Mojo Rises in Plainview
Red Fish is now Morrison’s. The former seafood-emphasizing establishment in Plainview was converted in June to a “rustic, farm-inspired world with drinks in mason jars,” said Shelby Poole, who owns Morrison’s with Artie Bloom and Harry Poole (father and husband/executive chef, respectively). The trio also owns Jackson’s in Commack. Menu is “unpretentious” and includes a shrimp dish with fried okra, andouille and white cheddar grits.
morrisonsny.com

Keep on Food Truckin’
The City of Long Beach has launched a food truck market to boost summer tourism and help Sandy-damaged businesses. Sean Sullivan, owner of SwingBellys BBQ, is an advocate and participant. “There isn’t a boardwalk right now, which is our city’s biggest attraction,” Sullivan said. “The goal is to bring people back to Long Beach and help rebuild our business community.” SwingBellys BBQ suffered waist-high flooding and “needed to be completely gutted.” Its truck offers “gourmet barbecue for the beach” and features quesadillas and chimichangas.
longbeachny.gov; swingbellysbbq.com

Produce Producers: Thera Farms (Ronkonoma)
Teddy Bolkas grows four lettuce varietals in a hydroponic greenhouse, embedding seeds into fibers spun from volcanic basalt and submerging the trays in water. The soil-less process on his six-acre organic farm is expensive and requires “constant monitoring of pH and nutrient levels,” Bolkas said, but enables year-round growth and increased production (current lettuce production is 300 heads per week). Thera Farms also practices soil-based farming, because hydroponic tomatoes have “no taste at all.”
facebook.com/therafarms