7 best things we ate on Long Island last month

Newsday's food team eats out every day of the week on Long Island in search of standout meals at a good value. Here are their favorite dishes from the past few weeks:

Roast chicken at The Wayward Kitchen & Cocktails

98 W. Main St., Sayville

A chef I know tipped me off to the roast chicken at The Wayward Kitchen, but I was not prepared for just how good this half "chicken under a brick" ($28) was. Juicy under its golden crispness, it snuggled in the dish with mashed potatoes, wild mushrooms and a thyme jus. What I especially loved was the lack of any unnecessary garnish; a dish like this needs no sprig of rosemary, microgreens or orchids. More info: 631-567-6345, thewaywardsayville.com

Mint lemonade at Rooh’s BBQ Smoked Meat & Steak House

495 Hempstead Tpke., West Hempstead

Meat is the main event at this idiosyncratic eatery whose menu features smoked meats, grilled steaks and Middle Eastern accompaniments. Waiting for our drinks, we were distracted by a leaf-blower-level whir emanating from the kitchen, but all was forgiven when we realized that it was the machine that somehow transformed lemons, mint, sugar and ice into the most wonderfully, slushily refreshing lemonade ($6.99). More info: 516-280-2896, roohsbbqsmokedmeatsteakhouse.com

Saffron mussels at First & South

100 South St., Greenport

It had been too long since I’d returned to First & South which, since it opened 14 years ago, has become one of this seasonal town’s most dependable, year-round destinations. These fat mussels ($22) reposed in a creamy broth of wine, lemongrass, garlic, shallots and herbs — not a drop of which was left after we’d cleaned the bowls with sopping slices of good bread. More info: 631-333-2200, firstandsouth.com

— Erica Marcus

The Cheeseburger at The Comet Club

990 Corporate Drive, Westbury

Andi recently unveiled her Best Burger list. Here’s another: The Comet Club, a nod to the excess of the Roaring ’20s set inside The Vanderbilt, Beechwood’s luxury apartment complex in Westbury, wowed me with their version ($26) featuring an 8-ounce brisket/short rib/beef chuck blend laced with white Cheddar, caramelized onions, and special sauce (mayo, mustard, ketchup, cornichons, onions and honey, shh!) atop a Provisions Bakery brioche. Served with fries (cooked in beef tallow) and a full sour, kosher dill pickle they make on-site, it's chefs kiss — but no surprise, Jesse Schenker is the man behind Gimme Burger in Oyster Bay. Add a glass of pinot noir or a martini at this elegant piano bar-slash-dining room-slash-patio for the perfect high-low dinner. More info: 516-820-1200, thecometclub.com

— Marie Elena Martinez 

Breakfast sandwich at Roto All Day 

101 Fourth Ave., Bay Shore

In a quirk of fate, I happened to eat two breakfast sandwiches in one day, for breakfast and for lunch. The Roto sandwich ($15 with sausage) not only beat out the first one, but was so good it's now at the top of my unofficial breakfast sandwich power ranking. The souffle egg and the milk bread bun created the absolute perfect proportions. Not to mention, the house-made sausage patty was excellent, and the whole thing had a little pep from the spicy green zhug condiment. More info: 934-500-5580, rotoallday.com

Fish pollichathu at Crown of Spices

54 E. Village Green, Levittown

Well, this gets the hidden gem of the month award ... Tucked back into a Levittown strip mall overlooking a park, a shiny new Indian restaurant specializes in the walloping cuisine of Kerala and Tamil Nadu, on the southernmost tip of India. The menu is gigantic but the server pointed us toward this whole fish pollichathu ($19.99), which is wrapped and grilled in a large banana leaf imported from India. The pomfret fish is quite an experience to unwrap, rubbed in a stunningly complex masala paste that's made from scratch. Spicy, sweet, oily, with little curry leaves and black pepper, it blew us away. More info: 516-212-5555, crownofspices.com

— Andi Berlin

California Burrito from Taco Fresco

20 Railroad Ave., Babylon

Taco Fresco is without a doubt one of my favorite Mexican eateries on Long Island. While the demand for authentic borderland flavors is growing on Long Island, for now, it's still rare. One of the newest menu items is the California burrito ($14.95) made with flame-grilled steak (or your choice of protein), melted cheese, crispy fries, guacamole, salsa fresca and sour cream. It's deliciously savory and just the right amount of tangy. More info: (631) 983-8985, tacofrescony.com

— Melissa Azofeifa