The archetypal Main Street in Farmingdale makes for a great small-town shopping experience. Stop by
Infinite Yarns (275 Main St., 516-293-0010) for needlework supplies,
The Chocolate Duck (318 Main St., 516- 249-0887) for Long Island's most extensive selection of baking supplies, or
Four Star True Value Hardware & Variety, a huge, old-fashioned housewares emporium at 315 Main St. (516- 293-8034).
Main Street is also lined with restaurants. Here's a sampling:
Tiny Thai, 187 Main St., 516- 694-3302. This diminutive Southeast Asian jewel of a cafe boasts vivid flavors, friendly service and low prices. Try the rich and complex tom kha gai (chicken and coconut soup) or the resonant tom yum goong (hot and sour shrimp, mushroom and lemongrass soup). The pad Thai is excellent, as are the curries and Tiny Thai's fried rice, studded with bits of sausage, egg, onion, scallions and beef.
La Finca II, 195 Main St., 516-586-5900, is the Farmingdale outpost of Hicksville's popular Colombian restaurant. Just try to finish the bandeja tipica ($9.95), a platter overflowing with steak, pork rind, fried plantains, rice, beans, corn pancake and a fried egg.
La Casuccia, 196 Main St., 516-249-0140. La Casuccia's menu goes beyond the typical, venturing into regional Italian specialties such as polenta with sausage (from the north), fried artichokes (from Rome), hearty ribollita soup (from Tuscany) and onion soup with mussels and saffron (from who knows where, but it's delicious).
Wings Over Farmingdale, 221 Main St., 516-756-9464. The store, which has an appealing airplane-hangar look to it, sells both regular and battered boneless wings. The 22 flavors include Wimpy (still has a bit of a bite to it), Red Alert (hotter than most hots), Jet Fuel (hope you've tried Red Alert first), Golden Bar-B-Que (a mustard-based Bar-B-Que sauce), Cajun Bar-B-Que, Teriyaki, Garlic Parmesan, Jamaican Jerk, West Texas Mesquite and Honey Lime.
Grecian Grill, 261 Main St., 516-753-1260. Aside from diner standards such as burgers, shakes, BLTs and turkey wraps, Grecian Grill serves Greek specialties such as stuffed grape leaves, tzatziki, gyros, chicken and pork souvlaki, moussaka and, of course, baklava.
Las Playas, 305 Main St., 516-694-0923. Yes, you can get Mexican-American fare such as burritos, hard-shell tacos and vegetarian fajitas, but the menu is full of less-familiar selections such as mariscada (seafood stew) in green sauce, soft tacos filled with chicken, beef, sausage or, more interestingly, grilled pork (al pastor) and tongue (lengua). There also is a selection of pupusas, the Salvadoran specialty of thick, handmade corn tortillas stuffed with chicharron (deep-fried pork rind), beans or cheese.
Java Room, 314 Main St., Java Room started as a coffee shop, but soon was offering a full range of salads, sandwiches, burgers and Italian-style entrees. Still, this is one of those places where it's entirely acceptable to come in simply for a cup of coffee or tea, perhaps with a homemade dessert.
Ubaldo's, 346 Main St., 516- 752-0115. Ubaldo's has graced Farmingdale's Main Street for 32 years, and its well-focused Italian menu is full of crowd-pleasers such as baked clams, fried mozzarella, angel hair pasta with seafood and chicken Francese.
Terry G's Steak and Seafood Grill, 354 Main St., 516-845-9300. It looks like your average neighborhood bar, but chef-owner Terry Hasapoglou has real cooking chops. Try the peppercorn-crusted tuna served rare on a bed of fried spinach, lobster salad (a whole lobster shell stuffed with a mix of lobster chunks, mayonnaise and celery), superior - and well priced - steaks plus ribs, burgers and salmon.
