Carmel, New York, is a charming and historic town that draws visitors to its scenic highlights, such as the Fahnestock State Park and Nimham Mountain State Forest. These invigorating natural attractions are sure to help you work up an appetite so you can enjoy another feature for which the area is well-known. The dining in and around Carmel includes a variety of decadent options. Here are our top picks for filling your belly during a foodie vacation here.
The Polo Lounge at Westbury Manor
The Polo Lounge is as much a feast for the eyes as it is for the stomach. Enjoy an elegant old-world ambiance amid plush leather booths, gleaming wooden floors, and rich pine-green walls adorned with stunning paintings. Live music enhances the atmosphere and creates a charming ambiance. This is the ultimate foodie experience for a romantic date night. The restaurant is only open three days a week, so reservations are highly prized.
You can start your meal with gourmet appetizers, such as Maryland crab cakes, baked clams, fried calamari, and oysters Rockefeller. Make sure you save room for one of the exquisite entrees, such as tequila and cilantro-marinated skirt steak, parmigiana-crusted chicken breast, or cordon bleu. If you prefer something from the grill, you can choose from a boneless strip, pork chop, boneless ribeye, or center-cut filet mignon. You can create the perfect meal with such sides as grilled asparagus, buttered broccoli, sauteed wild mushrooms, and French beans.
The Polo Lounge also features a full bar with a selection of handcrafted cocktails and both foreign and domestic beer. You'll find the Polo Lounge inside Westbury Manor, a favorite destination for special events.
Location: 1100 Jericho Turnpike, Westbury.
Hours: 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. Thursday, 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday.
Vincent's Clam Bar & Restaurant
Vincent's Clam Bar began as a simple pushcart in 1904. The seafood and sauces were so popular that the venture soon moved into a brick-and-mortar establishment, creating an enduring tradition that continues to delight diners' taste buds today. The menu features an abundance of classic Italian dishes with a heavy emphasis on the seafood that Vincent's is so popular for.
Enjoy a satisfying sampling of its specialties with your choice of two seafood options, including steamed shrimp, fried shrimp, mini shrimp balls, mussels, fried calamari, or scungilli, served with one of Vincent's "World Famous" mild, medium, or hot sauces. The house specials include enticing options, such as cherry pepper chicken in lemon butter sauce, linguine pescatore, and chicken scarpariello in rosemary butter chicken broth.
Hit up Vincent's for a weekday lunch during your foodie vacation and get a full meal for just $14.95 between 11:45 a.m. and 4 p.m. Monday through Friday. You'll find several satisfying options, such as chicken marsala, baked ziti, and Caesar salad with grilled chicken, at this bargain price.
Location: 179 Old Country Road, Carle Place.
Hours: 11:45 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday to Thursday, 11:45 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday.
West End Cafe
The West End Cafe is a family-owned destination with a warm and welcoming atmosphere. Despite the white tablecloths and chic lighting, you're sure to get a greeting that makes you feel like you're coming home. The seasonal menu features local produce, brews, and wines for a distinctive flavor that's unique to the region, making this a must-taste stop for traveling foodies.
Though the menu is always changing, you can expect to find new American cuisine with such options as grilled flatbread, fried calamari, braised short ribs, pan-seared salmon, and an herb-crusted rack of lamb. Save room for decadent desserts, which may include cake, pie, and ice cream parfaits.
Location: 187 Glen Cove Road, Carle Place.
Hours: Noon to Close Tuesday to Saturday.
Thomas's Ham 'N' Eggery Diner
Build a gourmet breakfast into your foodie vacation with a stop at Thomas's Ham 'N' Eggery Diner. Delighting customers for more than 75 years, this is a proven staple for satisfying dining in the Westbury area. The frittatas are a popular option, cooked in skillets and browned under the broiler to give you a warm, soft center and rich crispy crust. The leek and chicken sausage frittata is particularly tasty.
If you prefer an omelet, you'll find an abundance of flavor options, including Mexican, Italian, Texan, Western, and Cajun omelets. If you want something hearty, the homemade corned beef hash is sure to satisfy, served with two eggs, home fries, and toast. For those with a sweet tooth, the apple caramel pancakes are the perfect choice. Made with flame-roasted Fuji apples and topped with caramel sauce, these are a decadent choice that's as good as dessert.
Location: 325 Old Country Road, Carle Place.
Hours: 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. Saturday, Monday, and Tuesday, 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. Wednesday to Friday, 6 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday.
Novita
Novita's elegant atmosphere makes it the perfect pick for a special meal on your foodie escape. You'll find gleaming mirrors in elegant gold frames, rustic wood floors, luxurious leather booths, and eye-catching sprays of flowers. The weekend brunch features unlimited mimosas, Bloody Marys, and screwdrivers, as well as complimentary muffins with your two-course meal. You'll find breakfast picks, such as banana French toast, alongside lunch favorites, such as the grilled chicken panini.
The lunch and dinner menu includes a wide variety of pastas, salads, seafood, and more. If you're in the mood for a steakhouse dinner, try the marinated skirt steak with gorgonzola baby potatoes, broccoli rabe, and basil bearnaise. Another favorite is the lemon-roasted chicken with poached peewee potatoes, charred fagiolini, and chianti BBQ pan jus.
Location: 860 Franklin Ave., Garden City.
Hours: Noon to 9 p.m. Monday and Tuesday, noon to 10 p.m. Wednesday, noon to 11:15 p.m. Thursday, noon to midnight Friday and Saturday, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday.
These are our favorites for delicious dining in the Carmel area. Do you have other restaurants you'd like to add to the list? Contact our team at Meadowland of Carmel and let us know, so we can pass along the best recommendations in town to our customers.
Photo Credit: steak dinner with wine by Clark Douglas is licensed with Unsplash License
