Nightlife in Mineola

In 1997, Chef Hok Chin moved to New York City from Hong Kong, where he’d been in training with some of the city’s finest chefs since age 14. Though his culinary talents were already formidable, the ambitious young chef faced a hurdle he couldn’t simply spatula himself over: the English language. Undaunted, he headed back to work the humblest kitchen positions and scrabbled his way back to the top at establishments such as Tavern on the Green, The Mark Hotel, and most recently, La Caravelle. In 2010, the multinational gourmet teamed up with nightlife impresario Brian Rosenberg, and the duo’s new venture, Sugar Dining Den and Social Club, drove Joanne Starkey of the New York Times to rave, “The food is delicious—much better than it has to be—and the service is excellent.”

Something between a nightclub and a fine-dining establishment, Sugar immediately immerses its guests in a world of bright lights, pulsing beats, and an arrestingly modern architectural scheme that sets a decorative forest of tree branches beneath a looming vaulted ceiling. After a dinner of gourmet fusion cuisine, such as Pacific Rim skirt steak with green chili potatoes and hand-cut sweet potato fries with maple-chipotle barbecue sauce, the eating area transforms into a dance floor soundtracked by some of today’s most popular DJs. The cocktail list keeps the party rolling late into the night with charmingly titled offerings such as the Black and White Cookie and the Swedish Fish.

Whether just entering the world of dance or already a seasoned performer, students are in good hands when they step into one of American Theater Dance Workshop's studios. The faculty boasts professional dancers and choreographers with backgrounds on Broadway and in well-known ballet companies. Some have even starred in films, as is the case for instructor Leslie Browne, who garnered an Academy Award nomination for her role in 1978's The Turning Point. There's one other professional artist you'll find in most classes: a pianist, who plays live music during the lessons. Aside from ballet, the studio teaches other dance disciplines, including musical theater, tap, and modern.

The New York Times reviewed Novità. Reviewers at OpenTable rate it an average of 3.9 stars. Yelpers give it an average of 3.5 stars: