Dom & Luigi’s Smokehouse
407 Jericho Tpke.
Syosset
516- 802-4125
Patsy’s Pizzeria, the Manhattan chain which up until last week had their only LI branch in a former diner in Syosset, has changed hands and gone BBQ. Coal-oven pizzas remain, but added to the menu are the holy trinity of BBQ: pulled pork, brisket and ribs. One of the more unusual items here for someone less than careful about artery clogging is the 12-ounce Porker Burger, stuffed with smoked rib meat and covered with pulled pork, bacon and cheese. They also smoke Atlantic salmon for wraps and feature smoked and braised short ribs. They have three different BBQ sushi rolls—chicken, shrimp, pork—and a cheesesteak hero made with a pound of sliced filet mignon, along with a full roster of Italian heroes, pasta and entrées. The bar includes 40 beers and scores of martinis.
Harbor Mist
105 Main St.
Cold Spring Harbor
631-659-3888
Barman and Michelle Sharifi, the one-time owners of La Taverna/Aqua Blue in Roslyn, reopened the former 105 Harbor last Friday, putting Chef Terrence Cave in the kitchen. Cave has returned to LI after 15 years in Manhattan, where he worked under Charlie Palmer at Aureole and Metrazur before becoming executive chef at Dock’s Oyster Bar. His menu offers well-priced seafood, including grilled Montauk swordfish, sesame crusted yellowtail tuna and Alaskan salmon to go with the dreamy water views. Take advantage of their grand-opening special this Sunday and Monday: A clambake dinner with a two pound lobster, clams and mussels, $24.95.
Bad Dawgs
44 Gerard St.
Huntington
631-923-1201
This tiny stand is a franchise of a Boston-area original and offers a dizzying variety of toppings for their frankfurters, all with the names of breeds. I took the only counter spot and wrestled with the Basset Hound, which is actually a Chicago-style hot dog minus the Vienna Beef hot dog. Here they have a Nathan’s skinless frank slathered with spicy brown mustard, overwhelmed by chopped tomato and onions, spicy sport peppers, a dill pickle spear and sprinkled with a key authentic ingredient—celery salt.
Not a restaurant, but…
NY Cupcakery
2544 Merrick Rd.
Bellmore
516-409-8866
A former pastry chef at the Garden City Hotel, Joseph Polito—and his wife Janelle—have opened this specialty bakery, offering freshly made cupcakes and custom cakes. Some of the more unusual cakes qualify as sculptures, such as the “standing” motorcycle he recently completed.
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