A Review of Relish, in Kings Park FROM the outside, the restaurant Relish resembles the string of diners that occupied this building in Kings Park for more than 50 years. The inside, though, reflects the renovations carried out by Donny Brown, one of the two owners, before Relish opened in September, and the decoration by his wife, Christy. The spare but appealing dining rooms have apple-green booths and banquettes, cream-colored wainscotted walls, attractive framed mirrors and wall sconces filled with fresh flowers. The food is anything but standard diner fare. Stephen Cardello, the chef and co-owner, previously cooked at Grey Horse Tavern in Bayport and at Legal Sea Foods in Huntington and Garden City. Mr. Cardello makes his own sausage, salad dressings, stocks for soups and desserts. Pancake batter is made from scratch, not from a mix. The chef also tries to use local ingredients whenever possible. In a telephone conversation after my visits, I asked him what a locavore did in winter. "Pray for spring," he answered. He is able to get local seafood even in winter, however, and the restaurant's eggs - it goes through about 240 dozen a week - come from Raleigh's Poultry Farm in Kings Park. Relish seems to shine brightest when the sun is out. During my first visit, on a rainy Wednesday night, the place was nearly empty, and despite a number of very good dishes, the meal was lackluster. When I returned to Relish at noon a few days later, the place was crowded with happy families eating every manner of egg dish, stacks of pancakes and overstuffed sandwiches accompanied by mountains of hand-cut French fries or crisp onion strings. At dinner, starters have prices similar to those of entrees. That is because they are huge and made for sharing. Salads, too, are entree size. The salads and sandwiches are the stars of the menu, although a couple of the dinner entrees sampled were noteworthy, as well: a very tender, bourbon-marinated flatiron steak topped with garlic spinach, and linguine and clams, which got a flavor boost from the addition of spicy homemade sausage, basil and tomatoes. We were less taken with a starter of queso fundido, a fondue of five cheeses, green chilies and tomatillo that was inexplicably bland. A classic burger ordered medium rare arrived fully cooked. Two salads that night demonstrated the low and high points of the meal. A gigantic Caesar arrived with a small metal container of dressing on the side - not nearly enough. The blue salad, though, was outstanding, loaded with julienned sticks of crunchy green apple, carrots, dried cranberries, toasted sunflower seeds and blue cheese, and accompanied by a white balsamic vinaigrette. All salads and sandwiches are available at lunch and dinner. The sandwich to order is the BLT, made with huge slices of buttered and grilled sourdough. It is enormous - I counted nine slices of bacon. Another good choice is the pastruben: a classic Reuben on grilled marble rye with pastrami added to the usual corned beef, sauerkraut, melted Swiss and Russian dressing. Those going the breakfast route should try the "light as a cloud" ricotta pancakes, which live up to the menu's description. Sprinkled with powdered sugar and topped with sliced fresh strawberries, blueberries and blackberries, they are the best pancakes I've ever tasted. The top dessert was the warm, moist brownie sundae. Other good choices were the double chocolate cheesecake with chocolate crumb crust and apple crumb pie à la mode. Two mini coconut cupcakes, priced at $3.50, could be a tasty diminutive treat for two. The restaurant also serves ice cream sodas, floats and milkshakes, including 12 gourmet shakes. The bananas Foster shake was a standout: thick, creamy and finished with a swirl of whipped cream. Three dishes at Relish will inspire me to return: the BLT, the blue salad and those light ricotta pancakes. And the generous servings at reasonable prices make this restaurant a standout for families. Relish 2 Pulaski Road Kings Park (631) 292-2740 relishkingspark.com THE SPACE An attractive former diner seating 80 at booths, banquettes and a counter. Complete wheelchair access. THE CROWD Casual and local, with lots of families. A children's menu has entrees for $5.95, including French fries and a drink. THE BAR The restaurant has no liquor license. It has applied for a license to serve local beer and wine. THE BILL Breakfast and lunch entrees, $4.95 to $13.95; dinner entrees, $9.95 to $20.95. Most are closer to $10 than $20. Prices are very reasonable, especially in view of the portion sizes. MasterCard, Visa and Discover accepted. WHAT WE LIKED Ricotta pancakes, blue salad, BLT, pastruben, French fries, onion strings, linguine with clams, flatiron steak, bananas Foster milkshake, all desserts. IF YOU GO Open Tuesday to Saturday, 8 a.m. to 9 p.m.; Sunday, 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Closed on Sunday evenings and all day Monday. No reservations.