The Local Table opens in Syosset

One might think the team behind luxe omakase spots 236 in Syosset, House of Yoshin in Huntington, Sora in Stony Brook and the growing Kashi and SUP empires, Japanese and Vietnamese respectively, didn’t need another restaurant to manage. And yet, The Local Table opened in Syosset last month, the WH Group’s latest high-end spot, this time with a focus on local seasonality rather than Japanese whiskey and omakase.

Though the shopping center in which The Local Table resides feels casual from the outside, it’s fancier than one may expect within; not the simple, rustic minimalist kind of spot its location and name implies. It’s fussier than nearby Market Bistro in Jericho, but less so than its sushi counterpart 236, just down the road. The room, an art deco-styled space with soaring ceilings, deep turquoise chairs and cherry red suede banquettes dotted with black marbled tables and dramatic overhead lighting, feels more primed for a roaring twenties bathtub gin party rather than a journey through seasonal food. That disconnect disappears once the food arrives.

The summer menu, which will change often, according to Steven Tsang, one of the primaries of WH Group, is wrapped in a green ribbon that opens into a three-sided spread spanning snacks, starters, small plates, mains and vegetables — which include wild mushrooms, grilled cabbage and a farmers market selection. And while it’s not a study in rigid seasonality, chef Isaac Olivo, a Relais & Châteaux chef whose most recent tenure was at Cape Cod’s Chatham Inn, is creating some innovative, tasty plates. Maybe the tomatoes didn’t need the flavored gelee (or the aioli underneath), the rainbow of heirloom Eli & Ali’s tomatoes ($18) were splendid all on their own. All the produce on my dishes felt vibrant, if not fussed over a bit too much, and Tsang attributes that produce to tristate area producers, including Migliorelli Farms and Samascott Orchards in the Hudson Valley, Norwich Meadows Farm in upstate Norwich, and Campo Rosso Farm and Lancaster Farm Fresh in Pennsylvania. Not into tomatoes? Try the Jonah crab ($26), which came as two quenelles of the sweet shellfish tossed in a light aioli with miniature discs of cornbread alongside, accompanied a small baby gem salad with a lemon vinaigrette.

The scallops ($32), a small plate among options such as clay cooked quail with peaches ($28) and slow grilled prawns with Persian cucumber ($26), were perfectly cooked and beautifully garnished with edible flowers, over chopped razor clams and celtuce, or chunky stem lettuce, basted in brown butter. Another of the main dishes, black sea bass ($26), is served over bok choy in a sweet and sour dashi, while the most expensive item on the menu, the rib-eye ($75) comes with pommes Dauphine and watercress. Pro tip: Absolutely do not skip dessert. The deconstructed strawberry cheesecake ($17), made with goat cheese ice cream, strawberry tartare, rhubarb gelée on shortbread was delightfully light and very delicious. Brunch arrives on weekends in the near future.

"Oysters are from here, the Great South Bay. Protein is from Hudson Valley. We have a fishery, a hatchery, that we work with upstate," Tsang said of his vendors. "The focus here was to do that kind of local collaboration and I think we're 85% there." Eggs come from Oliver’s Organic Farm, pork from Sugar Hill Farms (both upstate) and beef from Hardwick Beef Farms, poultry from Goffle Road Poultry Farm in New Jersey, local oysters from Blue Island Oysters in West Sayville, and seafood from fishermen in areas including Montauk, Rhode Island and Massachusetts. Even their meticulous plates — set on beige Chilewich placemats — were made by local artisans: Jane Herold, of Cornwall, Connecticut, and Connor McGinn, of Tarrytown. A local table, indeed.

The Local Table, 275 Jericho Tpke., Syosset, 631-888-3353, thelocaltableny.com; Open Monday through Sunday from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m.

By Marie Elena Martinez

marieelena.martinez@newsday.com@mariesworlds

A global freelancer who has checked her suitcase to raise her young daughter on her native Long Island, Marie Elena will always make time for good mezcal, even better tacos and killer conversation. Preferably, in a corner bar seat. She can be found on Instagram at @mariesworldeats.