotating spits of chicken and beef shawarma pop up from behind the counter of the small storefront on Merrick Road in Rockville Centre. A flat-screen TV plays classic Egyptian music as people dig in to elaborately plated meat platters with lush vegetable dips. The food definitely punches higher than the modest, but chic, setting. Abu Zayn is also the only place around that specializes in Egyptian-style shawarma. Abu Zayn keeps it simple, with a small menu of charcoal barbecued meats and shawarma sandwiches, which can be tucked into pita bread, baguettes or in the typical Egyptian style, on a Kaiser roll.