SEPTEMBER 2018 • LONGISLANDPRESS.COM 83
BEST OF THE WURSTS:
ACROSS THE MEDITERRANEAN
By JEFF and VERA WURST
What better way to bring summer
to an end than to enjoy a terrific dinner
at The Cove while watching the
sunset over the water? This lovely,
picturesque venue on Glen Cove
Creek, formerly the site of Steamboat
Landing, opened in 2016.
Its award-winning Chef Jack Yiannakou,
from Cyprus, is a master of
authentic Mediterranean cuisine
who trained at Avra, the renowned
Manhattan Greek restaurant This is
not your everyday Greek restaurant.
The Cove’s owner, George Iordanou,
a Greek Cypriot, had for 20 years
owned Noir, the French restaurant at
Manhattan’s Kimberly Hotel. Philip,
George’s son, skillfully manages this
well-run destination.
We began with a tasty and highly
recommended bottle of Assyrtiko
from Northern Greece, which was
full bodied, different from the vintages
we have long enjoyed from
Santorini.
Our meal started with grilled octopus
on chickpea puree, adorned with
capers, bell pepper, parsley, and celery
for a delightful chorus of tastes,
colors, and textures, supplemented
with a lift of lemon. We continued
with a tuna tartare, freshly cut with
a dose of cilantro, avocado, soy glaze
and crunchy toasted quinoa.
A favorite, the village Greek salad,
had tomatoes, cucumbers, red onions,
olives, imported feta, dressed with
extra virgin olive oil, lemon and
herbs and spices.
We were tempted by oysters, Little
Neck clams, and ceviche tacos,
white fish marinated in lime with
jalapeno and red onion. Other small
plate items were the Mediterranean
dips (tzatzkiki, hummus, spicy feta,
and taramosalata — fish eggs, olive
oil and lemon juice for a delectable
spread), and the baked-in-olive-oil
haloumi, a Cyprus cheese, usually
made of goat’s and sheep’s milk that
resembles mozzarella.
For our entree, we chose the special,
dorado, prepared Mediterranean
style — fish drizzled with olive
oil and lemon. The filleting comes
after the fish is grilled whole, leaving
it tasteful and moist. Lemon potatoes
are a great accompaniment to any
Mediterranean dish.
There are alternatives to fish, such
as steak, hamburger, pasta, and lamb.
A refreshing end to our meal came
via a tangy lemon tarte Tatin and a
creamy tiramisu.
The Cove, 74 Shore Rd, Glen Cove,
TheCoveNY.com, 516-676-1211.
Sufiya’s Mediterranean Grill took
over the Merrick spot that was Nicholas
James. The interior was redone
with French windows, allowing for
outdoor seating.
Sufiya’s, which has another location
in East Meadow, features Persian cuisine,
so it serves wonderfully grilled
selections that are a home run for
vegetarians. Portions are generous.
Along with salads, selections include
a homemade vegetarian moussaka
baked eggplant, potatoes, zucchini
and peppers in a tomato sauce; a fresh
grilled plate of seasonal vegetables;
eggplant grilled with mushrooms,
peppers, onions, zucchini and plum
tomato; and large falafel of chickpea
balls served with hummus seasoned
with herbs. All are served with choice
of white or brown basmati rice.
For the carnivores, there are kebabs,
beef stew, lamb stew, or lamb
shank, all served with white or brown
basmati rice and grilled vegetables .
We ordered a bottle of Cankaya —
Turkish white wine.
The heritage shines through with
the array of appetizers. Eggplant is
in the kashkeh bademjan and baba
ganoush. Chickpeas are the main
ingredient in the sambuseh, falafel,
and hummus. You might try dolmeh
(rice seasoned with Mediterranean
herbs and spices wrapped in grape
leaves), a panir (feta cheese, olive oil
and walnuts), spanakopita, or sigara
borek if you prefer filo and feta, and
mast-o-khiar (yogurt cucumber and
mint). We picked at freshly marinated
pickles and olives while we perused
the menu.
We couldn’t make up our minds
between the distinctive salads, including
tabouli, house, Greek and
other options. We went with the
shirazi salad of diced cucumber,
tomato, red onion, and parsley in a
lemon dressing, which came with
our entrée.
The freshly grilled striped bass
was our choice of fish. Sensational!
The shrimp kebab was appropriate
because Sufiya’s specializes in perfectly
grilled, colorful kebabs.
Refreshing homemade Persian ice
cream was the dessert featuring a
blend of pistachio with saffron cream.
Sufiya’s Grill, 2057 Merrick
Rd., Merrick, SufiyasGrill.com
516-644-2201.
Jeff is a practicing attorney. Vera
is a retired schoolteacher. Both love
Long Island food and wine and
are delighted to share their discoveries
with you. Contact them via
lipressfood@gmail.com.
MAIN DISH
The Cove’s perfect end to the
Tuna tartare freshly diced and served at The Cove. meal-homemade lemon tatin.
Beautifully prepared octopus at the Cove.
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