Seascape Follow Up

The weird, tortured saga of the Seascape continues. I wrote about it here and here and even here around the time the place was featured on Kitchen Nightmares.

Something like the day after the Kitchen Nightmares episode, the place changed names to The Coast. Now it's a J&R's Steakhouse--a local chain of steak houses.

I don't think it's open yet. Looks like construction/renovation is still going on.

People who ate at the Seascape years ago, when fat boy's dad was running the place, said it was fancy dancy and a happenin' spot. If that's true, it's a shame the place has gone south the way it has.

Review: Island BBQ & Grille

Island BBQ & Grille took over the space in downtown Islip that Green Cactus Grill used to be in. It hasn't been there long, probably since around the first of the year (2009). I did see a sign that they had a grand opening or re-opening or something on June 13. As of the date of this review there's no website.

This place is pretty bad. We got take out from there the other day: the appetizer sampler ("Oasis Sampler Platter"--chicken wings, pork "sliders", crab cake, BBQ nachos), pulled pork with half a slab of baby back ribs, and pulled chicken. Both entrees came with two sides each. We got onion rings, mac & cheese, southern-style green beans, and corn & bacon saute.

The good: onion rings, pulled pork, the nachos with pulled pork, and the take-out girl was cute

The mediocre: pulled chicken, mac & cheese, crab cake

The heinously awful: everything else

I can safely say those were THE WORST ribs I've ever had, anywhere, at any time. Tough and no flavor at all. (I got them with sauce, not dry rubbed.) And real southern-style green beans are slow-cooked in water or broth for hours. These were barely cooked and were drowning in bacon fat. God knows I likes my bacon fat, but this made me gag.

Also, it's "Island BBQ & Grille", but I don't see anything "island" about it. The interior is all wood and burgundy, like maybe a crappy French restaurant or a steak-house. No funky island vibe going on anywhere that I saw, which would, you know, make sense. And there isn't much on the menu that's island, either. It's basically just a BBQ joint.

Some pics:

Oasis Sampler Platter

Pulled pork/ribs combo with green beans and mac & cheese

Pulled Chicken and corn saute

The entrees range from $11.99 (except for one that's $8.99) to $29.99. Typical over-priced BBQ on Long Island. Wraps and sandwiches from $7.99 to $9.99. After tax our meal was $51.00 and change.

2 out of 5 stars (= yuck)

Island BBQ & Grille

591 Main Street

Islip, NY 11751

Photo Blogging Update

Here's something of no interest to anyone. Food blogs need pics. Usually I have to steal them from other web sites.

We have a digital camera somewhere, but it's a big production getting the pics on the computer, yadda, yadda.

So I finally got a cell phone with a camera. For years I had a bare bones, old time phone, which I hardly ever used, so I didn't really care. But recently I got the Sony Ericsson C902 for a good price--referred to by me as the "James Bond phone", which annoys everybody. It's the phone Bond uses in Quantum of Solace.

No, it doesn't work like the phone in the movie, but it's still pretty cool and has a 5 megapixel camera. So I'll be able to put more of my personal pics on this thing.

The pic of the flowering chives was taken with the first C902 I had. But that phone had a mechanical problem with the lens, making half the image out of focus. I've since gotten a replacement, and all is good.

Rotisserie Chicken Update: Las Brasas

Was able to try the chicken at Las Brasas as recommended by reader No Nice Time. Las Brasas is in Bay Shore, in a strip mall just off that hideous service road for Sunrise Highway (south side), a little east of the South Shore Mall.

We didn't get a full meal. The wife was having something else, so I just grabbed take out of the whole rotisserie chicken, which comes with a huge mound of French fries (like about everything else on the menu) and a salad.

I'm glad I tried it, but it's not my favorite. I will give it this: it's different. I liked the char on the skin, but the main flavor you pick up is cumin, which I hate. It could also use more salt. The dish came with three dipping sauces, which we assumed were for the chicken--olive, mustard, and a spicy aioli. They worked well with the cumin...but still not a cumin fan.

After tax the dish was $19.54.

What she said

Geez, I take a picture of some chives, and I get more hits than since my Uncle Giuseppe post. BTW, yes, people do email me events they are putting on, or shops they want to advertise. I do see this stuff, but don't always post about it because I'm pretty lazy about checking email, and by the time I do check it, the time has passed or whatever.

But since I'm on the ball today, here's a comment from the chives post about an upcoming bake sale. And I'm not posting it just because the commenter was kissing my ass. (Well, not entirely because of that.)

Hey Butter Lover love your blog! I am in Suffolk County on LI as well and frequent many of the restaurants you named/rated. (PS I think you are hysterical but also insightful so I do take your blog seriously!) Two questions:(1) I purchased 2 fig trees, one Italian Everbearing and one Mission. I saw that you do grow some of your own produce and I wanted to know if you ever raised or maintained any fig trees. Mine are arriving within days. Any input would be appreciated.(2) If you want something different to rate or write about (or, yes, even poke fun at), I, my sister, ad my cousin are hosting a Great American Bake Sale on July 12 in Setauket, if you feel like dropping in. cousinsbakesale@gmail.com

Butter Lover: no, I don't know anything about fig trees. I would guess that, unless the trees are pretty big/mature, you'd have to wait a few years before they produce figs. But then what the hell do I know? I'll see if I can make it out to the bake sale.