OH BABY! We dined at Bedlam Street Fish and Clam Company (55 Main St., Cold Spring Harbor, 631-692-5655, www.bedlamstreet.com) the first Saturday night after they reopened after renovation and a brief respite for CIA-trained chef/owner Jonathan Passman to enjoy new baby Jack. The redone dining room makes the bold statement that the place is now really Passman’s, the long-time chef who acquired it a little over a year ago. Jonathan’s family runs the front; general manager, brother Matt and dad Eric work the floor, attending to the diners’ every need. As we told you several months back, the upscale debonair fish and seafood joint is a winner. We had a marvelous Tuna Sashimi tower built with tortilla chips and guacamole, and the always wonderful Portugese Fisherman’s Stew (loved the subtle taste of the chorizo). Mrs. Foodie’s Ceasar salad dressing was as good as it gets, and her entrée – new from a menu launched that night was a Tilapia prepared in Sake wine. We have neither the menu nor Bedlam’s description, just a wife who keeps saying yummy over and over again.

VERY GOOD TIMES: Abel Conklin’s (54 New Street, Huntington, 631-385-1919) got a big plug recently when the Times’ venerable Joanne Starkey gave the Huntington Steakhouse a “Very Good.” It seems that Starkey not only enjoyed Abel’s this time but noted that she visited it for her very first NY Times review twenty years ago – and there it was, Sunday, January 4, 1987, available on the restaurant’s website abelconklins.com. Talk about aged prime steaks.

SUPER BOWL WINES: As the Super Bowl approaches, don’t forget to include wine at your party, reminds the Wine Market Council which makes it easy by pairing game-day snacks with favorite wines. Buffalo Wings: Sharp wings need white wines with a lot of acidity like Sauvignon Blanc. If the wings are exceptionally spicy, tame the heat with a Riesling. Pizza: Keep with the Italian theme; Chianti is a natural fit. Sloppy Joes: Try a Zinfandel with sloppy Joes. Chili: A Syrah works wonders, with the same earthy and meaty characteristics. Veggies and Dips: A fresh, zippy white like Sauvignon Blanc. Nachos or Quesadillas: Anything with corn is great with a Chardonnay. In the red category, Zinfandel likewise accompanies spicy salsa and Merlot can have a cooling effect. Consider drinking the reds slightly chilled for a change. Sub Sandwiches: Consider a big wine like a Shiraz which will happily go with any meat. If the sandwich has a spicy mustard flavor, go with a Pinot Noir from California or France (Burgundy). If the sandwich is a cheese steak, consider a Cabernet, which goes beautifully with beef. Check out www.wineanswers.com

FIVE YEAR CELEBRATION: Vittorio’s Restaurant & Wine Bar (184 Broadway, Amityville, 631-264-3333) celebrates its five-year anniversary from Sunday, February 4 through Thursday, February 8, with a five-course lunch and dinner for $55 per person includes a complimentary glass of wine paired with each entree. The menu: 1st course choice — Mussels Luciana, baked clams, mozzarella in corrozza, fried calamari, tomato & mozzarella; 2nd course — house salad, tri-color salad, Caesar salad, soup of day; 3rd course: sorbet; 4th course: Pork chop with hot cherry peppers, shrimp scampi, filet of salmon, Penne’s from Heaven, veal saltimbocca, lamb chops, sea scallops, rigatoni vodka; 5th course: dessert tray selection.

FOIE GRAS: We knew we liked Eliot Spitzer but never imagined it would be in part because of his stand on food. Governor Spitzer who was obviously raised on the finer things in life, has his state attorneys defending the rights of New Yorkers to eat locally grown foie gras. The Department of Agriculture has asked a state judge in Albany to dismiss an animal rights lawsuit that claims ducks raised for foie gras are so overfed as to be diseased and unfit for market. The lawsuit demands that locally produced foie gras be banned from market, thus destroying New York’s foie gras industry. The state attorneys under Spitzer’s control argued that the task of assessing food quality belongs with the Department of Agriculture and Market, not the judge. Manhattan Councilman Alan Gerson has proposed that foie gras from birds raised in a manner that animal rights activists describe as cruel be banned from New York City. We’re assuming that NYC Mayor Bloomberg, like Guv Spitzer, knows the finer things in life. Bon Apetit!

VALENTINE’S DAY: Don’t be disappointed — make your reservations early.

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