More than 100 pizzerias but only 2 steakhouses? NYC dining data reveals Staten Island restaurant surprises.

Italianissimo

Chef Franco Ortega announced he will renovate his South Beach restaurant. He recently purchased the building and will expand outdoor dining. (Staten Island Advance/Pamela Silvestri)

STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. — Staten Island’s restaurant landscape has a reputation for outstanding pizza and Italian food, but beyond the red sauce is a rather diverse eating and drinking scene that is organized and tracked in statistics from the city’s Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH).

Beware, though: Although the DOHMH data is insightful, the process yields a database not quite fully reflective of the true breadth and nuances of Staten Island’s food offerings.

That’s because, for better or worse, an inspector makes the determination at an inspection as to a restaurant’s genre, said a spokesman for the DOHMH. From “Afghan” to “Vegetarian,” there are more than 90 categories from which to choose.

As an example of the challenges, even restaurants that make their food focus obvious in their name can be placed under unlikely umbrellas. As per the DOHMH, Moe’s Southwestern Grill of New Dorp is “Mexican.” Jade Island of New Springville, famed for its Polynesian bent, is “Chinese.” Mandi House of St. George’s Yemeni fare is lumped into “Middle Eastern.” Lebanese Eatery of Port Richmond is “Mediterranean.” And even though the one-stop salad and burrito shop, The Burrito Shoppe and Salad Junkie of St. George, says it is so, the city declares it “Mexican.”

PUPU plater at Jade Island

Pupu platter at Jade Island in New Springville (Staten Island Advance File Photo)

In which shade of dining does a franchise like Taco Bell fall in all of this? Among four Staten Island locations, they are parsed into either “Tex Mex” or “Other.”

By official standards, Unique Lounge in Rossville, known for its vibrant bar scene and dart leagues, is as “Irish” as O’Neill’s, Joyce’s Tavern and O’Henry’s Publick House. (The latter actually is a British gastropub.) Pino’s Pizzeria in Rossville is considered “Soul Food.” Pigeonholed as “Italian” are Cole’s Dockside of Great Kills and Ralph’s Famous Italian Ices of New Springville, as well as Canlon’s of Oakwood with its Irish nachos and Shepherd’s pie.

Ed Canlon thinks of his long-running restaurant more as “American” or “Continental.”

With halibut, swordfish, soft shell crabs and steamers topping the specials, Ian Cole of Cole’s clarified, “We consider ourselves definitely “Seafood,”' albeit with an Italian influence.

Cole's

A seafood tower at Cole's Dockside (Staten Island Advance/Pamela Silvestri)

TOP FOOD CATEGORIES

There are some surprises in the stats. According to the DOHMH’s A to Z’s — at least from A&S Pizzeria in St. George to ZZ’s Pizza & Grill at the ferry terminal — there are 107 dedicated pizzerias. Brands dominating the list are six Domino’s — although noted as open, the Tompkinsville location has closed — plus four Pronto operations sprinkled across the land.

In the Asian eats department, Richmond County can count 79 distinct Chinese eateries — a number that tops the 73 designated “Italian” restaurants. Landing in the “Southeast Asian” slot are Bahnmigos of Great Kills with Vietnamese sandwiches and noodles and, separately, New Dorp’s Pho Rainbow for Vietnamese fare.

Staten Island plays home to five Thai spots with two on the same block — Talay Thai, relocated from Dongan Hills to 154 Stuyvesant Place, and recently expanded Chang Noi Thai at 100 Stuyvesant Place. That category outpaces Polish, German, Jewish, Peruvian, Eastern European and Cajun options.

What’s good this week: Cheap eats, Part 3

The Lamprie, a dish of rice, sambal and proteins such as chicken, mutton, kingfish or shrimp served on a banana leaf. This specimen is offered at sit-down eatery Lakruwana in Stapleton. (Staten Island Advance/Jan Somma-Hammel)Jan Somma-Hammel

NOT ON THE LIST

The “Forgotten Borough” has no Australian, Bangledeshi, Brazilian, Basque, Ethiopian, Czech, Portuguese, French, “Haute Cuisine,” Iranian, Chinese-on-Cuban, Korean or Pakastani cuisine, says NYC.gov. A full 30% of establishments are known simply as “Other” and “American.”

One of those dubbed an “American” place, Ruddy and Dean North Shore Steakhouse’s owner says he has not been formally recognized in his three decades as a “Steakhouse” by the DOHMH. For now that title goes to two spots — Sakana Sushi and Hibachi Steakhouse in Dongan Hills and Outback at the Mall.

And, although the borough is home to the lion’s share of the world’s Sri Lankan restaurants outside of Sri Lanka, there is no specific consideration for this specific food, as per DOHMH, and cannot be tracked separately. Instead, Isle of Gems eateries such as Dosa Garden, New Asha and Ceylon Curry, all Tompkinsville, and Lakruwana of Stapleton slip into a more general “Indian.”

Readers have wondered why Michelin-rated Sagara Food City is not listed among the NYC subcontinent eateries and not in the city’s licensing system at all. The answer is that although it has a highly regarded prepared food operation, its accompanying grocery store allows it to undergo inspections through New York State’s Agriculture and Markets program.

The HUGO Burger at Hop Shoppe includes sharp cheddar, carmelized inions, thick cut bacon, BBQ sauce, pickle dipped lettuce and a toasted brioche bun. (Staten Island Advance File Photo)Staff-Shot

ABOUT BURGERS

Some fun facts are unearthed thanks to the DOHMH page. For instance, half of the borough’s 30 sandwich shops are Subways. In the way of burger ward, Burger King and McDonald’s duke it out for marketshare with seven locations each.

If going by the database, other patty places include four Wendy’s, a pair of Shake Shacks and a deuce of White Castles — plus, the lone Dariy Queen Grill & Chill of Mariners Harbor, a nearby Checkers and Five Guys in New Springville.

Missing from the hamburger highlights are independent, known burger havens such as The Hop Shoppe in Stapleton, The Kettle Black and Duffy’s of West Brighton. They register with the city as “Other” or “American.”

HOW MANY RESTAURANTS...?

As of late June, 1024 licensed establishments are noted as operational in Richmond County, based on the DOHMH’s info.

The total number of documented active licenses has hovered between 1,000 to 1,027 since 2019, fluctuating slightly from month to month.

As this report is written, permanently closed places might not be reflected in the stats — to name a few, Vincent’s of Livingston, Mar Mar of West Brighton, Bin 5 in Rosebank and Love Earth Bakery Cafe in Richmond Valley.

Also on still on the books is among the shortest-lived eateries to come about in 2019 — Shawafel House of Port Richmond. That concept married waffles with shawarma, a je ne sais quoi one inspector surmised as “Mediterranean.”

Pamela Silvestri is Advance Food Editor. She can be reached at silvestri@siadvance.com.

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