Babylon Carriage House Restaurant Review

The Babylon Carriage House, housed in a beautifully renovated carriage house from the 1800s, is one of Long Island's Zagat-rated restaurants, and it more than merits this inclusion. Its chef de cuisine, Daniel Gagnon, was a contestant on seven episodes of TV's Top Chef. The hip crowd from the South Shore of Nassau frequents this restaurant's two bars, but couples and larger family groups also enjoy dining here. The food is innovative and upscale, but on specific nights, you can eat here for deeply discounted prices.

The Babylon Carriage House features delicious, innovative cuisine against a backdrop of sophisticated design and soft lighting on two floors. For me, the only drawback was the clamor of other guests as this popular spot fills with crowds eager to enjoy spectacular dinners, or to meet other singles and drink and dance.

Contemporary ceiling chandeliers hang next to the original beams. Flickering candles glow on each table. Call in advance to reserve one of the tables next to the fireplace on the second floor for a view of the entire restaurant.

My husband and I loved the food here. We both had the Gorgonzola chopped salad with red onions and a wine vinaigrette. We also sampled the unique "Italian Popcorn," -- a crispy fried gnocchi appetizer with parmesan cheese and a marinara sauce dip.

My Crispy Almond Crusted Sea Scallops were sweet and succulent, and came with a tasty butternut squash puree and shaved fennel and apples for a delectable mix of flavors and textures. My husband polished off an entire one-and-a-half pound lobster, stuffed with crab meat and with sides of whipped potatoes and sauteed spinach.

For dessert, we ordered the decadent Valrhona Chocolate Souffle, and we were not disappointed. The sugary dessert comes with a tasty scoop of pistachio gelato.

For budget-minded visitors: Lobster Bake Wednesdays, 4-10 p.m., feature a steamed one-and-a-half pound lobster, clams, mussels, corn and roasted potatoes for only $19.95 per person. Thursday nights, Shrimp Feast! offers a jumbo shrimp entree, salad and dessert for only $18.95.

Friday nights from 10:30p.m. to 2 a.m., you can dance to hip hop, reggae and party music, and Saturdays from 10 p.m. to 2 a.m., there’s classic dance music for guests 23 and over.