Long Island Restaurants

On Three

On Three owner John Capobianco, front, chef Stuart Brown and manager Jason Jaworski at the Glen Head restaurant. (Newsday Photo/Michael E. Ach)

The Glen Head railroad station is becoming an essential stop.

Bistro M, a French-American restaurant, opened recently to the west. Now, the east side has a stylish counterpart. On Three easily earns as many stars.

On Three replaces Elmers, in a tight, spare space that chef Stuart Brown immediately fills up with very contented diners.

He and host-owner John Capobianco, who named the establishment for the birthdate of his twins, oversee a smooth and sharp production that deserves a long stay.

No one seems to mind the wait that frequently precedes seating during the weekend's prime time. You could linger at the bar on a quieter midweek night, anyway, with the plasma TV tuned to classic movies. "All About Eve" wittily fit in one evening.

Tables are tightly packed, save for a round one in the back that provides some privacy. And, on a busy night, the place can sound as if there's a communal chat under way, flying above the screened room dividers, or through them. Of course, the talk mostly concerns the food.

Prosciutto-wrapped sea scallops definitely are something to talk about, a balance of the sweet and salty, finished with shaved fennel, plus a licorice accent from Pernod sauce.

A duet of perfectly crisp, meaty crab cakes rests on roasted corn salad and drizzles of red pepper remoulade. Steamed cockles in an herbaceous, charred tomato broth are accompanied by nickels of chorizo sausage, and a little rush of red pepper, in a portion that could work as a main course.

Mussels steamed in white wine are plump and tasty. The lush, colorful "cosmopolitan" of well-seasoned tuna tartare and house-cured gravlax arrives in a martini glass, spurred by a splash of Grey Goose l'Orange vodka.

Sichuan spring rolls with duck are generous, but on the dry side despite the hoisin sauce. A hazelnut vinaigrette perks up the roasted beet-and-arugula salad, which also sports candied walnuts, endive shavings and some warm goat cheese.

A pyramid of crunchy, delectable croquettes of blue cheese and potato complements the velvety, grilled filet mignon showered with shallot sauce. This steak is preferable to the rib eye au poivre, with a peppercorn-and-Cognac sauce that's short on bite. Osso buco materializes molto Milanese, atop a creamy risotto. The braised veal shank, its marrow bone full, is excellent.

The orange-glazed, two-step duck, with rosy and moist breast meat and a rich confit of leg, sports a suggestion of Grand Marnier, but is slightly overcooked. Roasted chicken, juicy and to the point, is perched in garlic mashed potatoes for a simple, satisfying entree.

On Three's big fish: porcini-dusted halibut, crisply crusted and snowy below, glistens from black truffle butter. The halibut is flanked by broccoli rabe and scarlet runner beans. Pan-seared tuna takes a Japanese turn with a wasabi drizzle, wasabi mashed potatoes and tempura-style vegetables.

The kitchen concocts playful desserts. The bananas Foster-praline parfait has a design suggesting a 1950s clock, with rounds of banana at the numbers, a vanilla-peanut tower at the center, and two chocolate shavings indicating it's about 12:05. Caramelized banana sauce and chocolate cake ensure it's wake-up time.

Three triangles of chocolate waffle are separated by scoops of espresso ice cream, bookended by whipped cream, and drizzled with crème anglaise and chocolate sauce, for an exercise in exuberant excess. The warm, molten-center chocolate cake compactly does the same. Sweet-tart sections of blood orange refresh, complemented by coconut sorbet and Champagne-infused sabayon. A standard, satisfactory crème brûlée trails these.

But a wedge of baked, hazelnut-crusted St. Andre, a triple-cream from the middle Pyrenees, is a ripe alternative, paired with grapes, sliced Granny Smith apple and an apple-caramel spread.

Drive in. Or check the Long Island Rail Road schedule. If you have an appetite in Glen Head, there's no wrong side of the tracks.

Reviewed by Peter M. Gianotti, 3/21/04.

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