490 West, Carle Place

Executive chef Pat Ippolito may be a culinary professional, but his mother, Norine, makes the tiramisu at his restaurant. As the New York Times noted in its favorable review, the seasonally changing gourmet meals at 490 West are often a family effort. Ippolito comes from a restaurant family, and on the weekends, Norine and his wife, Meredith, help him prepare his upscale bistro cuisine in the white- and taupe-hued dining room.

The plates they carry are strewn with artfully assembled dishes: wildflowers perch atop stacks of shrimp and greens; vibrant, fuschia-streaked sprouts crown a fillet of just-caught fish; and sun-yellow sauce highlights a row of mussels. However, Ippolito and his family don't just choose ingredients for their beauty; they collect organic and locally acquired produce whenever possible, and every fish is wild and brought to the kitchen the very day it's served. No added antibiotics or hormones sully the menu's natural meats, and there are even some gluten-free dishes available—but they don't respond well to pickup lines. Examples of these conscientiously culled inputs include escargots exalted by the Times, steak, baked brie, and salmon. A tasting menu whets appetites for crab cakes, and a prix fixe menu showcases multiple-course specialties.