Cabin fever from the weather? Try visiting a new-to-you restaurant! Think of it as replenishing the calories you burned from shoveling. Here are a few places we’ve been to over the past few months that I think you’ll enjoy:

Bar Frites – Think Waterzooi meets Bistro Citron. It’s located in Wheatley Plaza at the corner of Northern Blvd and Glen Cove Rd. The decor is French bistro and the bar has the most gorgeous tile work on the floor so don’t forget to look down.

 

The bucatini bolognese is WOW (although I did substitute a different pasta when I ordered it). If they have the banana cream pie dessert special, order it! You won’t be disappointed.

Important Note: Do NOT follow the map/directions Google Maps gives you. It puts the restaurant on Wheatley Rd in the middle of a neighborhood.

Bistro M – I can’t give you a website here because Google keeps telling me that the site has been flagged for having malware and viruses – Yikes! Bistro M is on Glen Head Rd in Glen Head. It has a small but varied menu, incredibly friendly staff, and unimpressive but comfortable decor.

I ordered the free range chicken which was moist and well-seasoned. Matt got the filet special which was delicious but overpriced (a $42 surprise since we didn’t ask how much it was). If you’re going on a weekend, ask to be seated away from the live music because the restaurant is tiny and the noise can be overwhelming.

A Mano – If you’re out on the North Fork, it’s definitely worth stopping at. I mentioned it here and basically everything about it was delicious and wonderful.

 

Here are a few more I’ve mentioned in the past that are always worth a revisit:

Besito (upscale Mexican food in Roslyn and Huntington)

Kotobuki (sushi in Hauppauge, Bablyon and Roslyn)

Grimaldi’s (brick oven pizza in Brooklyn, Garden City, and Douglaston)

Flex Mussels (two locations in NYC)

Toast (breakfast, lunch, coffee, fondue in Port Jefferson; best cappuccino ever)