Newsday (Suffolk Edition) from Melville, New York • 114

B26 2 Part Country Club Caterers At Mill Pond GOLF COURSE presents their First Annual BRIDAL D.2TYP04901 SHOWCASE and Sunday, March 12, 2000 FASHION 12:00 to 5:00 pm OPEN HOUSE SHOW FREE ADMISSION in the Renaissance Room CHAMPAGNE HORS D'OEUVRES WT. MAKE MEMORIES R.S.V.P. by MARCH ONE AFFAIR AT A TIME 631.451.9490 300 MILL ROAD, MEDFORD L.I.E. to Exit 66 turn left 1 Mile to Mill Rd. Turn Left approx.

2 Miles on Right THE SPARE RIB "WE AIN'T JUST RIBS" Est. 1979 We're Lunch, We're Dinner, We're Great Food! RIBS CHICKEN FRI. SUN. STEAK SEAFOOD PRIME RIB 36 oz. oven and juicy roasted, tender $1999 SHRIMP RIBS and baby BBQ Fried shrimp $1699 Specials back RACK ribs OF LAMB All Dinners Served With Fresh Bread Salad Basket, Garden Choice Of rack Roasted of lamb full $1699 "All Specials While They Potato Vegetable COUPON Our Famous KIDS ONION LOAF EAT FREE Sampler With Any No Coupon Needed 2 Entrees FREE Lunch Per Limit or Table One Dinner Limited Valid Kids Menu Sunday 10 Under Dinner Thursday Only With coupon only On Premises Only 1 Per Table Valid Mon.

Thru Thurs. See Store For Details commack CALL FOR Hicksville 2098 Jericho 11am Tpke. BLACKBOARD 600 Old Country Rd. Mon. from 11am Sun.

from 3pm SPECIALS sun. from 3pm 516-543-5050 FOOD DAY News Mores Paradiso's Forte: Italian Soup By Joan Reminick STAFF WRITER ceeding $20. In Syosset, Tony Bruno's, the new- LETTER FROM a reader led A me ing 594-4040, to Paradiso, Rockville an pizzeria-trattoria 164 Centre, N. unassuming-look- Village nestled 516- in a supermarket strip mall. No ordinary spaghetti joint, Paradiso features the cooking of Claudia Fruci, a former pastry chef from Rome who also cooked at Mediterranean in Mattituck.

Fruci, who is married to Paradiso's owner, Frank Turita, is becoming known locally for her soups; I stopped in during the day and sampled her grilled corn bisque, which was ambrosial. In the evening, the restaurant offers table service plus such specials as fresh pappardella with saffron and beef stew. Fruci also makes many of the restaurant's desserts. More Rockville Centre happenings: Two weeks ago, Brian Arbesfeld, chefowner of the Focaccia Grill in Wantagh, launched the Soho Bistro at 22 N. Park where Cuisine Cocina used to be.

At a recent dinner, I was impressed with an evening special of mustard-crusted lamb chops. The menu is reasonably priced, with nothing ex- est venture of the Sbarro Group, opened last week at 47 Cold Spring Harbor 516-364-4244, where Boston Market used to be. A lively, upbeat place, the restaurant serves the southern Italian menu of Joseph Borruso, Sbarro's executive chef. I enjoyed the grandma pizza, a rectangular pie with a crunchy crust and a flavorsome cheese-tomato-basil-garlic topping. A home-style bowl of spaghetti Bolognese also satisfied.

Another branch of the restaurant is scheduled to open soon at 2330 Hempstead East Meadow, 516-796-2500. Dimitrios Zalimoglou, once the chef at Santorini My Love, 37 Great Neck Great Neck, 516-829-4877, now is its owner. In addition to the seafood specialties the restaurant has become known for, the menu showcases several traditional Greek dishes. A Wednesday fish special, at $13, includes a whole fish or fish fillet, salad, side order and glass of wine. Mardi Gras Tuesday is Fat Tuesday, or Mardi Gras.

To celebrate, these restaurants have planned some special events: Although fully booked for Fat Tuesday (except at the bar), Big Daddy's, 1 Park Lane, Massapequa, whose Web site is www.bigheat.com, has a weekend full of festivities leading up to the big day; activities are planned for tonight, tomorrow night, Sunday afternoon (a jazz brunch) and Monday evening. Call for details and reservations, 516-799-8877. R.S. Jones, 153 Merrick Merrick, is having a costume party as well as a special Cajun menu. Call for reservations or information, 516-378-7177.

Tupelo Honey, 39 Roslyn Sea Cliff, will have a three-course New Orleans style meal for $35 with live music and traditional king cakes. For reservations or information, call 516- 671-8300. In the City To mark Fat Tuesday, Heartbeat, 149 E. 49th temporarily will abandon its low-fat, low-cal stance to offer the food of chef Michael Nischan's childhood, including such dishes as smothered pork chops with pepper white rice and Esther Nischan's Missouri fried chicken. Expect live Gospel music and hand-painted Mardi Gras masks.

For information or reservations, call 212- 407-2900. City Sires SONO 106 E. 57th St. (between Park and Lexington Avenues) Manhattan 212-752-4411 HE TWAIN MEET at Sono. with Escargots sea eel and foie tempura gras and vie sashimi of fluke.

Oxtail is accented with daikon. Duck confit encounters wasabiwatercress sauce. It's all fashioned elegantly by Tadashi Ono, who was the chef at La Caravelle, as classically Gallic as a Gauloise. He has taken off with fusion flair at this serene spot, where years ago Le Chantilly kept the Bordeaux flowing. The restaurant decor stresses the natural, in shades and textures.

The feel is tres organic, with stone, cane and harmony in the extreme. Ono's signature extends to the design of the ceramics. His artistry rises in an exceptional lobster soup sparked by red curry and floating a scallop quenelle, perhaps a nod to the grand quenelles of La Caravelle. The fine vinegar-cured sardines rest on a diverting saffron-quinoa salad. Lobster arrives poached in chrysanthemum bouillon, aromatic and delicately marine.

The deftly roasted duck breast and lush confit of leg materialize with tasty buckwheat spaetzle and that stirring wasabi-spiked sauce. Your filet mignon is glazed with spicy red miso; roasted salmon is finished with seaweed risotto and green-tea sauce. Highlighting dessert is a whimsical sticky rice pudding, caramelized with palm sugar and sent out with toasted coconut ice cream. Or sample the striking white chocolate-green tea mousse or a crepe pouch of chestnut cream with vanilla-star anise sauce. Ono keeps the compass spinning.

Sono is open Monday to Saturday for dinner, 5:30 p.m. to 10:30 p.m., and for lunch Monday to Friday, noon to 2:30 p.m. Fixed-price dinner, $57; lunch entrees, $18 to $28 and appetizers, $9 to $18. Credit cards accepted. Peter M.

Gianotti 2000 3. HOHVW NEWSDAY,.