Newsday.com: Dining Detour: In and around Bay Shore

Dining Detour: In and around Bay Shore

BY JOAN REMINICK
joan.reminick@newsday.com

June 6, 2007

BEST FOR ORDER AND PICKUP

Winnie's Coffee Shop, 166 E. Main St., 631-665-9706. Chef-owner Tony Bellucci is a pro at classic sandwiches and burgers, but it's his specials -- such as cold Bulgarian cucumber soup at lunch and fresh rainbow trout with eggs at breakfast -- that really put this place on the map.

Tullulah's Gourmet Take Out, 12 Fourth Ave., 631-206- 2988. Creative sandwiches and wraps define this quirky sliver of a takeout shop. Chef-owner Steven Scalesse's sandwiches are standouts, especially the "cowboy" steak and the sweet- and-spicy sausage with arugula. Be sure to call well ahead; this is decidedly not fast food.

Bagel Cafe, 134 W. Main St., 631-968-9050. In addition to a variety of bagels with a schmear, this short-order spot offers omelets, wraps, salads, sandwiches and panini.

WILL DELIVER TO FERRIES

Smokin' Al's Famous BBQ Joint, 19 W. Main St., 631-206- 3000. Al Horowitz's porcine-themed joint comes through with some of the smokiest and most flavorful barbecue in the area. Brisket, ribs, pulled pork and chicken all rate highly and travel well.

Mitsui Restaurant, 1 W. Main St., 631-630-9890. This new Japanese restaurant serves very fresh sushi and sashimi as well as a variety of cooked items. Rolls are imaginative and satisfying.

The Pie at Salvatore's, 120 E. Main St., 631-206-1060. First-rate coal-oven pizzas and calzones are the compelling draws at this classy new pizzeria that unites two pie-masters (Jimmy Pace of The Pie in Port Jefferson and Fred Lacagnina of Salvatore's Coal Oven Pizzeria in Port Washington). It also has pastas and salads.

Tula Kitchen, 41 E. Main St., 631-539-7183. Owner Jackie Sharlup just started offering delivery service from her atmospheric downtown place. Lunches of salads and sandwiches feature vegetarian-friendly selections, such as a "bean of the day" burger.

Delsen's Kosher Gourmet Delicatessen, 43 E. Main St., 631-665-4203. How to satisfy a yen for pastrami, tongue or corned beef on rye? Call this deli, which, for a $15 minimum order, will deliver all of the above and more.

Chilangos Deli, 16 W. Main St., 631-647-8466. This friendly Mexican deli can do a tuna sandwich on white, but why bother when you can get such ethnic specialties as tacos al pastor, enchiladas, Cuban sandwiches and Salvadoran pupusas.

Duo Deli, 52 E. Main St., 631-665-8575. A small deli that does a big ferry delivery business. Popular items include grilled vegetable wraps, grilled chicken, grilled bratwurst and deli salads.

Nicky's Clam Bar, 99 Maple Ave., 631-665-6621. The sweet and briny fried clams as well as the soups are what keep this convenient dockside place well afloat.

Leggio's Deli, 305 4th Ave., 631-665-1606. This popular deli will deliver to the ferry. Especially popular is their Italian hero.

Restaurant Row New York, 85 Saxon Ave., 631-666-6657. This large epicurean marketplace believes in style. They'll deliver boxed sandwich lunches to the ferry or come to Fire Island and prepare a clam bake, luau or pig roast.

BEST FOR ON-SITE DINING

Cool Water Grill, 25 Bayview Ave., Bay Shore, 631-206-0420. Owner Rob Dromerhauser, a former major league baseball player and bull-pen coach, is a personable host at this marina-side spot with a simple American seafood-slanted menu. A sesame-seared tuna appetizer special, sampled recently, was spot-on.

The Lake House, 240 W. Main Street, 631-666-0995. Chef Matthew Connors and sous chef Charles Treadwell do justice to the restaurant's idyllic pond-side location, offering a carefully executed New American menu that includes such dishes as wild-mushroom agnolotti with braised beef, and butter-poached lobster.

Peninsula FS, 55 W. Main St., 631-666-8811. This showplace of a Chinese restaurant with a koi pond at its entryway is especially welcoming to children. There's hot-and-sour soup, steamed sea bass and Beijing duck. Sushi bar? But of course.

fatfish, 28 Cottage Ave., Bay Shore, 631-666-2899. From the handsome modern dining room or the outdoor deck of this scenic restaurant, you can enjoy pancetta-wrapped scallops and then move on to such fare as roasted lobster tail or filet mignon.

T.J. Finley's Public House, 42 E. Main St., Bay Shore, 631-647-4856. A friendly pub offering a beer-friendly menu -- burgers, sandwiches, fish and chips and chowders. Beer- batter pancakes are featured at weekend brunch.

Siam Lotus, 1664 Union Blvd., 631-968-8196. One of Long Island's foremost Thai restaurants, this welcoming spot by the LIRR station offers such dishes as curry puffs and frog's legs with basil and chili.

Southside Hotel, 5 Third Ave., 631-665-9596. An old- fashioned "Cheers" kind of place for steak, seafood and burgers housed in a 1930 building that started as a hotel.

Declan Quinn's, 227 Fourth Ave., 631-206-2006. Chef-owner Liam Beardslee's take on American and Irish comfort food elevates this reincarnation of the Blue Point Restaurant & Oyster Bar from simple pub to destination spot. Crab cakes are virtually all crab; the creamy bacon-enriched mac and cheese is home-style luxury.

Captain Bill's, 122 Ocean Ave., 631-665-6262. Dine harbor-side on an American seafood-focused menu featuring dishes like jumbo lump crab cakes and blackened mahi mahi.

Molly Malone's, 124 Maple Ave., 631-969-2232. Most nights, there's soft rock live-band music at this lively waterside Irish American restaurant that serves everything from fried calamari to shepherd's pie.

Chowder Bar Restaurant, 123 Maple Ave., 631-665-9859. At this waterfront spot by the Maple Avenue dock, you'll find such seafood classics as clam bisque and fried scallops.