The Foundry, Hicksville

If you’re looking for a casual pub with elevated food and a New York City manhole-cover theme, your ship has come in. The Foundry is a partnership between Steve Meskisky, a North Shore hospitality veteran, and Sam Potente, whose family business, John E. Potente & Sons, deals in concrete products and cast-iron manhole frames and covers. The low-slung building on Woodbury Road had been Charles Avenue Cafe, a long-standing local watering hole that closed a few years ago. Starters include Foundry ribs (St. Louis style, braised with cherry peppers and garlic), clams oreganata, mussels with vermouth, fried calamari with lemon-caper sauce and wedge, Caesar, kale and beet salads. Between the bread are a Foundry burger, a proud construction with sautéed onions and Dijonnaise, and a Korean chicken sandwich with kimchi and sesame aioli. Both come with excellent house-cut fries. Entrees include chicken Francese on the bone, pastrami-rubbed tuna, fried pork chop with baked apple, 16-ounce rib-eye (grilled or Cajun-rubbed) and two pastas, penne alla vodka and short-rib rigatoni.

The Pizzeria, Smithtown

LI chainlet The Pizzeria opened its seventh location in Smithtown. The Pizzeria takes over the Branch Plaza spot that was, until July 2024, Buona Sera. The Pizzeria got its start in 2020 as a 500-square-foot operation at Smith Haven Mall in Lake Grove. The new 3,000-square-foot location is divided into three distinct areas: pizza takeout (with self-serve tables), a contemporary dining room and a bar. The white pie gooses its cheese blend with truffle oil; chicken shows up with bacon and ranch dressing, with Buffalo sauce or glazed with Thai chili marinade. The bestselling specialty pie is the Uncle Benny — fresh mozzarella, sausage, pepperoni and hot honey.

Pino's Italian Food Market, Dix Hills

Inside Pino's Italian Food Market in Dix Hills.

Salpino’s Italian Food Markets of Wantagh and Babylon has expanded north to Dix Hills. The new Pino’s Italian Food Market, which clocks in at just under 15,000 square feet, is the company's largest store of the trifecta. The Salpinos markets, South Shore Italian food staples, began in Wantagh in 1985 under Pino Barbieri and his brother — who now owns the North Bellmore store, and is no longer affiliated with Wantagh, Babylon or Dix Hills. The newest market is being run by Pino and his son Paul along with Paul's brother-in-law, Larry Avvenire. The Dix Hills location brings a more interactive experience to shoppers, with all the inner workings of the kitchen exposed. The bakery ovens, which sit right behind the bakery counter, offer front-row seats to the bread-making process. The store's many glass cases are full of prepared food options for priced-by-weight carryout, from chicken cutlets to cavatelli Bolognese, eggplant Parm, Caprese salad, fried cauliflower and sautéed broccoli rabe. Prime cuts of meat, round discs of pork and chicken sausages, marinated kebabs, prepped meatballs, and a bevy of steaks and chops glitter in anticipation of barbecue season. Scores of imported pastas — both fresh and dried — tomato sauces, olive oils, and vinegars line shelves, plus almond, sesame and pistachio cookies of every stripe. A full bakery makes not only semolina loaves, but Italian cookies of all shapes, pastries, cakes, and desserts. An espresso and coffee bar sits beside the bakery.

Tito's Birrias and Grill, West Babylon

What began as Tito’s Tacos & Grill in Deer Park has expanded with a new West Babylon location, Tito’s Birrias & Grill, nodding to the killer birria tacos the family-run establishment makes for diners. Non-birria fans need not worry; the menu at this expansive Mexican spot is awash in affordable, generously portioned options. There are tacos served with onion and cilantro on warm corn or flour tortillas, which can be filled with proteins ranging from pork al pastor to chorizo to beef tongue. For seafood lovers, order the fish and shrimp tacos, stuffed with slaw, corn, chipotle and mango sauce. There are quesadillas and tortas, or Mexican-style sandwiches, as well as burritos and burrito bowls, complemented by large piles of nachos loaded with steaming, melty queso, pico de gallo, corn jalapeños and sour cream. There are tostadas and fajitas, even empanadas in beef, chicken, and cheese varieties and pupusas, plus crazy corn, wings, salads and can’t-miss churros for dessert. Refreshments include Mexican Coke, Jarritos and aguas fresca in flavors like horchata, tamarind and maracuyá, or passion fruit.

Dave's Hot Chicken, Carle Place

These chicken tenders are among the spiciest foods available on Long Island. You might assume Dave's Hot Chicken, now open in Carle Place, came from Nashville, but it's actually a product of Los Angeles, which has a respectable hot chicken scene of its own. The business got its start in 2017 when a few friends set up an outdoor chicken stand in East Hollywood. The business, which offers halal chicken, expanded quickly with backing of celebrities like Drake. It currently has at least 15 locations across the tristate area. The small menu is mostly variations on tenders and sliders. The chicken is perfectly fried, juicy on the inside, and crunchy on the outside, and the portion size is great for the price. Try a #1 Dave's combo with two tenders, sliced bread and decent crinkle cut fries — or the #2 Dave's combo with two sliders and fries. Franchisee Michael Froccaro warns against ordering anything hotter than medium for the uninitiated.

Village Heros, Syosset

A Honey Bee wrap at the reopened Village Heros in Syosset.

Syosset's Village Heros is back. The sandwich institution that closed in 2023 after more than 50 years reopened at 575 Underhill Blvd., right across the street from where it began in 1972. Fans of the original shop, which closed after the land it sat on was sold to a developer, will welcome back its menu of heroes large and small, hot and cold, as well as salads from Greek to Caesar — all of which can be chopped for an extra $2. Sides range from mozzarella sticks to french fries and chicken fingers. In the hot department, it’s the Italian heroes — cheesy, saucy chicken and meatball Parms, sausage and peppers, Philly cheesesteaks, and a flounder filet with tartar sauce — that will guarantee a return visit. Past the basics, Village’s super combination heroes are popular favorites. Perhaps it’s the Wild Willy, loaded with crispy chicken cutlets, lettuce, tomato and mayo, that you crave? Maybe it’s the Italian Stallion Bomber with mortadella, pepperoni, proscuittini, salami and provolone with the works (tomato, lettuce, onion, and dressing)? Wraps round out the bread-based offerings, and include the decadent Elvis Wrap made with chicken cutlets, bacon, mozzarella sticks and seasoned fries with ranch dressing. Open for breakfast, Village also makes killer bacon (or sausage and ham), egg, and cheese on a roll, but don’t sleep on the potato, bacon, egg and cheese option, which enhances the classic with the addition of spuds.

Willy's Azúcar Cuban Restaurant & Bar, Massapequa Park

William Martinez, a Cuban native, said he opened his new Massapequa Park restaurant, Willy’s Azúcar Cuban Restaurant & Bar, to bring some Cuban joy and zest for life to Long Island. Starters include tableside guacamole served with pork and twice-fried plantains or tostones. A Cuban sandwich made with roasted pernil or pork, smoked ham, Swiss cheese, pickles and mustard sauce is savory (and hearty) at lunch or dinner served with a side of fried yucca and mojo dipping sauce. Vegetarian options include paella la bronca with saffron rice, carrots, cauliflower, green peas, red and green peppers, crushed tomatoes and sofrito sauce. Salmon en melao is pan-seared Atlantic salmon with honey lemon glaze, toasted almonds, grilled figs and minted quinoa served with mixed salad greens. Live music on Tuesdays, Fridays and Saturdays runs from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. with weekend brunch from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Jerri's Cakery & Confections, Eastport

When it opened in 2018, Jerri’s Cakery & Confections was located inside the stucco castle on Montauk Highway adjacent to Westhampton’s Casa Basso. But when that historic Italian restaurant closed in December, Montillo was banished into the wilderness. Now, in Eastport, bakers Jerri Raynor Montillo and Belinda Nagy, whose nom de cuisine is Queen Bee Bakes, have opened a bright and spacious new shop. Cupcakes here are highly recommended. Whether simple (vanilla with chocolate frosting) or fanciful (birthday with Funfetti), they are iced with Italian-meringue buttercream, which, according to Montillo, is creamy, glossy, stable and not overly sweet. Also offered are blondies and brownies, big, homestyle cookies (chocolate chip, peanut butter, Oreo chunk, chocolate with marshmallows, pecans and walnuts, oatmeal raisin, M & M) and rugelach. From the Queen Bee repertoire come focaccia (rosemary, pepper, cheese), baguettes, croissants, danish and even dog treats.

Bonchon, Centereach

A large mixed Korean fried chicken meal at Bonchon in Centereach comes with eight wings and four drumsticks.

Bonchon is arguably the most well-known Korean fried chicken chain restaurant in the United States and it now has its first Long Island location in Centereach. Once recommended by Anthony Bourdain, the South Korean chain is known for double frying its chicken, which results in a bigger crunch than some competitors. The menu includes four varieties of signature "hand-brushed" sauce: soy garlic, Korean BBQ, spicy and yangnyeom, which is the signature sweet and spicy sauce that Korean fried chicken is known for. The "mixed" box with eight wings and four drumsticks comes with a side of pickled white radishes, called mu in Korean, which balance the savory chicken with a crisp fresh flavor. Bonchon also serves a variety of Korean dishes like bibimbap, bulgogi beef, tteokbokki rice cakes in a spicy sauce and even Korean corn dogs.

Fly Chick to the Moon, Port Washington

First came Pelicana, then bb.q Chicken — now an independently-owned business is giving Korean fried chicken chains a run for the money. Fly Chick to the Moon has opened in the Port Washington space that was previously Margaritas Cafe. The shop owned by a local couple who hail from Jeju Island, a picturesque vacation spot that's referred to as the Hawaii of South Korea. Owners Julia and Mason Kim also own two Port Washington bagel shops, Shore Bagel and Bagel Time next door to the restaurant. Chicken is offered in both wings and drumsticks, and can be tossed in four sauces: crispy, soy garlic, glazed and glazed hot. A boneless variety of wings goes by the name dak-gangjeong, which has a sweeter/darker sauce and less crunch than regular wings. It's tasty but not as memorable as the main event: wings tossed in the glazed hot sauce. The wings arrive in a single file on a long plate, garnished with whisper thin radish.

Roberto Chang, Bellmore

East meets West at Roberto Chang, a street food and take-out forward restaurant that opened this month in Bellmore. The all-day menu is heavy on food straight out of the air fryer, namely 10 empanadas in varieties such as spinach and cheese, and pizza-flavored. Egg rolls include Philly cheesesteak, shrimp, buffalo chicken and pork with vegetables. Sides include crunchy and fluffy yucca fries ($4.80). Then comes dessert: Fried Oreos and wontons in flavors such as apple crumb, brownie, pineapple coconut cheesecake and cookies and cream. Beverages range from basic coffee and tea to espresso, cappuccino, lattes and hot chocolate.

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.

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