Long Island News

At first sight, a Corporate Drive Westbury location seems appropriate for City Cellar. Open just over a year, the place is all windows and brick, an open kitchen, soaring ceiling and pillars radiating from the massive glass-enclosed wine cache behind the bar, the focus of the large space. It’s bright and airy by day, packed with energy by night. But despite its size and being born of a Florida restaurant group, there’s a distinctly small-restaurant emphasis on service and an adventurous menu. Plus, without deep corporate pockets, how else could such an impressive room be built? Service is friendly, well-trained, snappy and organized, with the focus on wine, many available in half bottles and 40 very nice choices by the glass. On Mondays, bottles are half price. There are also $12 flights-a tasting of three-available every day. But what they call their “multiethnic” menu is just as potent a draw.

You don’t have to resort to fast food or eating dinner at 4 p.m. to cut the cost of dining out. Here are a few restaurants that will serve you a memorable meal without maxing out your Visa card. Most of these are pretty exotic for the money and as inexpensive as it gets without having your order shoved at you through a window.

With a name like Santa Fe Tequila, one could make two reasonable assumptions: One, the neighborhood has just gained a Southwestern restaurant; two, it’s got a nice selection of tequila. But three months after opening at the edge of Hicksville, neither is true.