Long before Cubanos, edamame dumplings and Wagyu burgers arrived at Garden City Mall, generations of teenagers were content with Mr. Pibb, oil-slathered regular slices and teriyaki chicken in the food court. catering. While some forms of these things still exist, indulgent dishes (some from famous chefs) cluster around the edges of the mall. The concentration of good food here rivals that of many Long Island downtowns. Here’s a look at some places worth a visit.

ROOSEVELT GROUND RESTAURANTS

Nomiya

Calm, small and serene, it’s one of the mall’s new fine dining restaurants, somewhere between a sushi bar, an izakaya and a Korean restaurant. The dishes are pleasing to the eye, like a “bomb” of avocado strands sculpted around more bluefin tuna. In addition to sushi, Korean dishes spice up the menu, such as galbi, or succulent marinated beef ribs served with rice. Sake and soju serve as the base for a handful of mixed drinks, and there are also homemade sodas. More information: 516-605-5097, nomiyastation.com

Small batch

Celebrity chef Tom Colicchio’s only restaurant on Long Island (a restaurant FeedMe Top 50) is a casual yet sophisticated place. Start your meal with Peconic Bay oysters served on the half shell or roasted with Calabrian chiles and lemon. The highly recommended braised chicken thighs (the ultimate comfort food) and Long Island bouillabaisse (with shrimp, calamari, mussels, local fluke and toast) are served in Le Creuset casseroles. The pastas – pappardelle with wild mushrooms, bucatini with spicy pork ragu – are the equal of those found on Long Island. More information: 516-548-8162, smallbatchrestaurant.com

Real cooking

Healthy eating is the driving force behind this Arizona-based chain, which opened its Roosevelt Field location in 2020. Much of the experience is Instagram-friendly, from the airy decor and avocado toast to excellent edamame dumplings and butternut squash flatbreads. The burger is of course made with grass-fed beef (and comes with a flaxseed bun) and the delicate cocktails are bursting with fresh-squeezed juices and herbs. More information: 516-559-4728, truefoodkitchen.com

Cafe NM (Neiman Marcus)

This stylish hideaway is tucked away on the second floor and is worth a visit for its mixed salads, orange soufflés, crab linguini and other lunch plates, some of which haven’t changed much since the department store chain started serving them in 1953. Floor-to-ceiling windows and neutral tones give the space a relaxed vibe, and as soon as you sit down, hot popovers with strawberry butter and chicken broth copy arrive at the table. Follow them with a glass of champagne and Seafood Louie, a brightly colored chilled salad made with shrimp, crab pieces and romaine. Note: This location closes late afternoon. More information: 516-368-0471, neimanmarcus.com

Olivos Mediterranean Café & Grill

A wood-fired pizza oven stands at the entrance to this trattoria, the workhorse of mall sit-down places. The food represents a myriad of cuisines at once, combining pizza, panini, wraps, gyros, tapas and a few Caribbean and Central American dishes on the same menu. The Cubano sandwich is a winner and the martinis are a respectable size. More information: 516-265-7400, olivosristorante.com

Seasons 52

This cozy, dark dining room comes into its own in cold weather. The oval bar is a comfortable place to enjoy a drink and the stalls encourage lingering over dishes that change seasonally and seek to strike a balance between comfort food and healthy foods – think flatbreads, polenta of crab, salmon on a cedar plank or wood-grilled filet mignon. More info: 516-248-5252, seasons52.com

Capital Grid

The clubby luxury steakhouse chain is a longtime anchor of the restaurant group west of the mall, and guests feast on indulgent dinners featuring seafood platters and strip steak New York dry-aged. Lunch is a more casual, sometimes keto-friendly affair, with a range of salads – like a chilled salad over arugula and avocado – as well as a large cheeseburger with truffle fries. More info: 516-746-1675, thecapitalgrille.com

Central Havana

Adorned with party lights and faux palm trees, this festive restaurant usually brings the party (literally: some nights the mambo and salsa draw the crowds). Tapas such as empanadas, chicharrones de pollo and street corn cater to mojito-sipping shoppers, but there’s also ropa vieja, pernil, garlic shrimp, tres leches cake and other Latin-Caribbean classics for multi-course dinners. More information: 516-739-7900, havanacentral.com

Grand Lux ​​Café

There may be no Cheesecake Factory at Roosevelt Field, but the imposing Grand Lux ​​Café offers some of the same crowd-pleasing food, drinks and portions, from pot stickers and pizza to fettuccine Alfredo , ribs and miso glazed salmon. . The mini cheeseburgers are particularly tasty, and this boisterous spot is known for its epic desserts, from donuts to red velvet cake. More information: 516-741-0096, grandluxcafe.com

TRAVEL PLACES

Restaurant district

The Restaurant District is the modern form of the mall food court and indeed feels like its own neighborhood, away from the shops, with stand-alone kiosks, tons of seating, and an outdoor patio. This shopping essential, a regular installment, is included here at Bleecker Street Pizzaand Asian takeaway restaurants still exist (like Asian chaos). The variety is impressive, though, from ramen and dumplings to Kung Fu Cooking to healthy salads The little beetpoutine and others riffs on loaded fries New York fries and a recently reopened Wahlburgers. Just like its drive-thru brothers, the Chick-fil-A here it’s almost always the longest queue.

Daily Bread

The long-running bakery chain has its only Long Island location here, an establishment that somehow evokes a sidewalk cafe vibe while being entirely indoors. Expect the usual breakfast plates, pastries, turnovers, toast, sandwiches, salads, juices, coffee and lattes. More information: 516 243-8814, lepainquotidien.com

Van Leeuwen ice cream

Van Leeuwen’s French ice cream is made with double the number of egg yolks as standard ice cream, producing a custard-like treat that’s richer than your regular scoop. Their vegan ice cream, made with oat milk, cashew milk and coconut cream, is just as creamy. With more than 30 flavors as well as inventive seasonal flavors, Van Leeuwen is also known for wacky collaborations like those with Hidden Valley Ranch and Kraft macaroni and cheese. More information: vanleeuwenicecream.com

Aunt Anne’s Pretzels

It’s hard to pass by Auntie Anne’s without being instinctively drawn to the aroma of baked pretzels, salted caramel pretzel nuggets, and, best of all, paper cups filled with mini pretzels. Sweet lemonade is a classic mall drink. More information: 516-741-4813, auntieannes.com

Gong Cha

This Taiwan-based bubble tea chain offers brown sugar milk tea, matcha tea lattes, and passion fruit smoothies all day long. More information: gongchausa.co

Compiled by Corin Hirsh, Erica Marcus and Marie Elena Martinez.