The 10 best steakhouses on Long Island

Blackstone Steakhouse

Blackstone Steakhouse (10 Pinelawn Rd., Melville): The look of this prime steakhouse suggests a bit of Frank Lloyd Wright. And the cuisine often is creative and stylish as well as first-rate. Blackstone is one of three Anthony Scotto restaurants on the Top 10 list of steakhouses. It's equally recommended for terrific sushi. Consider Blackstone the ultimate, redefined surf-and-turf destination. So, start with the classic nigirizushi, or with bluefin tuna crudo. Try a sushi roll, especially the wagyu beef number with king crab and spicy tuna; or the Vietnam roll, with king crab, lobster, asparagus, avocado, chives, sweet chili sauce, and Sriracha, wrapped in rice paper. All steaks stand out, from the porterhouse for two or four to the bone-in rib-eye, sirloin and filet mignon. And there's an appealing Kurobuta long-bone pork chop. Seaside: steamed or broiled lobster. Mashed potatoes and creamed spinach on the side. Banana cream pie or cheesecake for dessert. More info: 631-271-7780, blackstonesteakhouse.com

Kobe beef with Asian yam and red lotus taro chips is served at Blackstone Steakhouse in Melville.

Bryant & Cooper

Bryant & Cooper (2 Middle Neck Rd., Roslyn): The newly renovated Bryant & Cooper, gracing this corner since 1986, anchors the Poll restaurant group. The steaks are served by an experienced staff in a clubby setting, where many diners know what they want before the menu arrives, checking only the blackboard for specials. In season, stone crab claws are obligatory. Anytime, sample the shellfish cocktails, clams oreganata, and the reliably excellent linguine with white clam sauce. The porterhouse for two, three or four is the big cut. Equally recommended are the sirloin, rib steak and filet mignon, plus the chopped sirloin with onions and the lamb chops. You can veer off-course with a hefty chicken parmigiana, veal piccata, and broiled lobster. The Lyonnaise and cottage fried potatoes vie with the baked spud and the mashed ones. Creamed spinach also is a winner. At lunch, the house bacon cheeseburger is a juicy attraction. Key lime and pecan pies top the sweets. More info: 516-627-7270, pollrestaurants.com

A husky prime rib is one of the signature dishes at Bryant & Cooper in Roslyn.

The Capital Grille

The Capital Grille (630 Old Country Rd., Garden City): Roosevelt Field hosts the local link in the dependable, well-run national chain. This branch brings in a little Long Island with images of Charles Lindbergh and Jacqueline Kennedy. Overall, the style is clubby and the service accommodating. The essential steak is the bone-in, Kona coffee-rubbed, dry-aged New York strip with shallot butter. It's followed by the 24-ounce dry-aged porterhouse; a porcini-rubbed, bone-in rib-eye; and the dry-aged strip steak au poivre. Sushi-grade, sesame-seared tuna with gingered rice and the broiled lobster head the seafood. Precede all this with oysters, a crab or shrimp cocktail, New England-style clam chowder, or white Cheddar-and-potato soup. Potatoes au gratin, sauteed spinach, and grilled asparagus are good sides. At lunch, the cheeseburger and lobster-and-crab "burger" deserve your attention, along with the lobster salad. Coconut cream pie is the notable dessert. More info: 516-746-1675, thecapitalgrille.com

Filet Oscar, a filet mignon topped with crab meat and rich bearnaise sauce, is served at The Capital Grille in Garden City.

Insignia Prime Steak & Sushi

Insignia Prime Steak & Sushi (610 Smithtown Bypass, Smithtown): The biggest and showiest of Anthony Scotto's steak-sushi trio, Insignia announces itself with striking design, high-octane socializing, and steaks that make you want to return. As at Scotto's Blackstone and Rare650, those steaks are rivaled by the seafood, especially sushi. Go for nigirizushi, or the uncooked fish on ovals of vinegared rice, or the pristine sashimi. Then, segue to the colorful rolls, which can go colorfully to extremes. Shellfish cocktails and oysters on the half shell compete. Or pick grilled octopus, jumbo lump crabcake, or a generous salad. The ample Kansas City sirloin leads the selections for one, followed by the bone-in rib-eye, T-bone, and filet mignon. The porterhouse is sized two to four. The hefty alternative is a two-pound steamed lobster, which vies with sea scallops with pistachio-cream risotto and candied orange zest. Black truffle macaroni and cheese suits Insignia. Dessert: blackberry-mascarpone cheesecake and honey-almond gelato baklava. More info: 631-656-8100, insigniasteakhouse.com

A sushi platter from Insignia Prime Steak & Sushi in Smithtown.

Peter Luger

Peter Luger (255 Northern Blvd., Great Neck): The Peter Luger porterhouse is the paradigm, at the original family-run star in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, which has been the epicenter of beef nationwide since 1887. The legend continues at Great Neck offspring, which opened in 1960. Visually, its style is sort of Tudor-like, half-timbered. No weathered bare-wood tables, either. The peerless porterhouse for two, three or four takes precedence over all other main dishes. For a solo steak, cut into the rib-eye. The loin lamb chop and the prime rib mean business, too. The broiled lobster is the primary seafood. On the side, share the German-fried potatoes and creamed spinach; or the zeppelin of a baked potato with sour cream. And at lunch, until 3:45 p.m., you may order the stellar house hamburger. Before beef: shrimp cocktail, crab cocktail, tomatoes and onions, wedge salad, extra-thick bacon. After: cheesecake, Key lime pie, pecan pie with schlag, or the hot fudge sundae. More info: 516-487-8800, peterluger.com

Apple strudel comes with a flakey crust, homemade schlag and sweet, thick whipped cream at Peter Luger in Great Neck.

The Palm at the Huntting Inn

The Palm at the Huntting Inn (94 Main St., East Hampton): This must be the most countrified, bucolic outpost of The Palm, a steakhouse group with a generally urban membership. The Palm's first restaurant opened in 1926 and was to be called Parma, after the owners' hometown. But a clerk misunderstood the name because of their accents. The Palm was born. It's a classic steakhouse in every way whatever the setting. And it remains one of East Hampton's toughest reservations. The restaurant includes solid Italian and Italian-American specialties such as baked clams oreganata, veal and chicken parmigiana and veal Marsala. The traditional steakhouse fare begins with shellfish cocktails and adds bacon-wrapped scallops. The prime choices: double-cut New York strip steak, Strauss grass-fed filet mignon, the bone-in rib-eye steak and the double-cut lamb chops. The Palm also prepares outstanding, broiled Nova Scotia lobster that start at four pounds. The crabcakes with jicama slaw and Old Bay aioli also are recommended. Creamed spinach and sauteed spinach are strong rivals, as are the three-cheese potatoes au gratin and whipped potatoes. You'll be well-prepped for New York-style cheesecake, Key lime pie, and creme brulee. More info: 631-324-0411, thepalm.com

Chicken parmigiana is served at The Palm at the Huntting Inn in East Hampton.

Rare650

Rare650 (650 Jericho Tpke., Syosset): The steak-and-sushi approach reigns at Rare650, a popular spot for socializing as well as business, with a multilevel, modernist design and spirited style. The sushi, sashimi and shellfish cocktails are dewy and flavorful. The solid appetizers take in grilled octopus, braised wagyu short rib, the combo of Berkshire pork belly and sea scallop, a pan-seared crabcake, lobster bisque and a Japanese-seasoned mini-wagyu burger flight sparked with wasabi-ginger mayo. The chopped salad with vegetables and feta and the Caesar salad are snappy starters, too. The porterhouse for two or four in the main steak. But the filet mignon, sirloin, rib-eye and T-bone also will make you a fan. You can double-down with a Gorgonzola cheese crust or with cherry peppers. Atlantic halibut, with a forbidden rice paella, lobster, chorizo and saffron beurre blanc advances the seafood. Lobsters are available, too. Mashed potatoes and creamed spinach are the apropos sides; cheesecake, carrot cake and Key lime pie, the finales. More info: 516-496-8000, rare650.com

A sushi combination platter with salmon, tuna, hamachi, snapper and fluke sashimi and an Alaskan king crab roll with cucumber, avocado, mango, tempura crunch and topped with salmon and mango chili sauce at Rare650 in Syosset.

Rothmann's Steakhouse

Rothmann's Steakhouse (6319 Northern Blvd., East Norwich): Rothmann's serves history as well as excellent food. The story begins in 1907. Charles and Franziska Rothmann ran a restaurant that counted former President Theodore Roosevelt as a customer. There have been name and style changes through the years, including a 1970s period when it was Burt Bacharach's eatery at the East Norwich Inn. Today, the stars include grilled octopus, kung pao calamari, yellowtail-jalapeno, seared foie gras with balsamic-glazed onions and blueberry compote, shellfish cocktails, and both sushi and sashimi. The special sushi rolls are multiflavor mouthfuls, surprisingly harmonious. The leading steaks are the porterhouse for two, three or four; and the "limited reserve" productions, among them the tomahawk rib-eye, bone-in filet mignon, bone-in strip steak, and Kobe strip steak. The Berkshire pork tomahawk chop adds to the festivities. Roasted fingerling potatoes and creamed spinach are the primary sides, along with sauteed onions and hash browns. Cheesecake and banana cream pie are the best desserts. More info: 516-922-2500, rothmannssteakhouse.com

Assorted sashimi is served at Rothmann's Steakhouse in East Norwich.

Ruth's Chris Steak House

Ruth's Chris Steak House (600 Old Country Rd., Garden City): The sizzle always is in the steak at Ruth's Chris. Your 500-degree plate bubbles with butter, nearly continuing to cook the beef when a slice of the rich porterhouse is presented. The Garden City branch of the 100-plus national chain keeps with the approach. Order the first-class porterhouse a degree more rare than usual. Its rivals are the "specialty" 40-ounce tomahawk rib-eye for two, the bone-in filet mignon and New York strip steaks. The T-bone for one and the "petite" filet mignon and rib-eye also are recommended. None really needs the horseradish or blue cheese crust, but the Oscar version with the addition of crabcake, asparagus and Bearnaise sauce has its appeal. The crab stack, a molded appetizer of crab meat, avocado and mango, is refreshing; the shrimp cocktail, four big ones; and the onion soup, the mild sort. On the side: mashed potatoes, creamed spinach. Cheesecake for dessert. More info: 516-222-0220, ruthschris.com

Cheesecake is on the dessert menu at Ruth's Chris Steak House in Garden City.

Tellers: An American Chophouse

Tellers: An American Chophouse (605 Main St., Islip): Tellers is situated in a transformed bank building that dates to 1927. The ceiling is high in the dining room and in the kitchen at this dramatically designed restaurant, with its 25-foot vertical windows and superior signature 40-ounce rib-eye steak. You also can splurge contentedly on the 28-day, 16-ounce, dry-aged Akaushi beef wagyu steak. The porterhouse for two and the bone-in filet mignon contribute mightily to Tellers' appeal, as does the prime rib roast and the steamed lobster. Likewise, the oysters, tuna tartare, duck-fat fries, and lobster bisque. Very good wedge and Caesar salads, too. The five-cheese macaroni and cheese, onion rings, grilled asparagus, sauteed mushrooms, housemade tots, "train wreck" potatoes, and scalloped Parmesan potatoes head the supporting cast. For lunch, the Black Label burger and the butter-poached lobster rolls both shine. Creme brulee, fudge layer cake, and cheesecake are the significant sweets. More info: 631-277-7070, tellerschophouse.com

A seafood tower of oysters, clams, shrimp, tuna, and jumbo lump crab is served at Tellers: An American Chophouse in Islip.