Mac’s: Choice Real Estate For Dining

By The Foodies./ foodie@longislandernews.com

IWalk through the double-doors at Mac’s Steakhouse in Huntington village, and whether you’re off to the bar for happy hour or the dining room for a meal, you’ll feel quickly at home. And that’s just how proprietor Mark Gelish wants it to be.

Gelish, a graduate of the Culinary Institute of America with 40 years of experience in the business, has been running Mac’s for the last four years. Since taking the wheel, he has focused on value and freshness, emphasizing all-natural, from-scratch fare. Chef Raphael Salermon’s menu showcases top-notch selections from land and sea married with flavors that accentuate and elevate without overwhelming.

Gelish got us started with fresh raisin bread and warm, buttery house rolls infused with a bit of garlic. Spinach, Crab and Goat Cheese Dip ($10) is a popular bar appetizer for sharing and great wherever you sit, with crisp, substantial kettle chips for scooping up the savory blend.

Boneless Braised Short Rib ($12) is another winning starter, with tender grilled beef dressed in rosemary demi stock and paired with zesty, yet smooth, creamy horseradish sauce. Sautéed Calamari ($11) is tender and delicious in garlic, plum tomatoes and a rich lobster sauce – a welcome twist on a staple. Many of these appetizers are meant for sharing, so keep an eye out when you order. Also consider Mac’s many rare selections, as well as an extensive raw bar.

For our main course, we took a journey from surf to the butcher’s block. From the “Mac’s Catch” section comes decadent Sautéed Shrimp and Lobster ($31), a hearty combination of a tender, buttery 1-1/4 lb. lobster and a trio of juicy jumbo shrimp, presented elegantly atop vegetable risotto. From “Mac’s Grille,” delight in finger-licking Grilled Lamb Chops ($41), a half-dozen melt-in-your-mouth “lamb lollipops” over terrific honey-infused sweet potato mash, asparagus spears cooked just right and a sour-cream mint jelly crème for a subtler take on lamb’s traditional accompaniment.

Of course, it wouldn’t be a trip to Mac’s without enjoying all-natural, grass-fed steaks, and their impossibly tender 28 oz. bone-in ribeye ($44) was, quite simply, a knockout. Simple presentation allows the top-notch beef, flavorful and fresh, to shine through and enjoy the spotlight it richly deserves. Consider pairing your steak selection with sides like surprisingly light, flavorful Black Truffle Mac & Cheese ($9, serves two).
Decadent upside-down cheesecake, served atop a thin graham cracker crust, is a great way to close out your meal. So too is sweet and creamy crème brûlée. Chocolate lovers can get behind warm, fudgy flourless chocolate cake.

If you’re in town for the St. Patrick’s Day Parade, look for the tent outside Mac’s, which teams with the Ancient Order of Hibernians each year during the parade. And with Gelish’s enthusiasm for the restaurant business and stepping it up to a new level, we expect he’ll be here supporting them for years to come.

Mac’s Steakhouse
12 Gerard St., Huntington village
631-549-5300
www.macssteakhouse.com
Atmosphere: Intimate and inviting
Cuisine: All-natural steak, seafood and sides
Price: Expensive
Hours: Mon-Thurs 11:30 a.m.-10 p.m.;
Fri-Sat: 11:30 a.m.-11 p.m.;
Sun: 11:30 a.m.-9 p.m. (brunch until 2:30 p.m.)