Setauket Pastaria
4082 Nesconset Highway
East Setauket, NY 11733
(631) 476-8600
www.setauketpastaria.com

For an Italian restaurant in a strip mall in the suburbs, Setauket Pastaria does a persuasive imitation—of other Italian restaurant in strip malls in other suburbs. Which is not to say it doesn’t serve some tasty food—it does—but rather that locals tend to hype it in a way that makes it sound like something more special than it is. Dinners come with soup or a salad. The pasta e fagiole served the night I was there could have used more seasoning, but was otherwise estimable. The scungilli fra diavolo—scungilli, mussels and clams over linguini in a spicy tomato sauce—was unspectacular but filling. The seafood lasagna boasted shrimp, crabmeat, and scallops as well as spinach. Topped with fresh mozzarella, it was the best dish sampled, though again heavy going.