2 Best Restaurants in Riverhead, Long Island

Housed in the old John J. Sullivan hotel on Main Street, this homey restaurant harks back to the Victorian era and exudes masses of charm—stained glass, chandeliers in old oil-burning style, an 1893 mahogany and marble bar made for the Chicago Exposition, a rich mantled fireplace, and the head of the last buffalo shot by Teddy Roosevelt. Buffalo (bison) meat is on the menu, lower in fat and higher in protein than beef and it tastes pretty much the same, only "beefier." If you don't want to splurge on the $44 cowboy steak, go for the $20 buffalo burger. An organic beef burger is also available. You may have guessed that meat is king here, but vegetarians are not entirely forgotten—try the roast portobello mushroom with homemade ricotta. Tweeds also boasts the biggest selection of bourbons.

Anyone who has driven Main Road in Aqueboque at night, driving back from the wineries or heading home from Greenport, has most definitely noticed the Las Vegas–like sign illuminating this otherwise sleepy strip. At this unpretentious family-owned café, beloved by locals and out-of-towners alike, you'll find comfort food at its best, including Long Island duck, roast loin of pork with sauerkraut, softshell crabs, and home-baked strawberry-rhubarb and lemon-meringue pies. They do take-out too.