New Long Beach and Point Lookout restaurants
A lobster tail pastry, pistachio croissant and raspberry mousse at d'eCaffe in Long Beach. Credit: Newsday / Andi Berlin
Is Long Beach the new Hamptons? Speculation is always awash this time of year, and while the city by the sea may not have the same star power as the East End, it's definitely building up its restaurant credentials.
Take the new d'eCaffe for example. This impressive Italian bakery is from the award-winning pastry chef Francesco Manfredi, who recently decamped from San Diego back to Long Island to open a shop with his wife, Micah Mea. Their bright green pistachio-dipped croissants are worth traveling for. But if it's after 5 p.m., you'll want to head across the street to LB Bistro for a Calvados cocktail with absinthe rinse.
Another telling sign of trendiness: The quaint residential hamlet of Point Lookout down the road just got a Southdown Coffee, and a picturesque one at that. As the sun heats up the beach, it definitely feels like there's new energy to the place. Here are six food spots that have opened their doors in the area in the past few months.
LB Bistro
150 E. Park Ave., Long Beach
The best seat at Matt Hisiger's new French bistro is at the bar, or if you're lucky, one of the tables at the front by the window, where you'll find a couple splitting a bottle of red wine. If you can ignore the cars speeding down Park Avenue, it almost feels you're in Paris for a minute. But that may be because the cocktail you chose has absinthe in it. The chef at LB Social down the street did a fine job converting the former Steven's Pasta into a French bistro. And while the new restaurant is still getting its sea legs, it's already a beautiful spot to enjoy some aperitifs and a plate of steak tartare with a fresh egg yolk ($18). More info: 516-992-0014, lbbistrony.com
Coq au vin at LB Bistro in Long Beach. Credit: Newsday / Erica Marcus
The Green Fork
134 E. Park Ave., Long Beach
One of the first make-your-own salad bars to open on Long Island, The Green Fork opened its second location this May in an area in sore need of healthy fast food options. At $13 to $16.50 per salad, it may cost a dollar or two more than some competitors, but the salads pack so many ingredients into the small bowls that it's actually difficult to mix them. The Mediterranean bowl ($14) is a highlight, surprisingly fresh and packed with plump Kalamata olives, feta cheese and freshly fried nuggets of falafel. More info: 516-208-5745, thegreenfork.com
The Green Fork is a fast casual salad bar that offers grain bowls and avocado toasts in Long Beach. Credit: Newsday / Andi Berlin
Dosenbo Sushi and Hibachi
1026 W. Beech St., Long Beach
The barrier island's culinary heart is the West End, which hasn't welcomed many new restaurants in the past few months. But you will find a new storefront selling casual Japanese dishes and takeout sushi. Formerly China Wok, Dosenbo has a reliable menu that includes Japanese rice bowls, ramen dishes and varieties of teriyaki. The sushi selection is also substantial for such a tiny place, but since there are only a couple tables you'll probably want to just grab some takeout and head to the beach (a block away). The sushi lunch special is a good deal as it comes with five nigiri, a California roll and miso soup for $13, cheaper than supermarket sushi and better, too. More info: 516-431-8620, dosenbojapanese.com
The sushi lunch special at Dosenbo in Long Beach comes with miso soup. Credit: Newsday / Andi Berlin
d’eCaffe
151 E. Park Ave., Long Beach
After several years in San Diego, Manfredi returned to Long Island with a chic Italian cafe-bakery on the main drag, Park Avenue. Classically trained at the Etoille Institute of Venezia in San Diego, he's appeared on the Food Network and previously led the pastry program at Leonetti Pastry Shop in Greenvale. His wife, Mea, works the counter, serving up espresso drinks as well as gorgeous cakes and croissants dipped in chocolate and pistachio ($4.75). The lobster tails ($6.75) are also fantastic, with flaky shell dough that gives way to a fat layer of custard. More info: 516-726-7005, decaffeny.com
A lobster tail pastry, pistachio croissant and raspberry mousse are all made at d'eCaffe in Long Beach. Credit: Newsday / Andi Berlin
Southdown Coffee
40 Lido Blvd, Point Lookout
Coffee snobs no longer have to trek to the North Shore or Patchogue when they want a fancy pour over. The Huntington establishment quietly opened its seventh location in Point Lookout this May, and the crowds have been steadily building. The small space that previously housed The Food Mill now has the characteristic bright and clean look that put Southdown on the map, along with some stunning sea foam green tile work. But since the weather is so nice right now, you'll find most customers seated at the picnic tables out front. The space is currently serving an abridged food menu as well as a few pastries like their fabulous polenta olive oil cake. More info: southdowncoffee.com
Egg sandwiches at Southdown Coffee can be prepared on gluten-free bread. Credit: Newsday / Andi Berlin
Reynolds and Vine
70 Lido Blvd., Point Lookout
It helps to make a reservation for this new bistro in Point Lookout, because the restaurant has been busy since it opened in late March. The space has been given a refresh from its days as The Point Bar & Grill. The new interior has an “Old Man and the Sea” look to it, with navy blues and a low ceiling that makes you feel like you're in a boat. The approachable menu includes wings, burgers and a few entrees in the $30 range. The New York strip ($41) was perfectly cooked to medium-rare, and while the meat could have been more flavorful, it did have a nice peppercorn gravy on top. More info: 516-544-4749, reynoldsandvine.com
Creamy Cajun rigatoni at Reynolds and Vine in Point Lookout. Credit: Newsday / Andi Berlin
Andi Berlin is from Arizona and does not know where she is going. But when she gets there, she’ll find something beautiful and delicious that the world needs to taste.