On Long Island, it's hard to be a vegetarian -- at least one who eats out a lot. With so few exclusively vegetarian/vegan spots to choose from, where does one go? Here are just a few suggestions where a dinner costs $15 to $30 a person:
Green Melody
519 N. Broadway, Jericho
516-681-5715
Vegetarians Islandwide are drawn to this strip-mall Chinese restaurant, where the words "duck," "beef," "chicken" and "fish" mean soy product or wheat gluten. The winning "barbecue veggie duck" is crisp on the outside, soft within, glazed with a red barbecue sauce. While "barbecue veggie ribs" taste like what they're imitating, "roast duck" and soy "chicken" don't. I like the subtly smoky "veggie beef" chow fun, wide noodles and vegetables tossed with fried bits of soy substance. Best, though, are the sauteed Chinese eggplant and a dish called "sizzling mushroom infinity" -- vegetables impersonating nothing but themselves.
Madras Woodlands
1627 Hillside Ave., New Hyde Park
516-326-8900
madraswoodlands.com
Since everything on the menu of this stylish-looking South Indian restaurant is meatless (kosher, too), even the strictest vegetarian can go to town. Dosas (lacy rice-and-lentil-flour pancakes) come in myriad varieties. I was impressed with the fiery onion chili rava masala dosa, served with well-seasoned mashed potatoes. Try the comforting mixed vegetable uthappam, a thicker frittata-like pancake whose filling is baked right in. Palak paneer (spinach and cheese curry) is lush and savory. A real must is the bread; both the aloo (potato) paratha and onion chili paratha are warm and pillowy.
Sally's Cocofe
273 Main St., Huntington
631-546-7541
sallyscocofe.com
"Cocofe" is a made-up word for this casual-elegant cafe-lounge serving chocolate drinks hot and cold, confections, pastries and, yes, real food. Because it also happens to be kosher, it serves no meat and only a couple of fish dishes on its otherwise vegetarian menu. Start, perhaps, with a bowl of vibrant minestrone and move on to a grilled pizza topped with ripe fresh tomatoes, Parmesan and provolone, basil and (oddly) drizzled with balsamic vinaigrette. Despite that last
incongruity, I find the pie crisp and appealing. Bruschetta -- toasted slices of baguette -- are accompanied by a little pot filled with portobello mushrooms in a rich cream sauce. Get a drinkable dessert like the Viennese iced dark chocolate or the "gianduja ecstasy" (caramelized hazelnut hot milk chocolate).
Tel Aviv
613 Middle Neck Rd., Great Neck
516-466-6136
True, there's some meat on the menu, but a vegetarian could eat royally at this glatt kosher Israeli restaurant whose chef-owner, Michael Ginor, is a serious culinary talent. Daily specials are seasonal and sensational. I remember a vibrant red and yellow summer heirloom tomato salad on Yemeni fry bread and some superb sweet grilled summer corn slathered with harissa aioli. There's an entire hummus (spelled hoomoos) roster. Pickled vegetables and beets virtually sparkle. A marvelous "sabich Iraqi" (Iraqi sandwich) features fried eggplant, hard-boiled egg, hoomoos, tahina, mango pickle and Israeli salad on pita. Wash it all down with freshly squeezed watermelon juice in season.
A place to go gluten-free
Cafe Formaggio
307 Old Country Rd., Carle Place
516-333-1718
cafeformaggio.com
You can have any pizza or pasta on the menu as a gluten-free alternative at this stylish trattoria. I greatly enjoyed the simple, meltingly good pizza Margherita, with a crust that emerged slightly crisp, if a bit cookie-like, from the wood-burning oven. Gluten-free penne was al dente, virtually indistinguishable from the real thing. For dessert, the fudgy, gluten-free brownie should be on everyone's must-order list.
North Shore
