Best bets for outdoor dining on Long Island: Where to eat during Phase 2
After three long months, dining at restaurants is back on Long Island — at least, outdoors and with plenty of changes to seating and service. Still, eateries are embracing the challenge with tables perched under tents in the parking lot and re-imagined patios and decks.
Here are some best bets for outdoor dining during Phase 2 of Long Island's reentry from coronavirus:
Fresno Restaurant (8 Fresno Pl., East Hampton): Being a little off East Hampton’s beaten path has given Fresno room to really spread out. This summer the restaurant has converted its parking area and patio into a festive beer garden with a combination of cafe and picnic tables. In addition to beer (and wine and cocktails), the New American menu features scallop and fluke ceviche, wild mushrooms with Parmesan polenta and Fourme d'Ambert, watermelon gazpacho, pan-seared whole local sea bass, grilled Berkshire pork chop with black beans and guajillo-pepper sauce. Dinner only, every day except Wednesday. Reservations recommended. More info: 631-324-8700, fresnorestaurant.com
Fresno in East Hampton has converted its parking area and patio into an outdoor beer garden. Credit: Steve Haweeli
Konoba (46G Gerard St., Huntington): You may not even be aware of the Croatia-shaped hole in your dining-out repertoire, but Konoba is here to fill it. The cuisine of this former Yugoslav republic is at the intersection of Italy (lots of olive oil), Eastern Europe (lots of potatoes and cabbage) and the Balkans (lots of grilled meats and phyllo pastries). Konoba’s mixed grill — with cevapčiči (skinless sausage), smoked sausage, grilled chicken, lepinja (flatbread), ajvar (pepper spread) and fries — is a good introduction. Don’t pass up the chance to try some Croatian wine. More info: 631-824-7712, konobahuntington.com
Bar Frites (400 Wheatley Plaza, Greenvale): The Wheatley Plaza shopping center in Greenvale acts as a town square for the communities of Roslyn, Old Westbury and the Brookvilles. Bar Frites, which sprawls across the northwestern corner of the shopping center, was one of the first Poll Brothers restaurants to open for outdoor dining, and the vault-tented patio has never seemed livelier, as regular customers reacquaint themselves with one another, with the staff (each of whom sports a jaunty “Bar Frites” mask) and with the menu of raw oysters, prime steaks, flatbread pizzas, tuna tartar and other favorites. Open from noon to 10 p.m. Monday to Friday, from 10:30 to a.m. to 10 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. No reservations. More info: 516-484-7500, barfrites.com
People dine outside at Bar Frites in Greenvale on June 10. Credit: Yvonne Albinowski
Great South Bar (23 S. Ocean Ave., Patchogue): One of Long Island’s best cocktail bars has, for the first time, added three tables on the sidewalk out front. It’s a charming little patio roped off by torpedo kegs, and co-owner Terence Daly was tending it on the first day of outdoor dining, delivering cans of house lager to guests. The bar was poised to debut a new food menu just before dine-in closures, so look for it over the summer. More info: 631-730-7799, greatsouthbar.com
Gatsby’s Landing (1362 Old Northern Blvd., Roslyn): The waterside patio at Gatsby’s Landing has always been one of Nassau County’s most idyllic outdoor dining spots. Gaze upon Roslyn’s picture-perfect pond where, at twilight, you can share cocktail hour with egrets, herons and ducks who are also out for their evening meal. Gaze down at the table and you’ll be rewarded with expertly mixed cocktails, a brief but imaginative wine list and imaginative, Mediterranean-inflected fare (the summer menu just launched). Crudos and homemade pastas are particular highlights. Because the patio only accommodates 20 socially distanced seats, the restaurant has expanded its usual hours to noon to 8 p.m. every day. No reservations. More info: 516-277-2318, gatsbyslanding.com
Gina Dan and Larry Puleri from New Hyde Park enjoy dining out for the first time during Phase 2 of reopening Long Island at Gatsby's Landing in Roslyn on June 10, 2020. Credit: Yvonne Albinowski
Maria's Mexican and Latin Cuisine (211 Smithtown Blvd., Smithtown): At this Latin-Mexican fusion spot on Smithtown Boulevard, the new stone patio doubles as a lush tropical garden, with towering palms, hibiscus flowers snaking up poles, strings of hanging lights and nooks and crannies for socially distant dining. The margarita list is long here and the menu so wide-ranging you can eat tamales, Cubana quesadillas, ceviche and Argentinian-style churrasco steak during the same meal. More info: 631-979-7724, marias211.com
The LakeHouse (135 Maple Ave., Bay Shore): It’s never been easy scoring an outdoor waterfront table at this Bay Shore stalwart, but things got a tad easier on Wednesday, at least in theory, when the eatery unveiled a capacious tent next to its main dining room. (Note: reservations are still required.) The one-page menu on offer might be streamlined, but it’s a bevy of greatest hits: raw bar, double-cut Berkshire pork chops, warm cinnamon doughnuts for dessert, and on and on. More info: 631-666-0995, thelakehouserest.com
The LakeHouse in Bay Shore offers dining on their outdoor deck and tent patio. Credit: Randee Daddona
Sangria 71 (4585 Austin Blvd., Island Park): This third branch of an LI mini-chain had only been open two months before the pandemic shut down the dining room. The Spanish restaurant had never offered outdoor dining before, nor did the strip-mall location seem very promising. But Sangria 71 forged ahead, laying artificial turf over the four spaces directly in front of the restaurant and placing empty wine casks at the corners of the new “dining room,” which is shaded by tents in the red and yellow of the Spanish flag. It’s an altogether charming setup. The menu is the same as in Williston Park and Commack: classic tapas, paella (for one, two and four), fish, lobsters, steaks, chops and more. Plus eight varieties of sangria. Open from 2 to 10 p.m. every day except Tuesday. No reservations. More info: 516-882-4250, sangria71.com
Barrique (69 Deer Park Ave., Babylon): Get reservations early or prepare yourself for walk-in roulette at this overachieving wine bar in Babylon, which is already fielding a stampeding army of regulars. It’s no wonder, given the wide selection of thin-crust pizzas and small plates, not to mention the 150+ bottles of vino and the quaintest alleyway of 12 outdoor tables this side of the Left Bank. Did we mention reservations? Just making sure you heard us. More info: 631-321-1175, barriquekitchenandwinebar.com
The outdoor dining area at Barrique in Babylon. Credit: Newsday/Joann Vaglica
Salt Shack (100 Ocean Pkwy, Babylon): Sun, sand, surf and, yes, now seating are the stars of this multilevel drinking and dining area (formerly The Beach Hut) at the entrance to Babylon’s Cedar Beach. There are tables on the sand, tables on the deck, tables on the roof — more than 50 available places to sit. As befits the two-year-old establishment’s name, Salt Shack is strictly no frills, but with live music on selected nights, multiple food and drink stations — along with staffers strictly enforcing mask-wearing rules while patrons are inside ordering — and a soft but steady Atlantic breeze, social distancing has never felt so good. More info: 631-422-7222, saltshackny.com
Kasey's Kitchen & Cocktails (23 N. Park Ave., Rockville Centre): Patios, we got by the score, gardens and waterside tables too. But low-storied Long Island is notably short of rooftop dining. So, if you’re anywhere near Rockville Centre, climb up the outdoor stairs to Rooftop 32, the open-air dining room at Kasey’s. Even with socially distanced tables, the capacious deck accommodates about 70 people. The menu is a drink-friendly compilation of tacos, pizzettes, burgers, big salads and lots of noshes like popcorn shrimp and fried spinach-artichoke balls. Don’t miss the lobster roll or the hand-cut fries. To minimize contact and facilitate quicker meals, Kasey’s has ditched the usual waiter service for a fast-casual format: order and pay at the counter; your food will be delivered to your table. Open from noon to 10 p.m. every day, weather permitting. No reservations. More info: 516-766-5049, kaseysrvcny.com
The outdoor dining space at Rooftop 32 at Kasey's Kitchen & Cocktails in Rockville Centre. Credit: Yvonne Albinowski
The alley behind Tim's Shipwreck Diner, Bistro 44 and Maroni in Northport: Running parallel to Main Street in Northport and behind a string of eateries is a brick-lined alley with full of umbrella-topped tables and dining nooks. It’s a mellow escape from the crowds on Main Street, and its tables serve at least three different spots: Tim’s Shipwreck Diner (for breakfast and lunch), Bistro 44 and Maroni Cuisine, whose tables are demarcated by bright red meatball pots.
The Shed (54 New St., Huntington): The Sayville location has yet to reopen, but the original in Huntington is ready for action, with eight or so tables spread out over two patios. (The restaurant is in talks with the town about making use of some sidewalk space and part of a nearby parking lot.) Needless to say, reservations are highly recommended, especially on uber-popular Saturdays and Sundays, which are presently the only days on which brunch is served. It’s lunch and dinner the rest of the week, and a sturdy menu of sandwiches and salads, burgers and bowls. Of special note: the good-sized cocktail list, which includes such faves as boozy lemonade and a grapefruit-and-vodka concoction known as the Pink Panther. More info: 631-385-7433, intheshed.com
Diners at The Shed in Huntington on the first day of outdoor dining on Long Island, June 10. Credit: Linda Rosier
Grand Stage Diner (2490 Hempstead Tpke, East Meadow): Admit it, you never thought you’d see the day when your average neighborhood diner would take things al fresco. Grand Stage has done all this and more, creating a tent-and-tablecloth atmosphere that’s distinctly East Meadow meets East End. Otherwise, there are 22 variously-sized tables, a menu every bit as compendious as a diner’s should be, and matchless views of Hempstead Turnpike and the Sunoco beyond. More info: 516-719-5977, grandstagediner.com
JT's Farmhouse (291 Bayport Ave., Bayport): This historic Bayport restaurant was taken over and revamped last fall by local restaurateur Justin Tempelman and his partners. The place had clocked about four months before coronavirus forced it to close, but the restart of outdoor dining means the debut of a bucolic stone patio out front, framed by wooden beams, surrounded by greenery and with a long view of the street. Out back is a second patio with picnic tables, ideal for splitting ribs or honey-drizzled fried chicken. More info: 631-472-4100, jtsfarmhousebayport.com
Justin Tempelman, owner of JT's Farmhouse, in Bayport, stands in the outdoor seating area on June 11. A section of the parking lot has been redesigned to be a socially distanced seating area. Credit: Newsday/Steve Pfost
Vittorio’s Italian Steakhouse (184 Broadway, Amityville): Time was, not so long ago, when the décor at this Amityville stalwart was the restaurant equivalent of easy listening music — pleasant, forgettable, and the sole province of boomers. And though the restaurant has been offering takeout and delivery for lunch and dinner since Apr. 29, no one expected the arboreal ecstasy that ensued last week when Vittorio’s added an outdoor dining area flanked by a dozen tall majesty palms. (More are on the way.) The trees, party lights, dry-aged steaks, seasonal cocktail list and blindingly white tablecloths combine to create a delicious excitement that the eatery could only have imagined a few weeks ago. No reservations are taken for the three cocktail tables and 10 regular ones, which will likely fill up quickly during Vittorio’s popular Sunday brunch. But it’s balmy summer evenings that will remind you of how joyous an eating out experience can be, when the breeze rustles through the palms and, for just a moment, Broadway becomes Espanola Way — in Miami Beach. More info: 631-264-3333, vittorios.biz
Claudio’s Waterfront (111 Main St., Greenport): Claudio’s sprawls over the Greenport waterside with multiple eateries but, for now, all the firepower is concentrated at Claudio’s Waterfront, at the end of a pier that juts out into the harbor. There are spaced-out tables under a big tent and tables out on the sunny deck and the bar has been fitted out with transparent barriers every few seats for socially distanced quaffing. The menu features dishes from Claudio’s restaurant and Crabby Jerry’s including clam chowder, bang-bang shrimp, clams and oysters on the half shell, mahi Reuben sandwich, shrimp scampi, grilled and fried fish, lobster rolls, lobster bakes and lobster Cobb salad. More info: 631-477-0627, claudios.com
At Claudio's Waterfront in Greenport, clear partitions have been installed to separate patrons at the bar. Credit: Newsday/Erica Marcus
Green Hill Kitchen & Que (48 Front St., Greenport): In 2019, Matty Boudreau was appointed chef of Green Hill Kitchen, and he redirected the focus from German-inflected New American to straight-head comfort food and barbecue. Now the parking lot out back has been converted into a sunny patio where you can enjoy brisket, ribs and pulled pork — as well as smoked jackfruit, blackened salmon, burgers, lobster rolls and a terrific selection of beers, wines and cocktails. More info: 631-477-4900, greenhillny.com
Nicky's of Centerport (6 Little Neck Rd., Centerport): In its nearly 49 years here, this friendly neighborhood hangout has never had outdoor seating — until now. A handful of umbrella-topped tables now dot the parking lot out front, quickly filled with devoted regulars who missed the burgers, excellent steak sandwich and daily specials, from lobster rolls to sole Oreganata. Though the often-packed bar is closed for now, a few chairs are scattered outside and there's occasional live music. Dinner only, starting at 4 p.m. More info: 631-757-7277, nickysofcenterport.com
Stone Creek Inn (405 Montauk Hwy., East Quogue): Since 1996, chef Christian Mir and his wife Elaine DiGiacomo have presided over this casually elegant destination for Mediterranean-inflected New American fare. Now the restaurant has taken advantage of its capacious grounds to set up a vaulted tent alongside the building for outdoor dining. Takeout customers are welcome to eat at the picnic tables on the back lawn. On Sundays, a mobile wood-burning pizza oven in the parking lot is fired up for artisanal pies. More info: 631-653-6770, stonecreekinn.com
