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FOODIE
Eastern Riches, Tasty
Dishes
By Tricia & Danny / foodie@longislandernews.com
Named after Ariana, the Greek goddess of the sea, Ariana Restaurant
and Café in Huntington village represents a fresh and
flavorful blend of Eastern cuisines and Western dishes. Accented
with spices and herbs, Ariana’s bold plates combine the
finest ingredients to please taste buds.
Styled with a Middle Eastern panache, Ariana embraced us with
walls bedecked in Afghan cloths and benches covered in colorful
blankets and pillows. We took a seat at a cozy polished table
dressed in crisp linens and paper place settings and began
to peruse the lunch special menu, which offers a combination
of four hot foods or cold salads – including a number
of vegetarian dishes – for only $9.95. Available on Mondays-Saturdays
from 11:30 a.m. – 3 p.m., the lunch special menu boasts
20 tasty options to choose from.
We ordered one plate of Aushak Kadu (roasted pumpkin ravioli),
Beef Stew, Vegetarian Chili and Baba Ghanoush, and a second
loaded with Chicken Paprikash, Seafood Stew with Mussels,
Tabouli Salad and Hummus.
Taken aback by the bountiful spread, we started eating our
chili with our forks and had absolutely no problem doing so,
given it was chock full of beans, carrots and other goodies,
accented with a spicy kick. The beef stew and its beef medallions,
carrots and mushrooms provided hearty, home-cooked sustenance,
while the Aushak Kadu, with a sweet pumpkin filling and savory
tomato sauce and cheese was a unique, delicious alternative
to meat ravioli. Baba Ghanoush, an eggplant dish with a kick,
is a zesty alternative for hummus fans, a chickpea staple.
The Chicken Paprikash, a sampling of the dinner specialty
by the same name ($19.95), came with pieces of chicken on
the bone tossed in a tomato paprika herb sauce with red bliss
potatoes. Easy to cut off the bone, the chicken was tender
and juicy, and the potatoes were bountiful and well seasoned.
Much spicier than the Chicken Paprikash was the Seafood Stew
with Mussels, which came with mussels in the shell and a thick
stew of cocktail marinara sauce that was both zesty and invigorating
on the palate.
The Hummus, made in-house, was fresh and thick yet easily
spreadable, and was well complemented by the Tabouli Salad
we ordered with it. The tossed scallions, fresh mint, chopped
cilantro, tomato chunks and bulgar in a lemon sauce exploded
like a firecracker in our mouths with a stimulating kick and
a vitalizing coolness.
Though we cleaned our plates, we left feeling satisfied from
the light dishes, not painfully overstuffed to the point where
we would have to waddle back to the office. Plentiful portions
combined with excellent, attentive service made for a pleasing
experience at Ariana, and you can bet your bottom dollar we’ll
be back for another taste of their Eastern riches.
Ariana Restaurant
255 Main Street
Huntington
631-421-2933
Cuisine: Old World Afghan
Atmosphere: Cozy, Rustic Family Dining
Cost: Moderate
Hours: Monday-Thursday
11:30 a.m. – 3 p.m. lunch,
4 p.m. – 9 p.m. dinner;
Friday & Saturday
11 a.m. – 3 p.m. lunch,
4 p.m. – 11 p.m. dinner;
Sunday
4 – 9 p.m. dinner
Main
Menu
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