Can’t-misssignature dishes

techfood

PETERM. GIANOTTIBYpeter.gianotti@newsday.com

‘D o you ever have dèjá VU, Mrs.Lancaster?”

“I don’t think so, but I couldcheck with the kitchen.”

This Q&A from “Groundhog Day” coulddescribe the experience at numerousrestaurants via countless menus in Nassauand Suffolk.

Some dishes are nearly everywhere and toomany taste the same. So, here’s a digestiblereport on 10 signature dishes that have takenhold on Long Island — and the dining roomswhere they stand out.

1 FRIED CALAMARISquid could become an

endangered species here,grilled, stuffed, stewed or fried.But it’s the crisp pile of ringsand tentacles that’s the bigcatch.

Thom Thom in Wantagh isn’tsatisfied with merely frying.The kitchen offers kung paocalamari, sauced as if it’schicken in Chinese restaurants,with added crunch fromground peanuts. Who needs afish house?

Thom Thom, 3340 Park Ave.,Wantagh, 516-221-8022,thomthomrestaurant.com

Listed as “hot tapas,” friedcalamari is a crisp treat at CafeBuenos Aires in Huntington. Itarrives with a side of chipotleaioli and vies with Argentineflair amid the ceviche and thestuffed piquillo peppers.

Cafe Buenos Aires, 23 WallSt., Huntington, 631-603-3600.cafebuenosaires.net

Italian and Italian-Americanrestaurants elevate squid almostas regularly as pasta. The friedcalamari at LaTavolaTrattoria inSayville is a very satisfyingversion, with plenty of crunchoutside and tendernesswithin.Dip the rings in a spicymarinara

FRIED CALAMARI La Tavola Trattoria, Sayville

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sauce or, even better, a riff onsauce rémoulade lacedwithhorseradish.

La Tavola Trattoria,183 W. Main St., Sayville,631-750-6900.latavolasayville.com

2 PASTAWITHWHITECLAM SAUCE

If there’s a leadingcandidate for the nationaldish of Long Island, this is it.You’ll find itmore often thanspaghetti andmeatballs orlasagna—combined.

An exceptionalproduction will be found atan unlikely source: Bryant &Cooper, one of Long Island’stop steakhouses. It’s adestination for stone crabsin season and lobsteranytime, but the buttery,rich linguine with whiteclam sauce is a major maincourse. You can precede itwith clams oreganata,casino or on the half shell.

Bryant & Cooper,2 Middle Neck Rd., Roslyn,516-627-7270,pollrestaurants.com

Jonathan’sRistorante inHuntingtonmixes the tradi-tional and the contemporary,ItalianwithNewAmerican.After a fine frittomisto or asaladwith beets and robiolacheese, order the expertlymade spaghetti withManilaclams and roasted garlic,spurred by the little kickfrom a very serious habanerochili pepper.

Jonathan’s Ristorante,15 Wall St., Huntington,631-549-0055,jonathansristorante.com

Almost equal parts NewAmerican and Italian, CafeTestarossa stylishly zoomsalong with creative,consistently excellent food.Linguine with Manila clamsgoes pedal-to-the-metalwith Calabrian pepper andbasil.

Cafe Testarossa,499 Jericho Tpke., Syosset,516-364-8877,cafetestarossa.com

3 DUCKLong Island

duckling truly is “thebig duck,” from roadsidearchitecture to a history ofduck farming that producedmore than 7 millionquackers in the 1960s. Thenumber is considerably

lower now. But duckremains a menu staple,from all sources.

The combo of seared duckbreast and confit of duck legis a four-star classic atMirabelle, in the ThreeVillage Inn in Stony Brook.Currently, it’s accentedwitha vol-au-vent of chanterellemushrooms and corn,pickled cherries and roastedeggplant. The duckliver-and-foie grasmoussewith toasted brioche is a lushway to precede it.

Mirabelle, 150 Main St.,Stony Brook, 631-751-0555,lessings.com

Beijing duck highlightsChinese cuisine.MonsoonSteak & Sushi in Babylonprepares one of the best, awhole Peking duck servedfor two, with cucumber,scallion, hoisin, parchmentskin, shredded duck andsteamed buns.

Monsoon Steak & Sushi,48 Deer Park Ave., Babylon,631-587-4400,monsoonny.com

Lola, the Mediterranean-

themed restaurant inGreat Neck, is committedto duck in many forms.The main dish these daysis the seared HudsonValley duck breast, accom-panied by a white-beanragout and duck bacon,with an herbaceous jus. Ifyou’re in a full duckmood, sample the foiegras.

Lola, 113A Middle NeckRd., Great Neck,516-466-5666,restaurantlola.com

4 FRIED CHICKENRoast chicken is

wonderful andbarbecued chicken a treat;grilled chicken, elemental;and chicken potpie, homey.But fried chicken’s appeal isunassailable.

Southern cooking isrevered at LL Dent in CarlePlace, a shopping-centerrestaurant that transportsyou. The fried chicken isexceptional, served withtwo side dishes. Friedchicken and Belgian waffles

See FAVORITES on B6

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PASTA WITH WHITE CLAM SAUCECafe Testarossa, Syosset

DUCKLola, Great Neck

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Where to get LI’s favorite dishes

BRANZINO Arturo’s Ristorante Italiano, Floral Park

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will entice you, too. And trythe cheese grits, the cornbread,sweet-potato biscuit, Hoppin’John and sweet potato pie.

LL Dent, 221 Old CountryRd., Carle Place, 516-742-0940,lldent.com

OrientOdyssey in Jericho rankshigh among Long Island’s Chi-nese restaurants, for everythingfromdim sum tomayonnaiseshrimpwith sugaredwalnuts.Deep in the extensivemenu is“golden fried crispy chicken,”with roasted garlic— a rusticfeast.

Orient Odyssey, 511 N. Broad-way, Jericho, 516-719-0021,orientodysseyny.com

Salamander’s on Front inGreenport is the destinationfor memorable fried chickenwith coleslaw and cornbread,simple and to the point.Enjoy it with an order ofBuffalo-style chicken wings,or quietly pick the Viet-namese caramel duck legs togive another big bird equaltime. Outstanding to take out,too.

Salamander’s on Front,38 Front St., Greenport,631-477-3711,salamandersonfront.com

5 PASTAWITH RED SAUCEThe sea ofmarinara and

tomato sauce continues torise. You can get a good versionin themost informal place, in apizzeria, off the shelf. Thesethree are among the leaders insimmering the sauce.

Scarpetta Beach is thehandsomely designedoceanfront restaurant inGurney’s Montauk Resort &Spa. Expect extraordinarypastas and a transportingexercise in perfection: thesimply named spaghetti,subtitled tomato and basil.Sweet and superb, crownedwith Parmigiano-Reggiano.

Scarpetta Beach, 290 OldMontauk Hwy., Montauk,631-668-1771, ldvhospitality.com

Tomato sauce overflows atMamma Lombardi’s in Hol-brook, whether you’re eatingin the main restaurant or theadjoining pizzeria. Sample itwith the spaghetti in mari-nara sauce, ziti with tomato

sauce and, adding some otheringredients, in the fired-uppenne arrabbiata and Romanrigatoni all’Amatriciana.

Mamma Lombardi’s,400 Furrows Rd., Holbrook,631-737-0774.mammalombardis.com

Sergio’s is a longtime neigh-borhood favorite in Massape-qua. Pasta with sardines, beefbraciola, tripe, pork chopswith vinegar peppers, anorange salad are all attrac-tions. Likewise, perciatelliwith tomato sauce, spaghettiand meatballs, stuffed shells,lasagna, baked ziti, ravioliand manicotti.

Sergio’s, 5422 Merrick Rd.,Massapequa, 516-541-6554,sergiositalianrestaurant.com

6 BRANZINOThe fish of the mo-

ment, succeedingChilean sea bass and filet ofsome-kind-of-sole, branzino isa mild, unassertive Mediter-ranean sea bass amenable tomany preparations.

Full-flavored and carefullycooked is the whole fishbaked in a salt crust at CasaRustica in Smithtown. Themoist, aromatic fish is com-plemented by a tomato con-cassé, with lemon, parsleyand mustard, and filletedtableside.

Casa Rustica, 175 W. MainSt., Smithtown, 631-265-9265,casarustica.net

Kyma in Roslyn leads therestaurants that focus onwhole grilled fish sold by thepound. Lavraki, orMediterranean sea bass, islean and one of the mainchoices, along with pompano,black sea bass and fagri, orpink snapper.

Kyma, 1446 Old NorthernBlvd., Roslyn, 516-621-3700,kymarestaurants.com

Whole branzino al forno isa specialty at Arturo’s Ris-torante Italiano, the veteranestablishment near thecounty line in Bellerose-Floral Park. It swims in ongreens, boosted by whitewine and garlic sauce.

Arturo’s Ristorante Italiano,246-04 Jericho Tpke., FloralPark, 516-352-7418,arturorestaurant.com

FAVORITES from B4

ZITI WITH RED SAUCE, above and on the coverMamma Lombardi’s, Holbrook

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FRIED CHICKENSalamander’s on Front, Greenport

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MEATBALLS Emilio’s, Commack

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7 MEATBALLSThey come in many

sizes and from manycountries, from China to Swe-den to Italy and beyond. Youcan savor them at a pizzeria, arestaurant, even at the eateryin IKEA. And pick your fa-vorite, from beef to chicken tothe combination of beef, vealand pork.

Emilio’s in Commack is theflagship of a little Long Is-land armada of eateries. It’spacked for terrific pizza,appealing pasta and Italian-American specialties. Thebeefy appetizer of MammaMia Meatballs is reasonenough to visit, plated with along-simmered sauce, ricotta,sweet roasted peppers andgarlic bread. The dish also isserved at Fanatico in Jerichoand Passione in Carle Place.

Emilio’s, 2201 Jericho Tpke.,Commack, 631-462-6267,emilios-restaurant.com

Tony Colombos in RockvilleCentre makes the beef-veal-pork variety, with a savorySunday red sauce, whippedricotta with basil, crisp pro-sciutto chips and focacciacrostini. Yes, it’s an appetizer.

Tony Colombos, 208 SunriseHwy., Rockville Centre,516-678-1996,tonycolombos.com

Maroni Cuisine is a smallrestaurant with big ambitions.Come for the tasting menu, ashowcase of different cuisinesand preparations and maybe25 courses. But the distinctivespot is known for Grandma’smeatballs, available by thepot, and for their victory in atelevised “throwdown” overthose of celebrity chef BobbyFlay. TKO.

Maroni Cuisine, 18 WoodbineAve., Northport, 631-757-4500,maronicuisine.com

8 STEAMED LOBSTERThe king of shellfish

on Long Island andmany other coastal venues,it’s immortalized here grilled,broiled, boiled, in a lobsterroll either warm or cold, inrestaurants American, Italian,Chinese, more. But it’s hardto top the simply steamedbeauty.

Louie’s Grill & Liquors, thelatest incarnation of whatstarted in 1905 as a barge onManhasset Bay, is a majorseafood house. The lobsterCantonese is diverting, andthe two types of lobster rolladdictive. But the 1 1/2-pound,

steamed lobster withcoleslaw and corn on the cobis the reigning rendition.

Louie’s Grill & Liquors,395 Main St., Port Washington,516-883-4242,louiessince1905.com

Jordan Lobster Farms leavesnothing to mystery. Dinersand customers know whythey’re here. Lobster rollsand lobster cakes are avail-able. But the whole steamedlobsters, from 1 1/4 to 10pounds define the place. Callahead to see whether thebigger ones are available. Thelobster is served withcoleslaw, fries, lemon andbutter.

Jordan Lobster Farms, 1 PettitPlace, Island Park,516-806-6251,jordanlobsterfarms.com

Prime: An American Kitchen& Bar has a water view, de-pendable New Americancuisine and sushi, and, yes,steamed lobster. The2-pounder is all you’d want.Lobster also appears here inlobster-and-corn chowder,shrimp-and-lobster wontons,a lobster cocktail and butter-poached lobster to enrich asteak or anything else.

Prime: An American Kitchen& Bar, 117 New York Ave.,Huntington, 631-385-1515,restaurantprime.com

9 BAKED CLAMSYou can have them

oreganata, casino,seasoned with hot sausage,horseradish and more. Thebreadcrumbs will vary, thetasty result shouldn’t.

Artie’s South Shore FishMarket & Restaurant in IslandPark does offer baked clamswith the subtle tingle ofhorseradish, a suggestion oflemon zest and garlic.They’re one of many dishesyou’ll want at the ultracasualrestaurant and fish market.

Artie’s South Shore FishMarket & Restaurant,4257 Austin Blvd., Island Park,516-889-0692,southshorefish.com

Catch Oyster Bar inPatchogue is no larger than abluepoint. But about 30diners can dig into the rawand cooked shellfish. Thecooked include baked clam“stuffies,” first-class bakedclams emboldened withbacon. Ample and excellent.

Catch Oyster Bar, 63 N.Ocean Ave., Patchogue, 631-627-6860, catchoysterbar.com

Salt & Barrel in Bay Shorelivens up its stuffed clamswith andouille sausage, plusonion and breadcrumbs. Theycall for only a squirt oflemon. And the company ofthe restaurant’s tarragonbiscuits is obligatory.

Salt & Barrel, 61 W. Main St.,Bay Shore, 631-647-8818,saltandbarrel.com

10 SALMONIt’s almost every-

where and preparedalmost any way. Broil, sear,bake, poach — pick one. Orhave it uncooked as sushi orsashimi at nearly all Japaneserestaurants, where you’re likelyto find it in teriyaki, too. Anddevotees of smoked salmonmust visit the nearest Fairwayfor Scottish, Irish, Nova Scotia,pastrami-seasoned and pickled.

Toku Modern Asian, a starfeeding shoppers at theAmericana Manhasset, searssalmon and complements itwith bok choy, eggplant, soyand ginger. It competes with acooked salmon-and-avocadoroll, salmon tartare and salmonsushi and sashimi.

Toku Modern Asian, 2014CNorthern Blvd., Manhasset,516-627-8658,pollrestaurants.com

The Jolly Fisherman & SteakHouse, in its 60th year near thepond in Roslyn, is a reef-and-beef establishment that’s bothtraditional and contemporary.The house’s salmon isenriched with a macadamia-nut crust and golden bananafritter.

The Jolly Fisherman & SteakHouse, 25 Main St., Roslyn,516-621-0055,jollyfishermanrestaurant.com

The many local branchesof Bagel Boss are appetizingspots for sandwiches, wraps,salads, omelets, pancakes,French toast and rugelach.Sample the Atlantic smokedsalmon, belly lox and bakedkippered salmon, with orwithout a bagel, with orwithout a schmear, to eat inor take out.

Bagel Boss locations includeHewlett, Oceanside, Lake Suc-cess, Carle Place, Jericho,Merrick, East Norwich, Roslyn,Bay Shore, East Northport

BAKED CLAMS Catch Oyster Bar, Patchogue

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SALMON Toku Modern Asian, Manhasset

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STEAMED LOBSTER Louie’s Grill & Liquors, Port Washington

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NOWONLINEBack-to-school snacks

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