10 best things we ate on Long Island last month

Newsday's food team eats out every day of the week on Long Island in search of standout meals at a good value. Here are their favorite dishes from the past few weeks:

Tonda pizza at Dough & Co.

25 E. Main St., Oyster Bay and 318 Main St., Huntington

If you’re looking for the next hot trend in pizza, it might be "tonda," a Roman-style pie that features a superthin crust with the sauce and cheese extending almost to the edge. (Is "tonda" Italian for "bar pie"? Nope, it just means "round.") Right now, it’s available at Dough & Co. in Oyster Bay and Huntington (for $26) where two slices were light enough not to ruin my appetite for dinner only three hours later. More info: doughandcopizza.com

Tuna tartare at Lulu Kitchen & Bar

126 Main St., Sag Harbor

Tuna tartare has become a bit of a cliche but I was wowed by the towering specimen ($29) at Lulu in Sag Harbor: It contained big chunks of big-eye tuna in a ginger-ponzu sauce sitting on a bed of avocados and cucumbers held together with harissa-tahini mayo. The whole thing was topped off with a lacy smoked-paprika tuile. More info: 631-725-0900, lulusagharbor.com

Linguine al pesto at Edoardo’s Trattoria

300 New York Ave., Huntington

Bright green, pungently herbal, a great pesto is hard to find — so it was a treat to find it on the specials menu at Edoardo’s. As in Genoa, its city of origin, this pesto is tossed not only with pasta (here, house-made linguine) but also cubes of potato and lengths of very thin string beans. And, heck, why not add some plump shrimp for good measure? More info: 631-683-4964, edoardostrattoria.com

— Erica Marcus

Bacon, egg and cheese at Carissa's The Bakery 

221 Pantigo Rd., East Hampton; 68 Newtown Lane, East Hampton; 3 Bay St., Sag Harbor

Everything in the Hamptons feels expensive, but a $22 bacon, egg and cheese? I had my reservations, too. However, the BEC at any of Carissa’s three locations really is a cut above. Made with multiple slices of thick, applewood-smoked bacon, a drippy, gooey, over-easy egg, a sheath of clothbound Cheddar, pickled red onions, braised local greens, Fresno peppers for spice and a garlic confit aioli, all of that goodness is served on two generous slices of sourdough bread, made in-house. The James Beard Award-nominated bakery also makes a "kids version" with just the bacon, egg and cheese, also $22, but it’s the trumped-up original that is worth the investment. More info: carissasthebakery.com

'Paper Fish' at The Beacon

8 W. Water St., Sag Harbor

A friend of mine visits seasonal Sag Harbor’s The Beacon every summer Sunday evening, sits at the bar and orders the mainstay "Paper Fish" ($58) paired with white wine to decompress from her week. I recently shared a meal with her and finally understand why this dish is so beloved. Anchored by a hearty chunk of halibut, baked in parchment paper with toasted Israeli couscous, sun-dried tomatoes, tatsoi — a dark, leafy Asian green similar to spinach — and a citrus-infused stock, the confined steam within the parchment seals in moisture, cooks the fish to flaky tenderness, and infuses it with herbaceous jus. More info: 631-725-7088, beaconsagharbor.com

— Marie Elena Martinez

Tamil tiffin at Taste of Chennai 

617 Hicksville Rd., Bethpage

This hyper-regional Southern Indian spot recently got a glow-up when it moved from a small storefront near the Hicksville train station to a larger, more handsome dining room in Bethpage. The menu still sports dishes from the state of Tamil Nadu, including some fabulous breads like spongy flat uttapam, puffy idli rice cakes, rolled dosas and flakey whoopie cushion bhatures. The Tamil tiffin ($19.99) is a combo platter of sorts where you can try many of these with their flavor-packed dipping sauces. It's just unreal how good they are, especially the fried lentil fritter called medu vada, which is paired with a chunky coconut chutney. More info: 516-396-1449, tasteofchennainy.net

The Standard burger at No Good Burger Joint

930 Atlantic Ave., Baldwin and 88 N. Village Ave., Rockville Centre

The hulking bistro burgers are clearly operating on another dimensional plane of flavor. But until recently, I hadn't tried the best on the menu. Now I can say without a doubt that it's the Standard ($25), which is a fine tribute to the famed Peter Luger steakhouse. The half-pound burger is topped with a massive slice of thick and supper fatty bacon that spools off the sides, like the burger is sticking out its tongue at you. It's also got a ring of raw onion on the bottom, and for that extra oomph, a sunny-side-up egg. Note: At the Rockville Centre location, the burger goes by the name North Village Ave. More info: 516-442-5434 (Baldwin) and 516-208-7661 (Rockville Centre), nogoodburger.com 

Carne asada french fries at Taquero Mucho

15 E. Deer Park Rd., Dix Hills

This one's for my West Coasters, who grew up frequenting 24-hour-burrito joints instead of delis. When the clock stuck midnight, it was time for carne asada fries smothered in beefy steak cubes and all manner of spicy and creamy Mexican sauces. L.A.-native Max Carballo's new taco shop in Dix Hills isn't open that late, but the feeling and the flavors are the same. The papas locas ($16.15) are served in a takeout box and drowned in so many cheeses and sauces, it's surprising that the fries remain so crispy. It was 4 p.m. but I had a hard time not finishing them. More info: 631-559-8898, instagram.com/taquero.mucho5

— Andi Berlin

S'mores fro-yo at Yogurt & Such

1 Glen Cove Rd., Unit 1, Greenvale

The silky s’mores flavor at this popular Nassau frozen yogurt spot was a treat that very much hit the spot during a recent after-work visit. It might not have been the tangiest (a flavor which I very much enjoy in a fro-yo) but it was so smooth and deliciously earthy because of the chocolate. The toppings include Fruit Loops, gummy bears, M&M’s, peanut butter cups and milk chocolate chips. The seven weekly rotating flavors are announced on the website. More info: 516-484-1822, yogurtandsuch.com

Bandeja hacienda de la patrona at Hacienda de la Patrona

234 William Floyd Pkwy., Shirley

The bandeja hacienda de la patrona ($22) is a hefty platter that will leave you satisfied. It comes with beef, pork skin, sausage, eggs, arepa or griddle cake, avocado rice, beans and plantains. Add the mouthwateringly tart blackberry smoothie to wash it all down. This quaint spot in Shirley, which serves South and Central American fare, has been going through a transition for the past two years. The owners originally called it Jolla de Oro, which translates to Jewel of Gold, and now it's Hacienda de la Patrona, which translates to The Boss' House. More Info: 631-399-1131, haciendadelapatrona.com

— Melissa Azofeifa