Rooftop dining in Rockville Centre

Roof Top 32
(Entrance in the Courtyard behind
Kasey’s, 32 steps up)
23 North Park Avenue
Rockville Centre

Roof Top 32 is a true oasis. Not only does it offer a panoramic view of the area, but also design-wise, you could be anywhere. Chicly lined with trees and furnished with wooden tables, red market umbrellas and matching couches, this rooftop is a true getaway. Add to that a patio bar equipped with an Island Oasis Machine (for frozen drinks), mood lighting that changes colors, live music and fabulous fare, and your evening under the stars will be memorable.

Enjoying an evening breeze and cocktails, we listened to songs by an acoustic guitarist. My coconut martini — Cruzan Coconut, pineapple rum and juice — was served in a glass garnished with honey and toasted coconut. My partner’s cocktail, the signature Roof Top 32, was an icy splash of red berry vodka, muddled blueberries, strawberries, lime, lemon and sugar.

The rooftop menu is seasonal and sophisticated ... yet quite affordable. Appetizers, gourmet salads, burgers and sandwiches are $5 to $18, and entrees, $15 to $23. Desserts are $6 to $8. Portions are generous and presentations are top notch. Servers are energetic, attentive and friendly. Everything seems to work seamlessly.

Served in stemware with swirls and slices of plantain, jumbo lump martini offers chilled crabmeat drizzled with citrus lime vinaigrette. Thai chicken satay, served with peanut sauce, was sprinkled with crushed peanuts and diced tomatoes. Laced onto a standup skewer, layers of roasted peppers, fresh tomatoes, Portobello mushrooms, and homemade mozzarella made up Roof Top Tower. Another great starter was sushi-grade tuna seared in teriyaki sauce, served sliced over greens with wasabi aioli and crisp Asian noodles.

Salads can be ordered with shrimp, chicken or tuna. Sky Blue was a tangle of greens, candied pecans, sliced pears and dried cranberries, dressed in pomegranate vinaigrette. Summer salad — mesclun greens, strawberries, goat cheese and pine nuts — was tossed in honey raspberry vinaigrette.

Lobster roll was lush with fresh lobster meat, stuffed into a potato roll, and served with crisp potato strings. Two large and luscious Maryland lump crab cakes arrived with pineapple mango salsa, black bean relish, and warm potato salad. Sizzlin’ fajitas had it all — chicken, onions, peppers, guacamole, salsa, sour cream, cheese and lettuce — served with warm tortillas to fill and wrap.

Dusted with powdered sugar, warm zeppoles with chocolate sauce were a decadent treat. A trio of sorbet — mango, lemon and raspberry — served with whipped cream and fresh berries was beyond refreshing.

Roof Top 32 is open for lunch and dinner, Wednesday through Sunday, and will stay open through October or as long as the weather permits. Hours are 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Wednesday and Sunday, and 11 a.m. until midnight Thursday through Saturday. The bar stays open until 2 a.m., and cigars are sold after dinner hours. In the planning are additional TVs and a tent enclosure. Parties can be arranged. Reservations are advisable.

Recommendations:
■ Coconut Martini
■ Roof Top 32 (cocktail)
■ Jumbo Lump Martini (crabmeat)
■ Seared Teriyaki Tuna
■ Roof Top Tower
■ Thai Chicken Satay
■ Sky Blue Salad
■ Summer Salad
■ Maryland Lump Crab Cakes
■ Lobster Roll
■ Sizzlin’ Roof Top Fajitas
■ Sorbet Trio
■ Warm Zeppoles