The Wild Rose Bar & Grill in Farmingdale: First bites

The new Wild Rose Bar & Grill in Farmingdale was the scene of a recent lunch — and a promising one, at that.

The simply but tastefully appointed eatery, under the same ownership as The Rosewood Inn in Melville, occupies a freestanding building on New Highway just north of Republic Airport. The afternoon I went, one valiant waiter did double duty tending bar and taking orders in the dining room. Good thing I didn’t have to rush back to the office.

I was pleasantly surprised at how good my turkey burger ($11.95) turned out to be. The hefty patty had been made with Southwestern spices, and although it looked charred and dense, the first bite revealed it to be at once juicy and smoky. Accompanying sweet potato fries, although previously frozen, had a nice nutty campfire taste. But my companion’s Nantucket chicken salad sandwich ($12.50), made with dried cranberries and walnuts, had too much mayonnaise in the mix. Much better was a bright Mediterranean salmon salad ($16.95) starring a generous spice-blackened slab of fish over mesclun with feta, Kalamata olives, red onions, roasted peppers and tomatoes. Very good lemon-Parmesan dressing, to boot.

Unlike its predecessor, the short-lived Hudson House, whose access had been blocked by months of roadwork, this place is easy to reach, if a bit off the beaten track. Worth seeking out, though, especially for those working along the Route 110 industrial corridor.

The Wild Rose Bar & Grill is at 1660 New Hwy., Farmingdale, 631-465-0886.