Oak & Vine opens in Glen Cove

Rehan Alam owns five restaurants in Manhattan, but had long dreamed of one closer to his home on Long Island. He and his partner, general manager Billy Figaro, had been looking for a while before they came upon the Glen Cove property that was, most recently, The Salt Grill.

"I liked everything about it," said Alam, who owns the NYC spots Red Lion, The Ellington, Tara Rose, Bosco, and Alligator Pear. "The neighborhood and, particularly, the layout — how there was a main dining room but also other spaces for groups."

A semiprivate area off the main room is for communal dining or small parties. Another room, completely separate, accommodates up to 40 people. Beyond the bar in the main dining room, a narrow space with a grand piano can be curtained off or, on Fridays and Saturdays, serve as a live music venue. All told, there are 140 seats inside and another 40 on the patio alongside Cedar Swamp Road.

The décor is contemporary and inviting, with rich blue walls, cognac-hued wood floors and neutral furnishings. The menu, executed by executive chef, Fernando Leites, has a similar air of contemporary comfort. Small plates ($16-$22) include grilled octopus with preserved-lemon butter, braised pork belly with butter beans and carrot purée, berebere dry-rubbed wings and, of course, burrata with pistachio pesto, blistered cherry tomatoes and balsamic glaze.

Pastas ($22-$32) are divided between those imported from Italy (e.g. fettuccine carbonara, rigatoni with cauliflower and basil pesto) and those made in house (cavatelli with seafood, bucatini marinara).

Among the large plates ($23-$35) are double-battered fried chicken with black-garlic barbecue sauce, Basque-style chicken breast with potatoes and mushrooms; crispy branzino with parsnip purée, miso and Meyer-lemon emulsion. There are a number of vegan and vegetarian selections, plus a few steaks ranging from $36 (for the strip) to $65 (for the rib-eye).

Oak & Vine, 75 Cedar Swamp Rd., Glen Cove, 516-200-9520, oakandvineny.com. Open Tuesday, Wednesday and Sunday 4 to 10 p.m., Thursday to Saturday 4 to midnight.