Benten Japanese Restaurant, 331 Route 25A, Mount Sinai; 631-473-7878. Sushi and sashimi are the staples at Benten, but the restaurant also succeeds with assorted teriyakis and tempuras. The sukiyaki is made with either beef or chicken, as is the negimaki. The lunch specials include soup, salad, dumplings and pickles. Also satisfying are the buckwheat soba; and plump, white udon noodles. The sushi/sashimi choices may include fatty tuna, Spanish
mackerel, eel, fluke, bonito and yellowtail.
Blond, 691 Route 25A, Miller Place; 631-821-5969. Stylish and attractive, Blond is a local star for new American cooking. The crab cake arrives with chipotle-spiked sauce remoulade; calamari, with Asian vegetable slaw; the roasted pork chop, with crisp leeks and apple-cider reduction; the roasted beet salad, with sun-dried cherries and crumbled goat cheese. For dessert: crisp banana spring roll with vanilla gelato and caramel sauce; cinnamon-poached pear with honey-scented mascarpone; and the "chocolate Blond bombshell," with dark chocolate mousse, chocolate biscuit, gelato and chocolate sauce.
Caruso's, 41 Broadway, Rocky Point; 631-744-1117. A popular restaurant and pizzeria, Caruso's succeeded Alfie's at this address. Dishes include eggplant rollatine, mussels marinara, lobster ravioli, pappardelle with tomatoes and crab meat, linguine with clam sauce, penne alla vodka, manicotti and stuffed shells. There are four Parmigianas (eggplant, chicken, veal, shrimp); and three Marsalas and Franceses. Calzones, hero sandwiches and hearty
brick-oven pizzas add to the appeal.
DEKS American Restaurant, 605 Route 25A, Rocky Point; 631-821-0066. You'll get a shot of history at DEKS; parts of the building date to the 18th century, when it was the Hallock house. For many years, this also was the site of the Rocky Point Inn. The cuisine includes oysters, crab cakes, shrimp cocktail, as well as stuffed cabbage, baked clams and mozzarella sticks; baby back ribs, marinated or blackened steaks, and Yankee pot roast. It's Cajun month, with jambalaya, too.
J&R's Steak House, 181 Route 25A, Rocky Point; 631-744-2101. This is a growing chainlet, currently with other casual branches in Stony Brook and Calverton. Beef reigns, whether you're lured by prime rib, filet mignon, porterhouse, burgers or the star of the "76 oz. steak challenge." For more modest appetites, J&R's sends out ribs, pork chops, surf-and-turf, stuffed flounder and coconut shrimp.
