The city of Long Beach is on a narrow island just off the south shore of Long Island, New York. Although connected by an expressway to the bigger island, Long Beach has its own identity. A casual, family-oriented community, it's not uncommon in Long Beach to see boats in driveways, or occasionally, in private docks. On summer nights the boardwalk is crowded with families. Most of the restaurants in Long Beach are on Park Avenue, known, in local parlance, as Restaurant Row.
Grillfire is one of several popular Long Island restaurants run by the George Martin Group. The decor is elegant, with a large stone fireplace, candlelit tables and rich wood floors. This is one of the few restaurants in town that doesn't serve a lot of seafood. Its menu runs to heartier fare, such as bleu cheese crusted filet mignon and loaded skirt steak.
Grillfire--Long Beach
152 W. Park Ave.
Long Beach, NY 11561
516-889-3366
georgemartingroup.com
Named after an imaginary character whose biography is on the first page of the menu, Duke Falcon's is a playful sort of place. The menu is an adventurous mix of different types of cuisine. Fancier entrees include stuffed filet of cod and St. Peter's fish scampi style. But there are also many casual offerings, from hamburgers to Philly wraps.
Duke Falcon's Global Grill
36 W. Park Ave.
Long Beach, NY 11561
516-897-7000
dukefalcons.com
Here's another Long Beach restaurant serving seafood, but at Nagahama most of the seafood's raw. Named after the Japanese city of Nagahama, the chef relates that the restaurant's name is also Japanese for "Long Beach." Nagahama serves a variety of sushi and sashimi. The restaurant also has an inventive and lengthy appetizer list. Sample appetizers are fried bean curd with grated white radish and ginger and broiled tuna with chili sauce.
Nagahama Sushi
169 E. Park Ave.
Long Beach, NY 11561
516-432-6446
nagahamasushi.com
Nick's Tuscan Grill opened in 2010. Although located a short distance from Grillfire, Nick's cuisine is completely different. This restaurant is a trattoria and grill, serving pizza and pasta as well as more elaborate dishes. A house specialty is spaghettini and stuffed veal meatballs.
Nick's Tuscan Grill
40 E. Park Ave.
Long Beach, NY 11561
516-432-2690
georgemartingroup.com
One of a few Long Beach restaurants not on Restaurant Row, Matteo's is located on West Beech Street, an especially narrow part of the island in which the bay and ocean are within blocks of each other. Matteo's is part of a family-run chain with restaurants in Long Island and Florida. The menu offers pastas cooked with the sauce of your choice, from pomodoro to bolognese. The restaurant also offers a "healthy corner" of grilled foods.
Matteo's of Long Beach
777 W. Beech St.
Long Beach, NY 11561-2828
516-432-8101
matteosristorante.com
An Italian bistro with indoor and outdoor seating, Caffe Laguna's relaxing ambiance makes it a popular place. The restaurant offers live entertainment weekly. There's brick-oven pizza and a variety of specialty drinks. But there's also a more formal dinner menu that includes pasta and seafood.
Caffe Laguna
960 W. Beech St.
Long Beach, NY 11561
516-432-2717
caffelaguna.com
