7 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:

Erica Marcus' picks

Steak Frites at Otherside Wine Bar

149 Glen St., Glen Cove

I like steak. I love fries. Thus my ideal ratio for steak frites is 1:2, and that’s about what I was served at Otherside Wine Bar, which opened in 2024. This 6-ounce hanger steak napped with au poivre sauce was more dominated than accompanied by chef Ian Bock’s excellent fries. If you haven’t been, the wine bar occupies the "other side" of the historic saltbox whose main event is Southdown Coffee. There’s a tight, wine-friendly menu and a great list of "natural wines," made using traditional methods, with organic grapes and no additives. I paired my steak with Scopa’s Vino Rosso Terre Siciliane, made in Sicily from organic Nero d'Avola, Nerello Mascalese and Perricone grapes. More info: otherside.wine 

Fried chicken at Lola Southern Cuisine

240 E. Main St., Patchogue

What a pleasure to finally get to Lola’s in Patchogue, the year-old sibling of the Medford original. Starting with the hot, fragrant cornbread, our meal was composed of winners: mac-and-cheese, sauteed cabbage, pulled pork. But nothing was better than the fried chicken — well seasoned with just the right amount of crunchy crust. Bonus: exceedingly warm service. More info: 631-730-2882, lolasoutherncuisine.com

Fried whiting at Catch and Grill in West Hempstead

149 Nassau Blvd., West Hempstead

My litany of menu deal-breakers (steamed vegetable medley, balsamic glaze, more than one headlining animal species per dish, etc.) is as long as a diner menu, but I’ve got a handful of deal-makers too, and right up there is fried whole fish. I’m happy whether it’s big (fluke) or small (whitebait) or somewhere in the middle, as with these three whitings at the new and very promising Catch and Grill in West Hempstead. The fish were hopping fresh and fried to a turn, so the meat lifted right off the bones. More info: 516-214-6873, Instagram: @catchandgrillrestaurant

Melissa Azofeifa's picks

Breakfast Tacos at Westhampton Beach Brew & Grille in Manorville

496 County Rd 111, Suite. 2, Manorville

If you want an absolutely delicious and fun way to start off your weekend, you can't go wrong with the breakfast tacos ($14.95) from Westhampton Beach Brew & Grille in Manorville. They're made with scrambled eggs or egg whites served in a pancake shell with choice of bacon, sausage, ham and toppings including cheese, onions mushrooms, scallions, peppers and spinach. The sweetness of the pancake shell with the savory flavor of the eggs work perfectly together. This item is part of a new brunch menu launched in August. It is offered Saturdays and Sundays from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. More info: (631) 281-9464,whbbrewandgrille.com

Pepperoni and Hot Honey Slice from La Porta By The Slice

40 Woodbine Ave., Northport

Northport's newest slice shop has one of the most delicious pizza slices I've had in a while. I'm not one for too much heat, but the pepperoni and the hot honey slice ($6) had just the right amount of kick. This slice shop differentiates itself from its sister eatery, La Porta, by offering deck-oven pizza as opposed to the wood-oven pizza's offered at La Porta, owner Rob Simmons said. La Porta by the slice has specialty slices including the traditional grandma, Sicilian, vodka and crumbled sausage slices. More info: 631-418-0027, instagram: @bytheslicenpt

Andi Berlin's picks

Salted egg calamari at Smo Malay Kitchen 

2449 A Jericho Tpke., Garden City Park

My ideal Friday night involves driving to a supermarket shopping center for some Malaysian calamari. And the new Smo Malay Kitchen did not disappoint in this respect, although admittedly, the original objective was something more along the lines of beef rendang. But the menu at this former Chinese takeout spot is surprisingly wide-ranging for the humble setting. And this calamari dish ($22), called sotong in Malaysia, was an absolute banger. The calamari nuggets are coated in a creamy sauce of the salt cured egg, before being fried to shattering crispness. They look like little dirt nuggets dug up from the ground, but they taste like succulent seafood heaven. More info: 516-243-9980, smomalaykitchen.fronteats.com

Build-your-own martini at Beacon

832 W. Beech St., Long Beach 

 I'm a dirty martini girl. And a dirty martini girl is often led astray by intriguing variations on the savory theme. That was the case with the pickle martini I tried earlier this month at a Queens bar. Pickle martini, no bueno. But the build-your-own selection of dirty's at the new Beacon speakeasy in Long Beach? Muy bueno. Various customizations include pepperoncini brine, olive oil fat-washed vodka, black pepper and a lemon expression. Yes, it's very easy to screw this up, so make sure to get the approval from your server. I went with a filthy pepperoncini martini with chili oil and a goat cheese olive ($18), and it was interesting and awesome. More info: 516-442-1338, instagram.com/beaconlbny.