Top 11 fine dining spots for 2011

The economy upended a lot of restaurants in 2011. Even so, more highly rated spots arrived in Nassau and Suffolk this year than at any time in the past decade.

Whether it was the survival-of-the-tastiest environment or just plain luck, diners on Long Island had plenty of new choices and very good meals.

Ironically, 2011's two top-rated establishments, Vero in Amityville and Southfork Kitchen in Bridgehampton, currently are closed. Southfork expects to return with the warm weather next year; Vero looks less likely to revive after a fire shuttered it. Each earned a 3 1/2-star rating.

Their absence, however, didn't make compiling this list any easier. Here, in order, are my 11 favorites of 2011. There are 11 more candidates for #12.

FOOD 3 stars

300 E. Main St., Riverhead

631-284-9300

The Riverhead Project earns its capitals. Here's a sleek, sharp addition to downtown, overhauling a low-slung "Mad Men"-era bank building with bold design and a locavore kitchen. The name suggest something planned in minute detail, a concept become real. It applies. Recommended: lobster-and-pierogies in brown butter, with shallot marmalade; smoky octopus in dill sauce; spicy Korean-fried chicken; miso-glazed Berkshire pork chop; upside-down peach cake; apricot-cherry crisp, devil's food cake.

FOOD 3 stars

1 Ocean Rd., Bridgehampton

631-537-5665

Almond, which opened in 2001, relocated eastward to this bigger site and improved en route. Under chef Jason Weiner and maitre d' Eric Lemonides, the eatery is buzzing and relaxed at the same time. Recommended: shaved artichoke salad, house-smoked bluefish, scallop-and-fennel crudo, eggplant three ways, pan-roasted Montauk striped bass, hanger steak frites, Roquefort-topped burger, roast chicken, chive gnocchi, polenta-mascarpone raviolini, chocolate pot de crème.

FOOD 3 stars

93 Main St.

Stony Brook

631-689-7755

Each season, chef Dennis Young refines and improves Pentimento, a polished 17-year veteran. His Italian-style spin on tapas will make you keep eating, as will the larger plates, until you glow. Recommended: piquillo peppers with goat cheese; grilled polenta with porcini; sausage with borlotti-bean ragu; classic meatballs; fried chickpea fritters; chestnut gnocchi; spinach-ricotta dumplings; pan-roasted Copper Ridge filet mignon; citrus-glazed polenta cake; apple sorbet.

FOOD 3 stars

25 E. Broadway

631-928-5200, ext. 170

Here's the latest and finest restaurant ever at the harborside Danfords Hotel complex. The decor is subdued and serene, a backdrop for chef Jonathan Levine's precise, meticulous New American cuisine. Recommended: calabaza squash soup with citrus crème fraîche; butternut squash risotto with dried cherries, pine nuts and mascarpone; lobster potpie; poached lobster; whole black bass with mustard vinaigrette; braised short ribs; rack of lamb; pumpkin custard.

FOOD 3 stars

99 N. Main St.

631-329-6666

FOOD 2 1/2 stars

18 Cold Spring Rd., Syosset

516-921-8154

Arata Sushi slices its way into the top tier of Long Island's Japanese restaurants, courtesy of chef Jimmy Lian. It's updated and eye-catching. Recommended: the "invincible sandwich," with salmon, avocado and colorful roes, which looks terrific and tastes better; house-made shumai; fish tacos; crabmeat-and-corn samosas; and the chef's choice of uncooked fish that may include salmon with crisp Brussels sprout petals, ginger-sesame tuna, and salsa-verde white tuna.

FOOD 2 1/2 stars

45 Front St.

631-477-6788

There's a year-round harvest of New American cooking at Farmhouse. Chef Jeffery Slade's menu is terse but full, served in a small, rustic dining room. Recommended: white-bean soup with duck confit, butternut squash risotto with sea scallops, a "duo of beef" with short rib and filet mignon, braised pork shank with caramelized apples, seared duck breast with grilled endive and sweet-potato puree, flourless chocolate cake, apricot semifreddo.

FOOD 2 1/2 stars

31 S. Middle Neck Rd., Great Neck

516-466-6369

A modern, lively, refined Japanese spot, with an understandably illuminated sushi bar, Miraku ups the ante in a very competitive neighborhood. Recommended: "fish and chips," here spiced crab, tuna, yellowtail and salmon on seaweed tempura; pearly fluke crudo; fried red snapper; sweet-soy braised tuna belly; nigirizushi, including sea bream, horse mackerel and amberjack; and, veering westward, grilled golden pompano, grilled rack of lamb.

FOOD 2 1/2 stars

60 River Rd., Great River

631-650-6777

Excellent service and consistently fine American cooking are the lures at George Martin's Strip Steak, a deluxe offspring of the original George Martin in Rockville Centre. It's a prime site that looks grand, at the end of the Southern State Parkway. Recommended: oysters Rockefeller, crabmeat cocktail, crabcake, porterhouse steak for two, filet mignon, maple-brined Berkshire pork chop, merlot-braised short ribs, apple crisp.

FOOD 2 1/2 stars

875 Willis Ave., Albertson

516-741-7940

After the closing of Bistro M in Glen Head, chef Mitch SuDock moved on, opening this smooth, accessible, smart New American place with Toni Contino, co-owner and general manager. Recommended: tuna tartare, baby back ribs, brisket sliders, Parmesan flan, bacon-wrapped monkfish, pistachio-crusted halibut, roasted duck breast and confit of leg, bacon-flecked macaroni-and-cheese, lobster mashed potatoes, brownie with ice cream, chocolate-and-Nutella crepes. 

 FOOD 2 1/2 stars

75 Cedar Swamp Rd., Glen Cove

516-656-5656

Cedar Creek, from the owner of Mim's in Syosset and Roslyn Heights, delivers deluxe snacks, eclectic options, and an upbeat site ready for good times. Recommended: pulled-pork slider, pulled chicken with vegetables and biscuits, little Chicago-style hot dogs, fried Fire Island Creek oysters, duck rillettes, Texas chili, a tender grilled sirloin, a Meyer Ranch hamburger, Chatham cod fish-and-chips, banana-Betty parfait, pineapple upside-down cake.