Sayville Restaurants Join L.I. Restaurant Week

The fifth annual Long Island Restaurant Week kicked off yesterday and runs through Nov. 14. For one week all participating restaurants will offer a three-course prix fixe for $24.95 per person all night, except Saturday, when it will only be available until 7 p.m.

There are four restaurants that will be taking part in the annual price fixe dinner offerings in Sayville  – , , and .

At la Tavola, where the restaurant's mission is the finest country Italian cuisine with flair, the menu highlights both local and imported food choices. A blend of traditional family recipes and current trends, the restaurant will offer the following options on their Restaurant Week menu. For starters, there's the soup of the day, roasted cauliflower salad, calamari fritti, house-made pork and broccoli rabe sausage, mussels and artichokes or burrata insalate ($3 upcharge). For dinner, options include swordfish and artichokes alla Contadino; pork arrosto (pork tenderloin with wild mushroom polenta, au jus); New York strip steak with mashed potatoes ($5 upcharge); pumpkin spiced salmon served with spaghetti squash; baked cavatelli; tagliatelle; chicken cacciatore; pan-roasted rack of lamb ($5 upcharge); and roasted duck with fingerling potatoes ($4 upcharge). Let's not forget about the array of dessert offerings. From New York cheesecake to homemade biscotti with gelato to espresso panna cotta to tiramisu or Nutella chocolate cake, there's definitely something to every kind of dessert lover. For more information or to make a reservation, call 750-6900 or visit www.latavolasayville.com.

Blackbird's Grille, noted for its friendly atmosphere, large bar area and unique Cajun selections, will be participating in Restaurant Week as well. Appetizers are a choice of the soup of the day, winter salad, chicken dumplings or oysters Rockefeller. For main courses, there's a Margarita salmon served with rice and vegetable; pork chop Milanese, which is breaded, pan fried and drizzled with an apple and white wine sauce; grilled cowboy ribeye steak in a wild mushroom cream sauce with mashed potatoes; jumbo jambalaya; fresh catch of the day; Greek chicken served with fresh spinach, feta cheese and rice pilaf; and Blackbird's filet mignon topped with portabella mushroom, gorgonzola cheese and mashed potatoes ($5 upcharge). Dessert selections will vary daily. For more information or to make a reservation, call 563-4144 or visit www.blackbirdsgrille.com.

Situated on Main Street, Café Joelle offers a casual, European style bistro. The restaurant is known for its diverse American Eclectic menu featuring pasta, veal, chicken, lamb, seafood, fresh fish and innovative daily specials. During the promotion, Café Joelle will be offering starters such as wasabi calamari, stuffed baked clams, buffalo chicken wings, sliced tomato and house made fresh mozzarella, caramelized pear salad or soup of the day.

Entrees will include: fish of the day oreganato served with basil parmesan risotto; chicken scarpiella style (pan seared with lemon, garlic, fresh rosemary, brown sauce); sauerbraten with red cabbage and potato pancake; stuffed pork tenderloin with spinach, mushroom and goat cheese; shrimp and calamari fra diavlo; rigatoni ala vodka; penne with grilled chicken picatta; and angel hair pasta with blackened chicken and andouille sausage. Dessert selections will vary daily. For more information or to make a reservation, call 589-4600 or visit www.cafejoelle.net.

Butera's of Sayville is but they are jumping right on to the Restaurant Week tradition. Known for its family-style dining and a new Italian cuisine of Northern and Southern influence, this is a must-try for couples or larger groups.  For starters, couples can share either eggplant rollatini, caesar salad, stuffed mushrooms or soup of the day. Main entrees will include selections like penne eggplant; spaghetti & meatballs; rigatoni chicken and shrimp vodka; rigatoni butera (veal sausage and sweet peas in a tomato cream sauce);  rigatoni caprese; penne primavera; chicken/eggplant/veal parmesan; chicken gorgonzola/piccata/marsala/tricolor/sorrentino; and chicken with spinach and roasted red peppers. Side dishes, such as pasta marinara, spinach, mashed potatoes and vegetables, are also offered. Cheesecake or cannoli will be the choices for dessert. For more information or to make a reservation, call 563-0805 or visit www.buteras.com.