Nightlife in Syosset

As hot and "howling mad" sauces souse The Black Wolf's signature chicken wings, barkeeps stand by, ready to relieve overheated mouths with sips of bottled and draft beers from brewers including Yuengling, Magic Hat, and Guinness. As televisions glow with sports and State of the Union reruns, chefs customize beef, turkey, and veggie burgers with guacamole and caramelized onions, roll up wraps of chicken and flounder, fry pickles, and anticipate guests' hankerings from the extensive menu of pub fare and comfort food.

Across nearly three-fourths of the United States, AMF Bowling Co. reverberates year-round as families, friends, and competitors send bowling balls in search of upright pins careening down slick lanes. The company first established itself as an industry leader in 1946, the same year the sport introduced automated pinspotters, which allowed the teens who had previously been hand-setting the pins to focus on perfecting their jazz hands for upcoming street rumbles.

Today, more than 20 million bowlers annually make AMF their battleground for wars against pins. They attempt to knock them down during leagues, club play, and events such as birthday parties and fundraisers. The largest owner and operator of bowling centers in the US, AMF locations offer high-tech scoring technology, a classic design, and a menu stocked with American-inspired classics such as wings, pizzas, burgers, and beer.

Every seat inside Canterbury's Oyster Bar & Grill gives diners the feeling they’re sitting inside a special kind of time capsule. That’s because all the surrounding walls are covered with historical photographs of Oyster Bay’s history. Because the restaurant has been around for more than 30 years, this reverence for the past turns meals into a timeless experience; diners may even eat some of the same oyster dishes that originally made the area a haven for seafood lovers. Guests will find the menu full of signature ocean treats, from raw and baked oysters done in myriad preparations to seafood towers that combine the likes of lobster, tuna sashimi, and other delicacies into shareable feasts. Filet mignon and parmesan-crusted chicken get all the same careful attention in the kitchen as the seafood, with careful presentations and bedtime stories every night.

Cultural Arts Playhouse has been fostering the development of up-and-coming actors for more than 15 years. At its Musical Theatre and Acting Academy, students from 1st–12th grade hone their on-stage skills by taking classes on singing, acting, and improvisation under the tutelage of an experienced teacher. Kids get to show off these skills in full theatrical productions, with main-stage shows opening up auditions to the entire community so people can see their neighbors' acting chops and dusted-off fake skulls. Cultural Arts Playhouse alumni have found success in New York and throughout the country, appearing in HBO's The Sopranos, and such Broadway productions as Les Miserables and Aladdin.

True to its name, Crossroads marks the intersection of two seemingly dissimilar hangouts: it houses an elegant dining room clad in black linens and yellow wall sconces where pastas, steaks, and seafood are served, as well as a sports bar stocked with pub grub. As Crossroads' famous marinated skirt steak and seafood fra diavolo top plates in the dining room, the bar's 15 TVs—each one baked fresh that day in time for the game—join a jukebox in wooing eyes and ears. Special events include visits from a local medium who tries to connect clients with the afterlife, get-togethers to cheer on the Rangers and Jets, and holiday meals.

At Vitae Restaurant & Wine Bar, executive chef Steven Del Lima puts a contemporary spin on continental fare from filet mignon to veal scallopini, a talent that helped him earn an entry in Best Chefs America. Del Lima's appetizers in particular have an international flair—beef tenderloin medallions come with hand-stretched tandoori naan, and flash-fried calamari is glazed with sweet Thai pepper.

At Vitae's opening in 2011, a reviewer from the New York Times praised both the "tender baby back ribs," brushed with house-made black-coffee barbecue sauce, and the "elegant" ambiance, enhanced by the soft glow of recessed lighting and hanging lamps. Stored behind an onyx-amber bar and in a 1,400-bottle cellar, an extensive wine selection earned the Huntington eatery a Wine Spectator Award of Excellence in 2012.