Fall Restaurant Week kicks off on Long Island

Question: Why would an Island eatery voluntarily discount its prices, particularly amid the current challenging economic climate, even if it’s only for a week?

"It’s a great way to introduce new people to our restaurants," said Joe Scalice of Lessing’s Hospitality Group, whose eateries Mirabelle in Stony Brook and View in Oakdale are participating in the fall installment of Long Island Restaurant Week, which runs from Sunday to Nov. 14. "We put our best foot forward, so it’s also a way to convert occasional customers into regulars, as well as give them information on wine dinners and other upcoming special events."

George Korten, who has three restaurants participating in the promotion — the original George Martin in Rockville Centre, GM’s Grillfire in Merrick and GM’s Strip Steak in Great River — agreed. "It’s a great opportunity to cultivate new guests who live out of the neighborhood or maybe can’t usually afford it," he said. "Plus, it’s exciting for the staff, it lets the chefs do interesting things. It’s a win-win."

More than 100 eateries are expected to participate in the current effort, which will bring $20 prix fixe lunches — takeout or dine-in — to many establishments, along with dinner options ranging from $25 to $42, depending on the venue. All will offer three choices for each course, and prix fixe menus will be served all-night-every-night except Saturdays, when establishments are not required to offer the deal past 7 p.m. Supplemental charges may apply to certain entrees.

Notable Restaurant Week offerings at View, Scalice said, include Thai calamari and a double-cut pork chop with smoked Gouda grits and bacon chutney. At Mirabelle, meanwhile, there’s chef Guy Reuge’s cauliflower and parsnip soup — "out of this world" — and a seared salmon with celeriac purée that’s "absolutely elegant and done with finesse and flavor."

At the original George Martin, meanwhile, entrees of note include a thyme and lemon-roasted Arctic char and a Berkshire pork chop glazed with a cranberry-maple sauce. Among the meaty offerings at GM’s Strip Steak are a 14-ounce Delmonico steak with a mushroom bordelaise sauce, and a coulotte sirloin with an au poivre sauce and roasted red potatoes.

"We know that for some people this will be a reintroduction to the restaurant scene, so we really tried to make the menus really special, and I think we really did," said Scalice.

As always, reservations are strongly recommended at all Restaurant Week venues, and a complete list of participating restaurants (along with some of their menus) can be found at the Restaurant Week website.

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.