Mexican-Latin restaurant Cebollines opens in Lindenhurst
Enchiladas suizas with rice and beans at Cebolline's, a new Mexican and Central American restaurant that has opened in Lindenhurst. Credit: Newsday/Corin Hirsch
Sure, he uses a few scallions in his food, admits chef Lauro Yanza, but not a crazy amount. "Cebollines" — as scallions are called in Spanish — just seemed like a solid name for a restaurant.
And green onions do pop up here and there on the menu at Cebollines, a new Mexican-Latin restaurant in Lindenhurst, such as in a scallion-jalapeno ranch dressing for coconut-encrusted shrimp. With downtown Lindenhurst popping — a handful of new restaurants have recently opened, or will do soon — Cebollines is more on the fringes, nestled away from Wellwood Avenue on Montauk Highway, but one of the only traditional Mexican restaurants in the vicinity.
The 40-seat spot dispatches with cantina cliches for a more subdued ambience of white tablecloths and a backlit marble bar. Yanza, who leads the kitchen, said he has cooked for 30-plus years around Long Island. At Cebollines, he combines the flavors of Mexico, Central and South America, so that tacos, pupusas, and churrasco-style skirt steak share the menu.
As do other traditional Mexican dishes such as chicken-and-cheese filled enchiladas suizas, which instead of veiling with more melted cheese, Lanza adorns simply with crumbled queso. Guacamole is prepared tableside; other apps ($10 to $12) veer both north and south, from empanadas to wings to mussels with chorizo in a garlicky Negro Modelo-cilantro broth.
Larger plates ($16 to $22), which come with rice and beans, include carne asada with queso chihuahua, spinach and salsa verde or a truly fusion-y almond-crusted chicken with queso fresco, crostini, and mixed greens in raspberry dressing.
Salads, sandwiches, burritos, quesadillas, tacos (five kinds, including carnitas) and pupusas are among the informal choices. "I decided to do pupusas, as my daughter was born in El Salvador," said Yanza. "It's something new for the area."
The cocktail menu is lengthy, running from to at least 10 margaritas and several martinis, including a smoked pineapple jalapeño margarita and "rice pudding" martini made with rum and horchata. (There's also beer and wine).
Cebollines is open daily for lunch and dinner, as well as weekend brunch. It's at 170 E. Montauk Hwy., Lindenhurst. 631-592-9845. cebollinescomida.com.
