6 new Long Island restaurants to try this fall

The owners of Luca Steak don’t like to refer to their new restaurant as a steakhouse. "Let’s say steak restaurant," Rory Van Nostrand said. David Tunney chimed in, "When you say ‘steakhouse,’ people think it’s a [classic] clone, or it's that whole steak-and-sushi thing. We are doing something different."

The pair, who also own Luca, the Newsday Top 50 Italian restaurant in Stony Brook, and Old Fields BBQ in Huntington, brought in their organization’s A team to run the place: general manager Anthony Argiriou (Luca) and chefs Luke DeSanctis (Luca), Scott Goldstein (Old Fields) and Carlo Masakayan (formerly of Lulu Kitchen & Bar in Sag Harbor).

Luca is one of a slew of new buzzy new eateries entering the dining scene in time for fall, with some anticipated spots, like Whiskey Down Diner's Babylon outpost, just about to make their debut. As we settle into our September routines, consider making time for a weeknight or weekend indulgence at a new eatery.

Luca Steak, Huntington (now open)  

The kitchen’s first order of "different" business was to distinguish itself with the steaks. Other than a prime, bone-in 38-ounce rib eye, the other six selections are variations on wagyu — A5 top sirloins from Japan; New York strips, filet mignons, Denver and hanger steaks from Australia’s Margaret River ranch; flat irons from HeartBrand Ranch in Texas.

"Wagyu" refers to four breeds of Japanese cattle whose meat has an intramuscular fat content that can be anywhere from three to six times that of USA prime. (A steak can have so much fine white veining of fat that it can appear pink rather than red.) For this reason, Goldstein explained, the largest of his wagyu steaks, the hanger, weighs in at 12 ounces. And tasting around the steer’s anatomy, the team found that they were drawn to some of the leaner cuts — such as the flat iron, the hanger and the shoulder-sourced Denver — that can be chewy when prime but are ideal with wagyu. Steaks here run from $60 to $100.

Nonbeef mains (most hovering around $50) include bone-in ahi tuna steak with mango-papaya salad, Mangalitsa (a Hungarian heritage breed) pork flank with kumquat chimichurri, saffron-poached halibut, a whole roast Cornish hen on a bed of wild mushrooms and the vegan roast cauliflower with harissa and tahini.

Vegans and vegetarians actually have a lot to choose from here, with side dishes such as creamed spinach in a spanakopita nest, roasted leeks with horseradish cream and carrot "tagliatelle" with kumquat. Starters, most in the low $20s, include multicolored beet "crudo" with wasabi goat cheese, Wagyu steak tartare, a wedge of Bibb lettuce with guanciale and blue-cheese mousse.

The original Luca is known for its pasta; Luca Steak serves five imaginative varieties (most around $30) including bucatini with caviar and bottarga (cured mullet roe) and trenne (penne that is triangular in cross section) with a spicy, cross-cultural sauce that brings together gochujang (Korean fermented pepper paste) and 'nduja (fiery Calabrian sausage spread).

The kitchen makes virtually everything, down to the excellent sourdough rolls and cultured butter.

Tunney noted that another difference between Luca Steak and Other Steakhouses is the size and the hushed, subdued vibe. "We’ve got 68 seats inside, and a lot of soundproofing. We want this to be an intimate dining experience."

Outside, a covered and landscaped patio provides another 38 seats. Beyond the patio is a feature almost unheard of in Huntington Village: A dedicated parking lot. (Enter it from New Street, one block west of the restaurant.) When former tenant Red closed in September, it was the 25-year-old restaurant’s parking that attracted Tunney and Van Nostrand’s attention.

Luca Steak, 417 New York Ave., Huntington, 631-673-0304, luca-steak.com. Open Tuesday to Friday 5 to 10 p.m., Saturday 4 to 10 p.m., Sunday 4 to 9 p.m.

Whiskey Down Diner, Babylon (opening Monday)  

 Co-owner Alyson Kanaras and her brother John are gearing up for the opening of their new restaurant later this month. A date has not been announced. The Farmingdale eatery was popular with diners from the jump, but the Babylon space is in Alyson Kanaras’ hometown, which makes the expansion "even more exciting. Farmingdale is my baby, but this is where I live," she said.

The diner-with-a-twist concept remains: Find oversized omelets, fluffy buttermilk pancakes and avocado toast for breakfast; loaded burgers and creative sandwiches like the turkey pretzel melt or a salmon BLT for lunch or dinner, alongside an order of disco fries topped with mozzarella and gravy, or smothered with chicken fingers and vodka sauce.

A big selling point here: The state-of-the-art kitchen is massive, and will be overseen by chef Patty Conway; the bar will be managed by Gabriella Patti. Babylon doubles seating capacity to 100 and will feature a patio facing East Main Street that will seat up to 50 diners. After a complete renovation of the former Ristorante Gemelli, diners at the new Whiskey Down will enter through a large foyer that fronts a brand-new logo laid in mosaic tile.

A panel of windows illuminates the space, and its high ceiling will be enhanced by — what else — a disco ball, a perfect detail for the spirit of Whiskey Down. "My dad told me not to put in the disco ball," Kanaras laughed, as she mentioned her father, Peter, the family’s restaurant veteran and owner of The Olympic Diner in Deer Park. Alas, the shimmering ball remains.

Whiskey Down Diner, Babylon Village, 175 E. Main St., Babylon; whiskeydowndiner.com

Betty's Burgers & Ice Cream Bar, Merrick (now open)  

Betty’s Burgers & Ice Cream Bar has that beachside burger vibe down pat: The casual menu is focused on playfully deployed patties and elaborate sundaes; the decor is shabby-surf chic and the playlist leans on Motown and doo-wop. As for beachside, it’s adjacent to Open Bay Marina and, if it weren’t for the aqua fence that surrounds the patio, you could see the water through the parking lot.

Managing partner Tommy Casabono said Betty’s has been busy since it opened in August. "It’s a lot of families coming early. Later on, we have people from the marina coming in for a drink after a day on the boat." He’s considering instituting a "reverse happy hour" for after-dinner quaffers. (There’s a full bar, with a dozen seats.)

Chef Jonathan Chevlin, a veteran of the six-link Burgerology chain, is determined to distinguish burgers from the pack. As opposed to a "monster 8-ounce patty," Betty’s burgers are constructed with two 4-ounce patties. There are nine regular burgers on the menu, the most expensive ($24) of which is the Carolina Stack with pork rib tips, melted Cheddar, coleslaw, bacon jam and Carolina gold BBQ sauce. The Garlic Pesto Smash ($21) features melted mozzarella, caramelized onions, arugula, tomatoes and pesto-garlic mayonnaise.

Betty’s Burgers & Ice Cream Bar, 1960 Bayberry Ave., Merrick, 516-208-7301, bettysburgerbar.com. Open Tuesday to Thursday 4 to 9 p.m., Friday 4 to 10 p.m., Saturday noon to 10 p.m., Sunday noon to 9 p.m.

Yalos Greek Taverna, Island Park (now open) 

Panagiotis Kambitsis thinks he has the secret sauce to running a successful restaurant in Island Park, and that sauce is tzatziki. The owner of Pappa Gallo in Rockville Centre has taken over the large space that held Aura Modern Mediterranean, and changed the name to Yalos Greek Taverna. Yalos keeps the upscale club vibe while going full-on Greek, in the vein of North Shore spots Kyma and Limani. There's an impressive raw bar of imported Greek fish, like the fabulous lavraki and tsipoura, which Kambitsis says come in daily. And the unapologetically Greek menu sports names like horiatiki, taramosalata, skordalia and melitzanosalato eggplant spread. 

"Mediterranean isn't Greek and Greek isn't Mediterranean. Greek is Greek," he said. "As a Greek owner/operator, I'm going to call it what it is. It's a Greek restaurant with a Greek owner and Greek chef."

The menu has many of the popular Greek dishes you'd expect from an upscale modern Greek restaurant, like a substantial starter of three flavorful spreads, or pikilia ($22). With six options to choose from, the taramosalata or whipped fish roe with lemon and olive oil was the standout with its silken puree of creamy fish. 

The restaurant also has an impressive wine list, with nearly 40 bottles from Greece alone, ranging from $55 to $210 for a 2004 Terroir Nemea Agiorgitiko.

Yalos Greek Taverna, 4338 Austin Blvd., Island Park, 516-208-7535, yalostaverna.com. Open 4 to 11 p.m. Sunday through Thursday, 4 p.m. to midnight Friday and Saturday.

The Marin, Northport (now open) 

When Lindsay Ostrander took over the former Whales Tale, her vision for The Marin was to transform the rowdy, seasonal watering hole at the Britannia Yachting Center overlooking Northport Harbor into a year-round dining destination.

"They were only open half the year," she said. "All the tables were outside on the deck with just a bar inside." The Marin’s cool dining room now seats 75, with another 50 outside. (The best view of the water is actually from inside.)

A Northport native, Ostrander and her husband, Dan Klein, also own two other spots in the village, Salted. On the Harbor (est. 2020) and The Wine Cellar on Main (2012). She chose the name The Marin to evoke all the words — marine, marina, maritime — that derive from the Latin marinus, which means "of the sea." ("Marin" is pronounced like the first two syllables of marinara, the sauce supposedly invented by Italian sailors.) The Marin opened earlier this month.

Pastas ($45 to $50) include cacio e pepe and sausage and peas. Mains ($50 to $140) include roast whole chicken with roasted cipollini onions and mashed potatoes, grilled 42-ounce porterhouse with roasted garlic and rosemary, pan-seared Faroe Island salmon with Dijon-dill sauce and grilled Broccolini. Not into sharing? Order Marin burger (with tomato jam, Manchego, roasted garlic mayo on brioche, $25) or the lobster roll (cold or warm, $48) which is every bit as good as the one at Salted — one of Long Island's best. As befitting the seaside location, there’s a full raw bar too.

The Marin, 81 Fort Salonga Rd., Northport, 631-284-6555, themarinrestaurant.com. Open Tuesday to Sunday noon to 10 p.m.

Abigayle's, Riverhead (now open) 

Patricia and James Mangiacapre are betting on their understanding of the Riverhead dining scene to make their 3-week-old restaurant, Abigayle’s, a success. "You have to listen to what local people want; you have to provide real hospitality," Patricia said. "It’s not ‘the trick’ to success; it’s the reality of the situation." 

The couple has taken on a location that looks eminently promising, but has proved a challenge to its predecessors. The restaurant, across from the Long Island Aquarium and adjacent to the Preston Hotel, opened in 2018. (All three properties are owned by the Petrocelli family.) Ambitious and expensive, Preston House employed four well-credentialed chefs during its four-year tenure; none stayed more than two years.

In Riverhead, James said, the goal is "to be approachable but interesting." The New American menu, from chef José Tocay (formerly of Friar’s Head golf club in Baiting Hollow and The Trattoria in St. James), certainly bears that out. At dinner, starters ($14 to $24) include roasted cauliflower with capers, pine nuts and tahini; bone marrow with Espelette pepper, mesclun and radish; and fried Peconic Gold oysters with succotash.

Mains ($34 to $62) include pan-seared duck with glazed carrots and celery-root puree; seafood paella; grilled sausage "wheel" with confit tomatoes and long-hot peppers; filet mignon with roasted garlic butter, Broccolini and potato puree. Among the four pastas ($24 to $32) are bucatini all’Amatriciana and baked rigatoni with lemon ricotta and fresh mozzarella.

Abigayle’s, 428 E. Main St., Riverhead, 631-775-1550, Instagram: @abigaylesattheprestonhouse. Open Thursday noon to 9 p.m., Friday and Saturday noon to 10 p.m., Sunday and Monday noon to 9 p.m.