Side Dish: Barbecue, Holst Cakes & More Mother's Day Plans

BARBECUE, BARBECUE: Though it’s a restaurant mecca with international offerings, many have pined over the lack of a barbecue joint in downtown Huntington. That’s over now and the lack of barbecue became the race to open. The result is simultaneous openings of two barbecue restaurants this past weekend. Radio Radio, a 40-seat, Nashville-style barbecue joint opened Friday night at 24 Clinton Ave., adjacent to owners Eric Finneran, Michael Meehan, Sal Mignano and Dan Valentino’s wildly successful hipster eatery, Vauxhall. Radio Radio highlights include dry-rub ribs, Southern-style shredded pork barbecue and all-important hush puppies. The bistro style eatery is uber casual with the required front end of a pickup truck adorning one wall. Also opening Friday night – at least to friends and family for a packed grand opening – was Old Fields Barbecue at 15 New St. The classic smokehouse eatery is the creation of seasoned restaurateur David Tunney – co-founder of Besito and Honu, and current owner of Old Fields Inn in Greenlawn and Port Jefferson. Old Fields follows Southern tradition with patrons loading up a tray and finding their way to a table. Menu highlights include a spicy 12-hour brisket, shredded pork, a killer smoked rib (sliced from what looked like a Fred Flintstone brontosaurus rib), mac and cheese, and authentically vinegary collard greens. And yes, the front end of a pickup truck adorns one wall like a trophy moose head.

HOLST CAKES: Pastry chef John Holst has launched his own home bakery service, Holst Cakes. Holst, of Babylon, makes everything from scratch, including cookies, cupcakes, pies and custom cakes for special occasions. To check out some of his offerings, look up @holstcakes on Instagram. Holst, who formerly worked as an assistant pastry chef at Nick & Toni’s in East Hampton, accepts orders for either pickup or delivery to areas across Long Island, including Huntington. Email him at Holstcakes16@gmail.com, or call him at 631-418-5210, for more information, including pricing.

MORE TREATS FOR MOM: Families can treat mom to a meal fit for a queen at Del Frisco’s Grille (160 Walt Whitman Road, Huntington Station) with weekend-long features like the decadent Crab Stuffed Lobster Tail ($42) with roasted red pepper cream and broiled lemon paired perfectly with a ‘Mom’osa ($12), a mix of crisp rosé and fresh muddled strawberries. The full lunch and brunch menu of upscale comfort foods will be available for moms to enjoy, complete with award-winning wines and house-made desserts like the signature Coconut Cream Pie and Six-Layer Lemon Cake.