With new places opening every week, Farmingdale’s perfect little Main Street has become another destination for pub crawls, pizza gambits and unique tastes.
Cascarino’s
302 Main St., 516-777-3600
WWW.ORIGINALCASCARINOS.COM
Mets fans will recognize the name because they were chosen to be the pizza purveyors at Citifield, based on their 20-year presence in nearby College Point. Here they serve up dozens of varieties of brick oven-fired pies and slices, including their famous Grandma pizza and even pizza ala vodka. The huge menu has everything from stromboli rolls to the rarely seen chicken oreganata.
Singa Famous Pizza
313 Main St., 516- 586-6690
WWW.SINGASPIZZA.COM
This is the second Long Island location (the other is in Hicksville) for this franchise, specializing in individual made-to-order, 10-inch bar pies—no slices. They cut them into six tiny pieces and most varieties cost only six or seven bucks. These are not designer pies. Nothing fancy here, just crispy crust and a sauce that’s sweeter than I prefer, but who’s arguing at these prices? They also have spaghetti, meat patties and wings, but I’d stick to the pizza.
Wild Wild West Saloon & Grill
185 Main St., 516-586-6525
WWW.WILDWILDWESTNY.COM
Open since January, on the tracks, across from Croxley Ales, this bar is more than just the perfect spillover fallback when Croxley’s is too crazy. They specialize in an awesome selection of flavorful grilled burgers and great specials like 50-cent sliders and all day two-fers in a cowboy-themed room.
Dominican Restaurant 4
305 Main St., 516-586-6005
This friendly outpost whips up large portions of hearty Latin cuisine done up DR style. I liked the slow-roasted pernil and the chicken stew made with chunks of breast meat. They both came with rice, beans, salad and good chicken soup—10 bucks a platter but each one could feed two. Wash it down with a Corona or a batido fruit shake while catching some soccer or a Spanish soap on the flat screen over the bar.
Vasquez Deli
191 Main St., 516-420-0061
For something different, don’t miss the exotic and cheap Salvadoran comfort food emanating from the steam tables at this grocery. Under new ownership for more than a year, the Vasquez family turns out rib tips in spicy green sauce, well-seasoned chicken stew and incredible enchiladas, prepared like opened-face tacos, piled high with meat, slaw and cheese, that are insanely good and insanely cheap at $1.50.
Sakura Hibachi Asian Fusion
283 Main St., 516-586-6816
This spacious spot, once home to Wasabi Hibachi Steak House, continues the tradition with five hibachi tables in front, a sushi bar in the rear and various Southeast Asian sambals and curries, as well as Lettuce Wraps and fusion-y Duck Fajitas.
The Republic
217 Main St., 516-293-4400
An Irish pub, in the former digs of Granny O’Shea’s, complete with Guinness Stout Chili, Irish Breakfast (for lunch or dinner) and the weird-sounding Guinness Float made with vanilla ice cream.
Coming Soon:
Fat Philly’s Croissant Bakery
314 Main St.
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