114 LONGISLANDPRESS.COM • DECEMBER 2021
NORTH RIDGE VINEYARD
2015 MCCALL
CABERNET FRANC
BY LINDA DELMONICO PRUSSEN
HOT PLATE
DINING SCENE ADDITIONS
BY JUSTIN MITSELMAKHER
ARCADIA RETRO EATS
Levittown is taking it old school with
the opening of Arcadia Retro Eats, a
new joint combining classic American
grub with timeless arcade games.
With inventions like bagel byte fries
($9) — fried everything bagel topped with
cheese, sauce and pepperoni— TV’s Bar
Rescue Chef Brian Duff y serves up salads,
wings, brick-pressed burgers and four
handheld sandwiches, like the standout
Shoreham hot chicken ($12) for spice fanatics.
Cheese lovers can indulge in eight
diff erent grilled cheese sandwiches, even
one on a grilled glazed donut!
While the food packs the fl avor, arcade
games like The Simpsons, Mortal Kombat,
Donkey Kong, and Ms. Pac-Man
bring the fun to diners of all ages.
2890 Hempstead Tpke., Levittown, 516-
899-5309, arcadialevittown.com
FOUR
An intimate dining experience awaits
in a quaint Oyster Bay Victorian cottage.
Chef Jesse Schenker, creator of 2 Spring,
opens FOUR, a 10-seat chef’s counter
where diners watch Schenker create
a 12- to 15- course tasting menu before
their eyes, lasting about two and a half
hours. At this Scandinavian, minimalist
style open kitchen, the menu focuses
on raw fi sh and shellfi sh. With attention
to detail, tableware pieces are not repeated
throughout the dinner.
Reservations are made on Tock, at $245
per person. A wine pairing may be added
for $185 per person, curated from the 500
listed wines in the underground cellar.
4 Spring St., Oyster Bay, 516-624-6877,
4springstreet.com
ZEST
Food and art meld at Zest, a fi tting name
for the new restaurant specializing in
small plates with a vibrant ambiance.
Zest focuses on fresh seasonal ingredients
and innovative techniques,
according to Chef Michael Liebman,
who revamped the space where he
served as head chef at the former Slice
of Bay Shore. The menu features an
extensive list of tapas-style appetizers,
which are meant to be shared and
sampled. From Mediterranean-style
loaded pita chips to smoked brisket
poutine, a barbecued spin on the Canadian
classic, Zest dips its toes into
an array of cuisines.
Zest is also visually explosive: Guests
are engulfed by colorful walls fi lled
with pop art paintings, perfect for an
Instagram-friendly experience.
298 W. Main St., Bay Shore, 631-647-4499,
zestlongisland.com
Shoreham hot chicken at Arcadia Retro Eats
As the temperatures continue to fall,
and sweater weather turns to jacket
weather, Long Island red wines
become something to truly look
forward to. One such red is the 2015
McCall Cabernet Franc from North
Ridge Vineyard. On the nose this
wine has a little earth and cherry. On
the palate, there is ripe cherry, anise,
and floral. This medium-bodied wine
is elegantly crafted and reminiscent
of Cabernet Franc from the Bordeaux
region.
Vineyard owner Russ McCall shares his
thoughts on what makes the Cabernet
Franc from his North Ridge Vineyard
special, saying, “These are some of the
oldest vines on Long Island.”
He adds, “The 38-year-old vines have
extremely deep roots,” going on to explain
why older vines are special. As
vines age they produce lower yields of
fruit, but the fruit produced is more
concentrated.
The vineyard, he explains, is dry
farmed. That means they do not irrigate
the vineyard. During times of drought,
this causes the vines to grow deep and
struggle to fi nd water. That struggle
rewards the vines with water rich in
minerality.
Deep roots on their own are a plus
too because the struggle creates higher
quality fruit. Another factor, McCall
says, that helps to make his vineyard’s
Cabernet Franc unique is how high
North Ridge Vineyard is located. He
explains that this elevation causes the
fruit to be exposed to large amounts of
wind, drying the fruit on the vine. This
drying also causes the juice of the grape
to become more concentrated. Some
may be familiar with a more extreme
form of drying grapes off the vine that
produces the fi ne Italian wine known
as Amarone.
To confi rm just how special this vineyard
is, according to McCall, his 2014 Reserve
Cabernet Franc from North Ridge
Vineyard was just given a Robert Parker
Wine Advocate rating of 92 points. The
2015 has not yet been reviewed.
The very sophisticated 2015 McCall
Cabernet Franc North Ridge Vineyard
retails for $26.
To learn more about McCall wines, visit
mccallwines.com.
SOMETHING TO WINE ABOUT
/4springstreet.com
/arcadialevittown.com
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/zestlongisland.com
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