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FOODIE
It’s Summertime!
Take It Outside
By Peter Sloggatt/ foodie@longislandernews.com
Summertime. It’s time to take it outside. Fortunately,
it turns out the dining capital of Long Island also happens
to rate highly when it comes to outdoor dining opportunities.
They range from a burger and fries on a crowded wooden bench
along a busy roadway to more opulent dining with a five-star
sunset view of Huntington Harbor, with a host of prime dining
spots in between. Whether it’s a lavish waterfront setting,
cozy patio or tables on the street, restaurants townwide have
a seat in the sunshine for you.
Prime - An American Kitchen & Bar
117 New York Ave., Huntington,
631-385-1515
www.restaurantprime.com
The top stop on Huntington’s patio dining tour is Prime
– An American Kitchen & Bar, on Huntington’s
harborfront. The patio at the Bohlsen family’s first-class
dining establishment is hip and happening. Whether it’s
for sushi, a bite from the bar menu or the full Prime experience,
outstanding food, wine and cocktails are enhanced by the best
view in Huntington. Prime overlooks the bustling harborfront
and the sunsets are unbeatable. Tables upstairs, a hip lounge
area downstairs, musical entertainment on Sundays and a Friday
night happy hour make this stellar restaurant a prime spot
for enjoying outdoor dining.
Red
417 New York Ave, Huntington village 631-673-0304
www.redrestaurantli.com
The centerpiece of owner/chef Nino Abruzzi’s growing
restaurant empire (he also owns Osteria da Nino on Main Street
and is soon to open a pub-style restaurant at the former JD’s
Steakhouse, and a second Red location in Kings Park), Red
is a staple for fine cuisine in Huntington. With a Wine Spectator
award-winning wine list and creative cuisine, Red is a destination
for fine dining. In summertime, the outdoors becomes the setting
for street-side tables and a cozy patio out back. The 30-seat,
red umbrella-covered patio is sheltered by wisteria vines
and planted with flowers and herbs. It’s a cozy and intimate
place to enjoy outstanding menu offerings.
Café Buenos Aires
23 Wall St., Huntington village, 631-603-3600
www.cafebuenosaires.net
Cocktails or Huntington’s best sangria at this Argentinean
restaurant’s streetside tables are a favorite way for
locals to unwind during the summer months. And unwind they
do. A menu of authentic Argentinean cuisine features an extensive
selection of tapas that allow a table to share several different
tastes. In the heart of restaurant row on Huntington’s
Wall Street, Café Buenos Aires’ outdoor tables
are a place to see and be seen during the summer.
Mac’s Steakhouse
12 Gerard St., Huntington village, 631-549-5300
www.macssteakhouse.com
The outdoor patio at Mac’s is one more place to enjoy
an impressive menu of premium dry-aged steaks from Niman Ranch
and seafood offerings with a Pacific Rim emphasis. Lunch,
dinner or just cocktails can be enjoyed outside under the
shade of umbrellas for the summer.
Besito
402 New York Ave., Huntington village 631-549-0100
www.besitomex.com
What’s better than guacamole made fresh for you right
at your table? How about guacamole made tableside at one of
the sidewalk tables that bring the dining room to the street
at Huntington’s Besito. The Mexican eatery brings the
bustle of the restaurant onto the street during the summer
so patrons can enjoy the warm weather along with their unique
offerings from South of the Border. Overhead awnings protect
diners at one of the hottest street scenes in Huntington.
When weather permits, the restaurant’s floor to ceiling
doors are thrown open, making the sidewalk an extension of
the busy restaurant and bar area inside. That guacamole is
a must-try.
Samurai
12 Gerard St., Huntington village,
631-549-5300
Samurai’s appeal is in the theatrical preparation of
dishes at your table by skilled hibachi chefs. But in summertime
the appeal of the outdoors can be pretty strong as well. The
full Samurai menu is available at tables along Wall Street
so diners can enjoy the bustling street scene along with Japanese
specialties.
The Shack
1 Stony Hollow Road, Centerport, 631-754-8989
www.clamsandchaos.com
The unofficial start of the summer season in these parts is
the April opening of The Shack on Route 25A, Centerport. Atmosphere
is strictly picnic bench and paper plate, but when roadside
casual is what you’re craving, The Shack hits the spot.
A knot of parked cars and motorcycles along the curving roadway
will signal you’ve hit your destination. A perfect spot
for families, the extensive menu goes way beyond the burgers,
hot dogs and fries the kids are craving. Clams on the half
shell, fried calamari, lobster salad over mixed greens and
grilled Cajun chicken atop Caesar salad widen the appeal for
moms and dads.
The Shack is open seven days a week from 11 a.m. - 8 p.m.
Smokin’ Sloe’s
847 Fort Salonga Road, Northport, 631-651-8812
www.smokinsloes.com
Smokin’ Sloe’s is the hot spot for barbecued ribs
in the Town of Huntington. A handful of outdoor tables offer
an opportunity to enjoy casual outdoor dining. Owner Roger
Montague’s ribs are slow-smoked to fall-off-the-bone
perfection and served with your choice of barbecue sauce,
from slightly sweet Mild Millie to the extra-spicy Slap Your
Mama sauce. Other Southern-inspired specialties include a
killer pulled pork sandwich, brisket and BBQ chicken.
At any Southern-style eatery, sides are as important as the
main course, and Smokin’ Sloe’s doesn’t disappoint.
Vinegary collard greens, rich mac and cheese, yams, sweet
potato fries and baked beans are among the stars. The cornbread
is authentic.
A good thing gets better this summer with an all-you-can-eat
barbecue rib special, Monday through Wednesday beginning at
4:30 p.m.
Maroni’s
18 Woodbine Ave., Northport, 631-757-4500
www.maronicuisine.com
Possibly the hottest outdoor table in the Town of Huntington
belongs to one of the town’s hottest dining spots. A
four-top nestled in an alcove on the patio behind Maroni’s
Cuisine is one of several tables open to outdoor dining, but
the velvet ropes around this one give it that extra cache.
Husband-and-wife team Mike and Maria Maroni need no introduction
in these parts. They bring to the table creative flair as
a seemingly endless array of small courses find their way
to your table. A nearly 20-course dinner comes with no menu
– just trust that Mike never sends out anything short
of astounding.
The addition of sidewalk dining in Northport Village a year
ago made a good thing better. The brick-paved patio behind
Maroni’s offers a pleasant way to enjoy a Maroni’s
feast along with a view of Northport Harbor and the busy street
traffic that makes Northport so appealing. Reservations are
a must, particularly if you want that power table with the
velvet ropes out back.
Sidewalk Dining In Northport
Sidewalk dining came to Northport Village as a pilot program,
but after a season, it’s clearly here to stay. Among
restaurants throughout the village that have added tables
outside, nautical-themed Skipper's Pub (34 Main St., Northport,
631-261-3589) commands the corner of Main Street and Woodbine
Avenue and easily offers the best view of the harbor. A menu
of casual seafood and pub-style food is heavy with seafood
offerings, and there’s no better spot to enjoy a burger
and a beer than from the sidewalk at Skipper’s.
Shipwreck Diner (46 Main St., Northport, 631-754-1797) shares
the outdoor patio space behind their restaurant. The menu
at this popular eatery runs the gamut from morning eggs to
blue plate specials with all the roadside diner attractions
in between. Bring the kids.
Northport Tasting Room and Wine Cellar (70 Main St., Northport,
631-261-0642) has no kitchen of its own but attracts patrons
with an extensive wine list that spans the globe paired with
take out offerings from numerous area restaurants, including
the vaunted Maroni’s. Outdoor tables are scarce, but
you might get lucky.
Bistro 44 (44 Main St., Northport, 631-262-9744 www.bistro44.net)
recently changed hands, landing in the very capable ones of
the Gallowitsch family, owners of Skipper’s Pub a few
doors down Main Street. Paul Gallowitsch has developed a New
American menu for the slightly upscale restaurant that is
a favorite among theatergoers headed to Engeman Theater shows.
Summertime brings its own appeal when the back patio opens.
This charming, hidden jewel is a brick-paved, walled, intimate
space warmed by sunshine and a crop of vines, perfect for
enjoying a small, quiet dinner.
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