Cuban restaurant Babalu in Huntington reopens with more space, bigger menu

As befits a restaurant helmed by an ex-professional boxer, Babalu has long punched above its weight. Despite its location — a tiny space once occupied by Sip Tea Lounge — and no real liquor license during most of its first year, Alan Gotay’s Huntington eatery amassed a loyal following almost from the moment it opened in April 2017. But Babalu quickly became a victim of its own success, a 21-seat restaurant that could barely serve its regulars, much less attract new patrons, host events or accommodate groups of any size.

“It was very frustrating,” Gotay told me in the dining room of his New York Avenue eatery, which is now double its original size after a four-month renovation that also brought Gotay an expanded bar and a kitchen that’s “as big as the whole restaurant used to be.”

With its reopening last Wednesday, a thrilling new chapter begins for both Babalu and the entire Gotay family. That includes Alan’s sister Erica (who handles the restaurant’s PR and spearheaded the new cocktail menu) and mother Leticia (business and personnel), as well as Erica’s boyfriend (who’s washed dishes there) and aunt (ditto), along with Alan’s girlfriend (hostess), a nephew and another sister.

And as exciting as Babalu’s expansion is — it’s gone from seven to 14 tables — that’s only part of the story. Beer, wine and sangria, the only alcoholic beverages sold before, will be joined by a healthy cocktail list and a large bar from which to serve them. 

“Even with just the beer and wine, we were full every weekend,” said Erica.

“Which is a testament to his food,” added Leticia, “because most other places would have closed without a liquor license in the first year.”

With the reopening, diners can expect a full slate of specialty cocktails devised and concocted in-house. Gotay himself is producing nectar for a new guava cocktail, and “he even makes the jalapeño simple syrup for our spicy margaritas,” noted Erica.

Needless to say, Gotay’s Cuban-Mediterranean menu has expanded too. Fully a quarter of the dishes are brand-new. “We’re adding steak, a whole fish, whole roast chicken, a seafood pasta dish, made-to-order arroz con pollo, and traditional Spanish-style red beans with potatoes and olives,” said Gotay. Other new dishes include braised pork belly over cauliflower puree ($15), roast chicken with cherry tomatoes in a saffron cream sauce ($26), and croquettes stuffed with chicken, peas and potatoes ($11).

None of this would be possible without a concomitant expansion of kitchen staff — from one to two. For the first time, Gotay won’t have to do all the cooking himself, courtesy the arrival of sous chef David Benitez.

“There is no right time to do it,” said Gotay of the renovation while proudly showing off his gleaming new kitchen, now large enough to hold a walk-in fridge. “But I am very confident in what we were doing before we closed. Anything is a risk, little or big. But there is nothing on the Island like what we do here.”

Babalu is at 286 New York Ave. in Huntington, 631-683-4666, babaluny.com. New hours are Tuesday to Thursday from 4 p.m. to 10 p.m., Friday and Saturday from noon to midnight, and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Closed Monday.

By Scott Vogel

scott.vogel@newsday.com

Newsday writer and restaurant critic Scott Vogel aims for a refreshing, gimlet-eyed take on the Long Island food scene, often while drinking a refreshing gimlet.