Oakdale with a view

Just in time for summer comes this major makeover story: The old Riverview Restaurant in Oakdale has been transformed into a top-of-trend spot known simply as View.

Once part of William K. Vanderbilt’s 900-acre Idle Hour estate built in 1888, it continues to offer Connetquot River and Great South Bay views. There's lots of outdoor dining on a deck.

But the interior has changed greatly. The main dining room is spiffed-up contemporary with a nautical slant. The more casual Grill Room (with a bar and bar menu) has French doors leading to an outside patio with tables and service. There's also a lounge with a sushi bar and nearby is a waterfall backdrop (are waterfalls mandatory near sushi bars these days?).

The biggest change, though, is the food. New executive chef William Muzio formerly cooked at Le Bernardin in Manhattan and East by Northeast in Montauk. On his seafood-slanted menu, you'll find raw bar items (like a seafood tower) and such small plates as Thai calamari with peanuts and shrimp seviche with avocado. A typical main course might be pan-roasted sea scallops with sweet Montauk lobster risotto or surf ‘n' turf of filet mignon and Maine lobster tail.

Sushi chef Kun Chang Chen, of the former Yamato in Oakdale, puts out such creations as “duke of fluke” (thinly sliced fluke and ponzu sauce) as well as numerous specialty rolls.

House-made desserts include strawberry-rhubarb cobbler with mascarpone gelato.

View is at 3 Consuelo Pl., Oakdale, 631-589-2694, viewoakdale.com