Ondas by Fuego, Cedarhurst

A 30-day-aged ribeye steak at Ondas by Fuego in Cedarhurst comes with black beans and chimichurri sauce.

Located in Cedarhurst, Ondas by Fuego is owned by Miami-based restaurateurs Avi Bitton and Mark Aquinin. The two have operated a Latin kosher barbecue restaurant, Fuego by Mana, for more than a decade in North Miami Beach. The large kosher Mexican menu was developed alongside consultant Denevin Miranda, a Filipino American chef who's competed on the Food Network's "Chopped." The tortilla soup, with a matzo ball sitting in the broth, is comforting, yet intriguing. It is one of many offbeat dishes at the new clubby kosher Mexican steakhouse. Premium steakhouses are a point of pride in north Mexico, where ranching culture reigns supreme. And the boneless rib-eye steak is truly fantastic, aged for 30 days on site and grilled over charcoal in a 500-degree Josper oven from Spain. Like a few of the other meat selections, it's labeled "Beis Yosef," which signifies it's a high degree of kashruth often followed by Jews of Sephardic descent. It's an excellent cut of meat cooked perfectly to a juicy medium rare, and paired with a crock of epazote-infused black beans, along with some spicy salsas on the side. Ask for a side of tortillas to round it out. The rest of the menu leans regional Mexican, with dishes like a hamachi tuna aguachile and Baja fish tacos served in blue corn tortillas.

Just Salad, Plainview

For Long Islanders still trying to stay on top of their New Year’s resolutions, Plainview’s newest eatery, Just Salad, can help. This is the seventh Long Island location for the Manhattan-based chain. The fast-casual brand’s first spot on Long Island debuted in Commack in 2023. Patrons create their own salads, warm bowls and wraps. Try the honey crispy chicken wrap as a salad made with romaine lettuce, spinach, red cabbage, crispy chicken, feta cheese, quinoa, corn, onions and carrots. Signature salads include Tokyo Supergreens with chicken, avocado, shaved broccoli, sliced almonds and miso ginger vinaigrette. For those who prefer a little spice, the vegan chipotle wrap has plant-based chicken with brown rice, avocado, kale, crispy onions and carrots. Quench your thirst with light and healthy drink choices such as almond berry blast made with oat milk, banana, almond butter, blueberries, strawberries, flax seeds and agave nectar. If you prefer a warmer meal, the menu includes seasonal soups such as chicken noodle.

Mezze Mediterranean Grill, East Setauket

For his second act, John Yardim decided to tone down the Turkish. His new East Setauket eatery, Mezze Mediterranean, has a Turkish soul, but a crowd-pleasing pan-Mediterranean surface. In 2023, Yardim helped his older brother, Ismail Yardim, open Turkish storefront eatery Lezzet in Smithtown. At Mezze, the 23-year-old Yardim is making Caesar and kale salads, fried calamari and even a burger topped with Cheddar and mozzarella. The menu uses the Greek "gyro" as well as the Turkish "doner" to describe the sandwich (or platter) made from beef shaved off a vertical spit. But, in the Turkish fashion, the meat has been sliced and hand-stacked on the spit and not ground and molded. Grill offerings include shish kebab (lamb or chicken), spicy ground-meat Adana kebabs, kofte (meatballs) as well as chicken chops (semi-boned thighs). All of these are available as platters with rice and salad or wraps. The sparkling restaurant has a handful of high-top tables inside as well as two picnic tables on the front patio, but bear in mind that food is served in takeout containers.

Okdonsik, Bayside

Okdonsik in Bayside, Queens, serves a standout clear pork broth soup called dweji gomtang.

Okdonsik, a Michelin Bib Gourmand restaurant from Seoul opened its second U.S. location in the Korean restaurant row of Bayside, Queens in January. Like the original and the Midtown locations, there's only one main dish on the menu. That's dweji gomtang, a specialty soup with the lightest pork broth you'll ever taste. This hardly-known dish — and the restaurant itself — challenges any cultural assumptions you might have about Korean food. There is also a small paper menu that lists a total of six items: There's a kimchi mandoo dumpling and a spongy seafood cake that tastes almost like an omelet. There's also a side of thickly-sliced pork that tasted almost like charcuterie, two funky nonalcoholic juice drinks, and then the soup. The dweji gomtang, made by slow-simmering pork shoulder and aromatic vegetables is unique. The steel bowl has a few pieces of whisper-thin pork shoulder floating atop a translucent yellow broth. Underneath it all, there's a mound of high-quality al dente white rice. If you like to be smacked in the face by robust Korean flavors, you'd be better served by seeking out a Korean barbecue spot down the street. But if enjoy pure, quiet mastery, give this a try.

Harvest House Tavern, Malverne

New Malverne restaurant Harvest House Tavern, is really walking the walk when they say "farm-to-table," creating a menu based on the seasonal offerings of Crossroads Farm at Grossman’s, whose 5 acres are so close, the farmer has been known to make deliveries on his tractor. Chef Ronaldo Morales makes a celeriac "cacio e pepe" — the ribbons of celery root don’t taste like wheat pasta, but they have a toothsome chew that no zucchini could dare to achieve. The flavor marries beautifully with the cheese and black pepper as well as the entirely superfluous (but delicious) black truffle. Harvest House is the brainchild of Chris Meyer, a partner at Frank’s Steaks in Rockville Centre who grew up in the area. Meyer, who is still full-time at Frank’s, teamed up with veteran restaurant managers Ross Gollub and Stephen LaSpina. They hired Morales, who grew up in his family’s restaurant, La Cantina Bay (originally in Locust Valley, now in Bayville) before studying at New York City’s Institute of Culinary Education and cooking in kitchens from Prime in Huntington to Aureole and Jean-Georges in Manhattan.

Fiocha Pizza, Mattituck

There’s been a pizza-shaped hole in the North Fork since Pizza Rita closed in 2023 after four years in Mattituck (and a spot on Newsday's Best Pizza list). But that hole was filled on Feb. 10 when Nabeel Massoud opened Fiocha Pizza. Massoud’s pies are a bit crisper and sparer than the ones Jeff Marrone made at Pizza Rita, but they are of comparable quality, issuing from the same type of wood-burning oven. Fiocha’s opening menu consists of eight pizzas and two salads. Beer and wine will be added soon. Pizzas include the El Diablo, with pepperoni, jalapeños and hot honey, and four white pies: The Bianca features mozzarella and ricotta, add cherry tomatoes and you’ve got the Rosa Bianca. The Funghi is topped with shiitake and oyster mushrooms, lemon ricotta, pecorino and Parmesan and a drizzle of truffle oil; the Arugula, with mozzarella, arugula and Parmesan.

Neptune Diner, Syosset

A ham and Swiss club at Neptune Diner in Syosset.

Queens’ Neptune Diner had been under family ownership for 40 years when its lease ended in July, around the time Syosset’s Celebrity Diner was looking for a new owner. After a full renovation, the new Neptune Diner in Syosset is open with a glossy, updated look. Like most Long Island diners, standard fare includes three-egg omelets, pancakes, club sandwiches and handhelds, oversize salads, wraps, burgers, and larger format plates including pasta specials, Greek specials such as moussaka and gyros, and Italian specialities such as chicken, veal, shrimp and meatball Parms, all served with soup or salad.

Royal Dim Sum, Westbury

Royal Dim Sum has claimed the former home of Chuan Tian Xia or Sichuan World, a handsome high-ceilinged space that closed in 2023 and remained empty for more than a year. This new full-service Cantonese restaurant is a win for the Samanea Mall, which has billed itself as an Asian restaurant row. Owner Ricky Chen is well connected with restaurant people in Flushing, and was able to hire Cantonese chefs Feng Lin, who is originally from Hong Kong, and Ming Lee who hails from Guangzhou. The two crafted a dim sum menu as well as a sizable selection of Cantonese dinner items with an emphasis on preparing live seafood from the tanks at the restaurant. The 46 dim sum items range from adorable custard buns shaped like baby pigs, to highbrow selections like pork shumai dumplings topped with abalone. About a third of the items — which are mostly deep-fried — are only offered before 3 p.m. when the dim sum chef is on shift. Signature dim sum dishes like shrimp har gow and barbecue pork char siu bao buns are available all day.

The Green Door, Lindenhurst

When Bakuto closed in Lindenhurst, conversation immediately turned to what would replace it in the prime village location: A stylish new cocktail-forward spot called The Green Door, designated by — what else — a glowing green light above the main entrance. The Prohibition-style decor is dark and moody with elegant gold accents — hardware on the lighting, sleek pens and napkin holders. The neat, multi-page cocktail menu is arranged by spirit — vodka, whiskey/bourbon/rye, tequila, rum — in addition to classics from Old Fashioneds and Negronis to cosmos and Manhattans. The small plates menu leans American, accented with Latin flavors from chef Aldo Chacon, formerly of the nearby Restoration Kitchen & Cocktails. Think pork belly empanadas, grilled wings with chipotle and bourbon honey butter, served with crispy plantains; filet mignon and sea scallop skewers with creamy poblano polenta. Don’t miss the bone marrow fries or Brussels sprouts.

Cactus Cafe, Huntington and Smithtown

A selection of tacos at Cactus Cafe on Jericho Turnpike in Huntington.

Since its Glen Cove debut in 1999, Cactus Cafe has delivered its menu of Tex-Mex classics such as nachos, burritos, tacos, enchiladas and quesadillas to a growing field of locations that now include a new shop in Smithtown and a Huntington spot with a full bar. Cactus Cafe offers hearty Tex-Mex fare at affordable prices. Start with salty, thick tortilla chips, paired with tangy pico de gallo, tomatillo, chipotle or arbol chili salsa, or chunky, fresh-made guacamole. Enchiladas are plentiful plates of cheese-smothered chicken, pork, brisket or shrimp, accompanied by creamy refried beans and rice. Tacos options include carne asada, chorizo, grilled ahi tuna and crispy chicken. Burritos, which can be made in tortillas or bowls, include the surf-and turf, with grilled shrimp, carne asada, rice, cheese, refried beans, salsa, sour cream, onion and cilantro.

Orale Grill, Riverhead

Riverhead’s newest hidden gem is about 500 feet away from a bustling traffic circle: Orale Grill is a Mexican eatery in the space that used to be Sarikopa organic tea and coffee shop. Owner Juan Campoverde, an Ecuadoran native, partnered with chef Enrique Contreras, who was a chef in Mexico City before coming to the United States in 2004. The substantial menu includes sopes, a traditional dish made with fried corn masa and a variety of toppings. Orale’s sopes are served with lettuce, beans, cheese and a choice of meat or chicken. Also available are chilaquiles, fajitas and destination-worthy chicken enchiladas with tangy salsa verde that delivers just the right amount of kick.

Beach BBQ, Baldwin

Beach BBQ has been flying under the radar since it opened in August, maybe due to its tucked-away location behind the Baldwin Long Island Rail Road station. But local couple Kareem and Sharema Beach have been cooking up a storm, producing smoked meats that rival Long Island's finest barbecue houses. Pork ribs with sauce on the side are a highlight. Meats like pulled pork also arrived sauceless. There are also turkey wings and fried whiting sandwiches, as well as some hefty mac and cheese, and succulent collard greens that are spruced with bits of smoked turkey.

Taglio, Massapequa Park

Roman-style pan pizza ("pizza al taglio") at Taglio in Massapequa Park.

Rob Cervoni’s second Taglio pizzeria has opened in Massapequa Park. The shop is known for two styles of pizza, Roman-style "pizza al taglio" — baked in rectangular pans and cut with scissors into square slices ("taglio" means "cut") — and round New York pies sold whole or by the slice. Both types of pies come in more than 20 variations, with toppings ranging from classic (tomato and mozzarella) to gourmet (mortadella, provolone, burrata, basil pesto and crushed pistachios) to Only On Long Island (sausage, pepperoni, burrata, hot honey, mozzarella, tomato). The Massapequa Park location serves the same pizzas, calzones, heroes and salads as in Mineola. But there’s also a small dessert menu of tiramisu and maritozzi (cream-stuffed brioches). More significant are the new beverage options. You can have a freshly pulled Caffe Kimbo espresso or a "Kimbo Crema," (think creamy coffee slushy) or, in a slightly harder vein, Italian beer (Peroni, Moretti) or, in a much pricier vein, a bottle of Veuve Clicquot or Dom Pérignon.

Sugar Rush Bake Shop, Greenlawn

Singapore-raised, Centerport-based Jeanne Purpura started her culinary career in restaurants, cooking at the now-closed Felidia in Manhattan before moving to Long Island to raise a family. In 2015 she began selling tarts, quiches, galettes and cookies at farmers markets in Port Jefferson and Sayville. Within a few years, she had developed enough of a customer base that she gave up her market stall. Last year she realized that she could no longer run her business from her own kitchen and so she took over Greenlawn’s former Kava Girl. Purpura has customers sending drivers from Manhattan and the Hamptons to pick up her six-inch floral cakes. Most days she can be found baking but, on Saturdays, she opens to the public with a selection of cookies, vanilla custard and dark chocolate tarts, brownies, poundcake, madeleines, buttermilk biscuits and other humble but delicious treats. Of course, you can also order a spectacular cake.

Mesita, Amityville

From the outside, Mesita in Amityville still looks like the grand, neoclassical bank that has stood at the corner of Greene Avenue and Broadway for almost a century. But step inside and you find yourself ... outside. The soaring space has been transformed into a Mexican courtyard, complete with shade trees and streetlights. The menu, developed by Mesita’s executive chef Antonio Chicas, is the same as at the other restaurants. It’s a crowd-pleasing document that features guacamole made to order at a station adjacent to the bar and familiar starters such as nachos, tostadas, empanadas, street corn, quesadillas and queso fundido (in a skillet). The eight tacos include birria, barbacoa and veggie. Mains include "Margarita" roast chicken with pineapple salsa, pan-seared salmon with honey-chipotle sauce, Mexican shrimp scampi and ancho-chili-rubbed rib-eye. The drink menu offers more than a dozen margaritas, such as the "Passionada," made with jalapeño-infused tequila.

Lucharitos, Mineola

The luchita plate at Lucharitos in Mineola.

This might be the seventh restaurant opening for Marc LaMaina, but launching the new Lucharitos in Mineola comes with a lot of firsts. This is the Tex-Mex eatery’s first Nassau location, with Suffolk locations in Greenport, Mattituck, Aquebogue, Center Moriches, Ronkonkoma and Melville. The restaurant, which opened earlier this month, is housed in a 4,000-square-foot facility on the ground floor of the Morgan Parc luxury apartment building. The Mineola eatery also features a gelato station and coffee bar serving waffle cones, ice cream-stuffed croissants and tres leches ice cream sandwiches served on North Fork Doughnut Company doughnuts in addition to the fan-favorites menu.

Selita's, Lynbrook

It's hard to imagine Italian food without cheese. Thankfully, plant-based dairy products have come a long way since the '90s, and now it's possible to open a homestyle Italian restaurant where half the menu is vegan. That's the case with Selita's, a new hideaway in Lynbrook. Flip the one-page menu over and you'll see plant-based riffs on Italian American classics such as Caprese salad with cashew milk mozzarella, oyster mushroom "calamari" and even fettuccine Alfredo. The restaurant is owned by Andy Astafa, who founded the popular mini chain of vegan-centric pizzerias 3 Brothers, which currently has locations in Rockville Centre and Farmingdale. Meatier entrées include a rib-eye steak as well as a veal chop, chicken Parm, branzino and baked halibut with Cognac sauce. On the vegan menu, the linguine with oyster mushroom scampi had a lemony butter sauce that was practically indistinguishable from the dairy version.

Guac Shop Mexican Grill, Massapequa

When Matt Tesoriero and his brother Luke were trying to come up with an idea for their restaurant, Guac Shop Mexican Grill, they set out to become a "healthier alternative to Chipotle." The brothers have six other locations of the Mexican eatery across the Island, which was started in 2018 in Garden City. Patrons can build their own bowls, salads, tacos, quesadillas and burritos. "Performance bowl" options include vegetarian, Keto, and Surf & Turf. On Wednesdays, all bowls are $10.

Okaru, Roslyn

Miso glazed Seabass Skewers at Okaru restaurant in Roslyn, NY

The wait is over: Chef Marc Spitzer, of Manhattan’s famed BondSt restaurant, has opened his long-awaited Long Island venture, Okaru, in Roslyn. A swank, upscale lounge fronts an elegant, expansive dining room that embraces Japanese and Scandinavian design elements, and offers a vast menu of both sushi and hot dishes rooted in Eastern culinary tradition. Nearly 90% of the menu is gluten-free, with most dressings made with Tamari soy. Not to be missed: The "original" tuna tarts, paper-thin sheets of raw tuna draped over crisp gyoza wrappers, brushed with truffled ponzu and crowned with micro greens; oysters are dressed with ponzu, jalapeño and chili crisp. Chicken katsu buns are brined in buttermilk, and spicy crispy shrimp with a chili aioli, a BondSt riff, dots most tables. Entrées include miso Chilean sea bass served with rice cake, a black garlic and whiskey caramelized onion skirt steak, and a grilled whole fish, which will change seasonally. The O.G. spicy tuna roll ($16), a pillowy flavor bomb crusted with black sesame seeds, is a standout on the sushi menu. Sashimi and nigiri offerings are ample with six kinds of salmon, four types of yellowtail, plus indulgent options like uni, caviar, various toro cuts and Alaskan king crab. There is also an eight-piece chef’s selection omakase.

Varli Indian Street Kitchen, Williston Park

The new Varli Indian Street Kitchen is a vibrantly colorful restaurant. The small storefront in Williston Park is decked out with vintage Bollywood posters and a wall-length mural of a woman with sultry eyes and flowing hair who stares you down while you eat butter chicken momos. Varli serves a variety of street foods and fusion dishes from across India, from samosas, pani puri wheat flour puffs, chaat dishes with colorful sauces to pav, the spiced curries served with potato bread. Butter chicken momos, one of the more popular items here, are Nepalese dumplings bathed in a buttery tomato sauce imbued with Indian spices. Another starter, Amritsari fish fry, hails from the streets of Amritsar in Northern India. Nuggets of fish are coated in spiced chickpea flour and fried until they're crispy and snackable.

Wild Fig, Hicksville

Wild Fig, one of Long Island's tastiest salad bowl joints, has opened an outpost next to Ikea in Hicksville. The stand-alone spot used to be a Boston Market, but now instead of creamed spinach and sweet potato casserole, the counter is stacked with colorful Mediterranean veggies and dips. And the rotisserie chicken device has been replaced with a stone oven, which bakes exceptional Turkish pide breads. The customizable salad and rice bowls are shaped like deep plates, so each ingredient has a chance to shine. Instead of tossing all the ingredients together, the dish was created by layering white jasmine rice and romaine lettuce in a lemony dressing, with yellow banana peppers, green olives, red cabbage and onions. Other toppings include pickled red cabbage, sumac-spiced red onions and sliced green olives. The bowl comes with a choice of two meats. The chicken and the beef kofte meatballs were soft and succulent.

Hampton Coffee, Hampton Bays

A vegan egg sandwich and a London Fog latte at Hampton Coffee in Hampton Bays.

Hampton Bays just got a burst of energy during the sleepy winter months — the seventh location of the East End java chain Hampton Coffee opened its seventh location Jan. 25. The new shop is in the space that housed Pete’s Green Door Farm stand from 2003 through 2016. The menu includes a vegan egg sandwich for breakfast, as well as a bacon, egg and Cheddar muffin; ham, egg & gruyere croissant. The balsamic grilled chicken wrap is made with baby spinach and basil pesto. For a jolt of caffeine, try the cortado, which is equal parts espresso and steamed milk, or a double espresso. Beverages also include iced tea and coffees.

Mo's Island Spice, Setauket

Mo Green, owner of new Jamaican eatery Mo's Island Spice, was determined to bring a taste of her native Jamaica to the Setauket area. Along with the stewed, falling-off-the-bone oxtail, popular items include jerk chicken, brown stew chicken or beef, curry chicken or goat. Platters come with rice and beans, steamed cabbage and peppers and fried plantains. At lunch, there are also jerk chicken tacos and wings, Jamaican patties and soups. For breakfast, a belly-busting platter of eggs, sausage or bacon, fried plantains, dumplings, toast or bagel, oatmeal or porridge and coffee or tea.

Bb.q Chicken, Levittown

Korean fried chicken is continuing its sticky sweet takeover of Long Island. And this international chain from Seoul is putting out some truly exceptional K.F.C. With multiple locations in NYC and New Jersey, bb.q Chicken recently opened its first Long Island store in a Levittown shopping center. The chicken is frankly, incredible. The Levittown location offers three varieties: a whole chicken, boneless and bone-in wings. Most people will get the wings, which can be tossed in 14 flavorings that range from sweet to savory cheese powder and spicy.

Made in Colombia, Hicksville

Salchipapas, or loaded fries, at Made in Colombia in Hicksville.

If you’ve never walked the streets of Colombia and tried its street food, Hicksville’s newest eatery, Made in Colombia, has got you covered. The street food-forward menu is a collaboration between Mexican chef Alberto Alvarado and Colombian chef David Ibañez. Arepa rellena, stuffed griddle corn cakes, come in several versions, including a beef burger with bacon, ham, cheese, lettuce, tomato, pineapple, chips and secret sauces. Loaded fries, also known as "salchipapas," can be topped with sausage, chicken, corn, cheese, egg and guacamole. A standout to try is chuzos desgranados, shredded meat loaded with corn, cheese, egg, potato chips and secret sauces.

Turquoise Persian Grill, Roslyn Heights

When Kayvan Nikoufekr conceived his new Persian restaurant in Roslyn Heights, he wanted to showcase the authentic flavors of his native Iran, "with recipes as close to original as could be." To that end, he hired a chef from Tehran, Assad Zadh, who had never cooked in America before and gave him free rein. The menu features starters such as Shirazi salad and kashke badmejan (eggplant with dried whey); stewed dishes like gormeh sabzi (braised beef with kidney beans) and fesenjoon (chicken with walnuts and pomegranates); a panoply of kebabs, from jujeh (bone-in Cornish hen) and koobideh (minced lamb and veal) to shishleek (chunks of lamb) and barg (beef tenderloin). Kebabs can also be ordered in various combinations that culminate in the darbari combo: two skewers of koobideh, one jujeh, one barg and five lamb chops.

Joey's Bold Flavors, Oceanside

The homey space at Joey's Bold Flavors in Oceanside has an old-school New York Italian vibe with wood paneling and the menu is full of approachable standards like rock shrimp tempura and chicken Milanese. This may be the ultimate Long Island restaurant: Billy Joel is on the speakers as proprietor Joseph "Joey" Bonacore roams the room in his kitchen apron. Fried calamari is a must at a place like this, and here it's offered "Lucca style" which means the squid is tossed with slivers of red onions and vibrant green pieces of broccoli rabe. Fresh pasta comes from the local outfit, Dolce Amore, and the selection includes dishes like Beggar's Purse moneybags in a vodka sauce with prosciutto and asparagus. The entrée section branches out from Italian-American classics with dishes like ginger teriyaki-glazed salmon, Calabrese ribs and Lawson's Pub Style Filet Mignon Tidbits . But the Parms are where it's at. A $38 veal Parmesan is beautifully rendered and tastefully plated with just enough of that zingy sweet tomato sauce and melted mozzarella.

Patrizia's Marquee, Commack

Angry Shrimp in a spicy red sauce over zucchini linguine at Patrizia's Marquee in Commack.

Since 2016, Patrizia’s, the family-owned spot from Naples-born brothers Gennaro and Giacomo Alaio that launched in the Bronx in 1991, has had a presence on Long Island. The recent opening of Patrizia’s Marquee in Commack brings a more intimate, modern addition to the brand. Patrizia’s fans will be happy to see that the menu still includes Italian American family-style veal and chicken favorites from Marsala to Parm. Pastas from Ccarbonara to Bolognese, in addition to a new spicy vodka sauce, also abound. There’s baked clams and calamari; traditional meatballs, but also veal meatballs with a white wine truffle sauce and housemade sausage.

Yankee Doodle Dandy's, Babylon

This might be the year of chicken tenders — one of Long Island's tastiest purveyors has opened a second location, in Babylon. Yankee Doodle Dandy's is a patriotic-themed chicken spot that opened its first brick-and-mortar in Islip in 2023. The menu of chicken tenders and fried chicken sandwiches bears some similarities to Raising Cane's, the iconic Southern chain. To separate his business from the corporations, Yankee Doodle owner Josh Gatewood seasons the chicken to give it more flavor, and fries it in peanut oil rather than the more common and cheaper canola oil. This results in a fresher, more flavorful tender. The fries are also piping hot and fresh out of the fryer. Overall, the Winner Winner combo meal with Texas Toast is supremely snackable.

Taco Fresco, Babylon

Babylon’s Sonoran-inspired taco spot, Taco Fresco, focuses on the cuisine of Northern Mexico. Part owner Mike Tochluk and chef and business partner, Benito Vazquez, worked for months to create handmade flour and corn tortillas using nixtamasa, a corn flour made of corn treated with limewater, typical of Sonoran-style food. Their street taco options include carne asada or grilled steak tacos made with cilantro, onions, salsa and guacamole. They also have pollo asado or grilled chicken tacos and seared shrimp tacos served with cabbage, pico de gallo, chipotle crema and guacamole. The al pastor taco, also a highlight on the menu, is marinated pork, pineapple, cilantro, onions, salsa and crema verde. Meat-free options include the grilled cactus taco served with cilantro, onions, salsa and guacamole.

Pho Ye, Oceanside

The "classic" banh mi at Pho Ye in Oceanside.

The latest spot for Vietnamese pho is Pho Ye, which opened in Oceanside in December, serving pho alongside banh mi (Vietnamese heroes), over-rice boxes, salads and rolls both summer (fresh) and spring (fried). Owner Kevin Chen is an experienced operator who South Shore pho-nuts may remember from Kenko, the Merrick eatery he opened in 2020 (and subsequently sold). You’ll find the enormous bowl of pho chock full of meat, rice vermicelli noodles, onions, lime wedges, scallions and heaps of fresh herbs. Varieties include beef, chicken, pork, shrimp or tofu. The banh mi sandwiches are expertly crafted: Chen pickles matchsticks of carrot and daikon before tucking them into crisp, split rolls with fresh cucumber, mayonnaise, butter and your choice of protein.

East Rock Coffee, Garden CIty

Most new coffee shops these days go in for a minimalist-rustic-industrial vibe. Not East Rock Coffee: It’s maximalist all the way. The ceiling and soffits are painted with bold black-and-white stripes, the northern wall is papered with a profusion of giant roses. As for the coffee, you might forgo a cappuccino in favor of the East Rock Pink, a rose-infused latte with pink pitaya, coconut milk and chocolate sauce. For tea drinkers, the Dragonwell Green Tea with pink pitaya coconut milk is topped with edible rose petals. Sweet brunch plates include ricotta doughnuts with crème Anglaise and dulce de leche, overnight oats with caramelized sugar and espresso-maple drizzle and ricotta pan-CAKE with honey-butter glaze. On the savory front: avocado toast on grilled sourdough with cherry tomatoes and balsamic, crab cakes with corn relish and garlic soubise and a luxe take on eggs Benedict that swaps out Canadian bacon for prosciutto and adds a corn relish.

Panoramica, Peconic

The trio behind Greenport’s Little Creek Oysters' new home — Ian Wile, Travis Zurawski and Rosalie Rung — acquired the space on Peconic Lane and kicked off the new year by launching their latest venture, Panoramica. Patrons may feel they've been transported onto a retro-futuristic spaceship as they drop in for lunch — Zurawski describes the interior as "midcentury, space-age, Palm Springs futurism." The on-brand menu has toast sandwiches such as the "now boarding" made of ricotta, strawberry, almond, mint and honey on toast. They have panini-style pressed sandwiches such as the "kryptonian", which includes roast beef, lettuce, tomato, Cheddar, black beans and crema. Get a caffeine fix with an espressoor hot tea. Smoothies on the menu include the "o-rama", with avocado, spinach, banana and vanilla. There's also a "chip-o-matic" salad and parfaits.

Hana & Rosa, Huntington

The black tiger jumbo shrimp fajitas with thick cut, twice-fried plantains or tostones and a mango margarita at Hana & Rosa in Huntington.

Hana & Rosa, a Japanese and Mexican fusion restaurant, opened in November at the space on New York Avenue that used to be Mission Taco. Owner Chuck Liu — a Queens resident and owner of Chakra Japanese Fusion in Flushing — kept most of the Mexican fare from Mission Taco’s menu. Some of the Mexican cuisine on the menu includes grilled shrimp quesadillas and jumbo shrimp skillet fajitas served with rice, beans, pico, guacamole and cheese. Ramen, which features prominently on the menu, including their chicken katsu ramen, made with Japanese-style fried chicken, wakame, soft boiled egg, nori and scallions. The menu will also include traditional Japanese bar snacks like Tako Yaki, fried dough balls stuffed with octopus, tempura, pickled ginger and green onion, and Japanese-style chicken wings named Hana wings.

The Parkview, Wantagh

If you’re a South Shore fan of Brendo’s King of Heroes in Williston Park, you’re in luck: Chef Brendan Banks is the man in the kitchen at The Parkview, a new upscale bar and grill in Wantagh. Replacing Scuttlebutt Tavern, the space has been given a complete overhaul, rendering it light and bright, ushering in a new era for the restaurant. While Brendo’s remains a separate entity in Williston Park but Banks’ French dip and cheesesteak are on the menu at Parkview. Starters include fresh cut potato chips with a garlic aioli dip, house-made mozzarella sticks, French onion soup, and wings served Buffalo, Korean, and Nashville styles. There are four chicken sandwiches including a crispy chipotle offering and a grilled BLT riff, plus burgers from standard to smothered, topped with Gruyere cheese, caramelized onions and mushrooms and a house brown gravy. There are Cobb, Caesar and shrimp salads and "their most popular singular item," steak tidbits, sliced over garlic bread, topped with melted mozzarella and crispy onions, and served with fresh-cut fries that can be truffled.

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