Long Island Food Blog

Speaking of Giant Companies You Don't Want to Piss Off

2011-01-26T07:30:00.000-08:00

Obviously my post below about where McDonald's gets the meat for its hamburgers was all in good fun.

McDonald's, did I tell you today how much I love you?

But wow, suing Taco Bell for false advertising that its beef tacos aren't all beef? Hey way to piss off a giant corporation that can afford very aggressive lawyers to make your life miserable. And who's paying the bills to the plaintiffs' attorneys?

And Taco Bell is now going to hit back with counterclaims or another lawsuit? Yikes.

So We Hear...

2011-01-24T17:51:00.000-08:00

At Boston Market today with Hot Secretary. While the server was getting my food, some ugly, pushy lady comes in and wants to know where her order is. She called in a chicken meal, and she asks the server, "Did you take the bones out of the chicken?"

Really? So you're pushy and rude, but are you such a retard that you can't eat around the bones in a chicken?

Where McDonald's Gets Its Hamburger Meat

2011-01-23T17:09:00.000-08:00

Checklist for an animal McDonald's uses for its hamburgers:

1. Is the animal deformed?

2. Has it been ridden by a monkey?

Check and check.

Review: Dario's

2011-01-21T18:59:00.000-08:00

Dario's in Rockville Centre (no website that I can find) often ranks as the highest rated Italian restaurant in the Long Island Zagat's, or near the top. They even have a little display inside, on the bar, with a 27 food rating.

I don't normally care about decor, but the decor is weird. Bland off-white walls, yellowish lighting, some paintings. It looks like the cafeteria at an upscale nursing home. Though I suppose the oldies would need more light. (I can say things like that until I'm an oldy. If I live that long.)

The menu is boring. I was shocked at how boring. Not much different than a typical Long Island pizzeria menu: chick parm or veal parm; chicken marsala or veal marsala, etc. Snooze.

I was with a group and was able to try a number of things: stuffed clams, fried calamari, caprese salad, veal francese, gnocchi in a bolognese, and penne with a veal ragout (a special that day). Considering the place's reputation, I was expecting a great meal. It wasn't great. The food is very average.

One of the people in the group was a friend who's a smart guy and whose food opinion I respect most of the time--unless he starts talking about Indian food, which I hate. He thought the place was awful and wouldn't shut up about how awful it was. So I did like it more than he did.

The prices weren't too crazy, surprisingly. The appetizers probably averaged $8 to $12, the entrees around $20.

Giving Dario's a 27 for food is the problem with the Zagat's system, and it's the reason I don't care what Zagat's has to say about any restaurant. It's a bunch of clueless idiots voting online who don't know what they're talking about. I don't blame Dario's. They put out average food that people who vote in Zagat's think is great. They have zero incentive to make the food better.

2 out of 5 stars

Dario's
13 North Village Ave.
Rockville Centre, NY

Happy New Year!

2011-01-06T19:35:00.000-08:00

Pamela Anderson says "Happy New Year!" You haven't partied unless you look like this afterwards.

On Christmas day watched the Man v. Food marathon on the Travel Channel. Quick note about the St. Louis episode. It has the "120 Ounce Malt Milkshake Challenge." Basically a gallon.

Those tricky devils at the Crown Candy Kitchen. Here's something they didn't tell you on the show. The challenge is impossible for probably 95% of people or more.

The challenge is to drink a gallon of malt milk shakes in 30 minutes. But the average stomach holds about 1/2 a gallon. Plus, fat takes a long time to move out of the stomach. You are going to drink that milk shake, and it is going to sit in your stomach for a couple hours. Don't make any plans.

This is done at frat parties and is known as the "Gallon Challenge"--drinking a gallon of milk in one hour, not 30 minutes. If guys in college can't drink a gallon of milk in 60 minutes, who's going to drink a gallon of fatty milk shake in 30?

Spoiler Alert: Chunky doesn't make it. He probably gets around 100 ounces down, then pukes his guts out. That's still pretty good. But you need to have a stomach that can hold about a gallon to win.

Christmas Shoe Dessert

2010-12-26T11:52:00.000-08:00

Patton Oswalt was tweeting about a recent meal at Moto Restaurant in Chicago, with lots of pics.

So everyone's a food blogger now? Screw all of you!

This was his dessert:

Rex Ryan just ordered 10 of them. (Yes, that stupid joke was the whole reason for this post.)

For an explanation of what the dessert is supposed to be (which may or may not make the joke funnier), click here. (Not Safe For People With Good Taste)

Merry Christmas!

2010-12-25T07:23:00.000-08:00

More Chinese-Mexican Food

2010-12-21T11:51:00.000-08:00

Recent entry into the Mexican food made by Chinese people category. Taco Bennito at 579 Willis Avenue in Williston Park.

Hot Secretary and I actually went there on the day it opened a couple weeks ago. Decent food. Cheap too. My Tex-Mex Chili Nachos were $4.69, and it was plenty for a meal. Hot Secretary didn't like the food too much. She had the chicken fajitas.

Lovely people running the place. So nice. They make their tortillas fresh. I saw the guy pressing them and cooking them on the griddle. I hope they survive. Get there before they take away the large, creepy cat that waves to you.

Pics:

Tex-Mex Chili Nachos

Chicken Fajita

Share Your Mayonnaise Stores!

2010-12-10T11:10:00.000-08:00

But not with me. I don't care. See below.

CASTING REAL PEOPLE/REAL FAMILIES FOR A MAYONNAISE CAMPAIGN!

LOOKING FOR FAMILIES/INDIVIDUALS THAT LOVE MAYONASE AND HAVE A favorite sandwich that is special to their family!

Whether it is...

a special holiday sandwich that has always brought your family together ,

a special family recipe sandwich that brings you warm memories and you still share today

**a special sandwich significant because of where you live (Philly cheese steak in Philly, Lobster roll in Boston, Po Boy in New Orleans)

or a sandwich you enjoy during certain seasons...WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU!!

SHARE YOUR STORY! These are just examples

ALL FAMILY DYNAMICS WELCOME TO APPLY.

YOU CAN LIVE ANYWHERE IN THE COUNTRY!!

Those chosen will be compensated.

-Seeking fantastic families or groups or individuals with great stories ABOUT THEIR FAVORITE MAYONAISSE SANDWICH to tell for an online series. (It can be a classic, or some sandwich you just love that has a signifigance to your family)

Do you have a sandwich that represents your family or group? Something that grand dad passed down? A new twist on the old Reuben? Maybe you have a sandwich you have been eating weekly for many years? A recipe that you are known for and everyone at the tailgate party loves? A sandwich that made your husband fall in love? Do you have the hottest deli where people stand in line for twenty minutes to buy your signature sandwich? Maybe a particular sandwich brings you comfort and gets you through a tough time? Maybe you own a deli, love your turkey club w/mayo and met your wife there? Maybe you coming from a Lobster fisherman family in Boston and love a Lobster Roll? Maybe you live in Philly and Love the Philly cheese Steak!!! Tuna, Egg, Po Boy OR ANY FAVORITE SANDWICH YOU HAVE WITH MAYO

YOU CAN LIVE ANYWHERE IN THE COUNTRY!

Singles, dating, married, grandparents, best friends, multi generational, alternative families, etc

IF INTERESTED, EMAIL: thecreativevisionary@gmail.com

PUT " MAYO" in subject title

Tell us your name, where you live, contact info, about your sandwich and your story!! Include photos of yourself, your family/group/staff, etc..name of the sandwich and all ingredients, and a story about why this sandwich is meaningful.

IT CAN BE ANY SANDWICH MADE WITH MAYO

Dos Equis Guy

2010-11-26T18:27:00.000-08:00

Here's what I don't get about the Dos Equis guy.

(1) Dos Equis guy is NOT the most interesting man in the world. This guy is.

(2) Dos Equis guy says in the commercials: "I don't always drink beer..."

Really? Then why do we care what you have to say? Isn't this a beer commercial?

(3) He goes on: "...but when I do, I prefer Dos Equis."

That's not much of an endorsement. It's like saying: "I prefer Dos Equis, but if there's some Bud around, I'll drink that. Whatever."

Dos Equis, please contact me to fix your stupid commercials.

Review: Il Mulino

2010-11-20T08:30:00.000-08:00

Il Mulino is on Northern Boulevard in Roslyn, just down the road from an Aston Martin dealership, where I do my car shopping. [Pause for laughter.] For those of you who don't know Italian, "Il Mulino" means "the Mulino." OK, I don't know what the f*ck it means.

The menu is big. As in "Why is the menu so big?" I get suspicious when menu's have too many selections. Unless there's an army of cooks in the kitchen, how can everything be fresh or made to order? Even the "specials" menu was extensive.

I wasn't able to try anyone else's stuff, but this was my meal: Escargot in mushroom caps with a garlicky tomato sauce. Porcini mushroom ravioli in a cream sauce. Very northern Italy. The mushroom filling was dense and meat-like, so I imagine the porcini were dried and reconstituted. And for desert a pear poached in white wine and served with (I think) a rich pastry cream and fresh berries. Very French. The pear was cut up and served table-side.

Everything was lovely. No complaints. And the portions were not small. I couldn't even finish dessert.

Another diner loved the artichoke heart appetizer with pancetta (I assume). He also got the ossobucco. That damn thing must have been 2 lbs. Even came with a marrow fork. Impressive.

I didn't pay, so I have no idea what the final cost was. My ravioli was $38, and the ossobucco was $49. The appetizers seemed to average around $15. So not cheap.

I did take pics. I normally don't, inside restaurants. Especially high-end places like this because I feel like a tool. I think my camera settings were off, so the pics kinda suck.

Escargot appetizer

Porcini ravioli

Ossobucco

Poached pear dessert

4 out of 5 stars

Il Mulino

1042 Northern Boulevard

Roslyn, NY

Good Old Food Network Days

2010-11-18T12:12:00.000-08:00

Poor Butch Patrick a/k/a Eddie Munster has checked into rehab for drug problems. I feel bad for him.

Why this is food related: In the early days of the Food Network, before Emeril Lagasse became famous, I used to try to convince people that Emeril played Eddie Munster. True. It even worked sometimes.

New York City Chocolate Show Nov. 11 - 14

2010-11-11T16:44:00.000-08:00

Featuring two Long Island chocolate companies:

Four days full of dark, milk, white, and bittersweet indulgent confections, The 13th Annual Chocolate Show, taking place Thursday, November 11th through Sunday, November 14th at The Metropolitan Pavilion (125 W 18th Street), will house over 65 fine chocolate companies complete with culinary demos, samples, and Kids' Zone where young chocolate lovers will have the chance to explore the wonderful world of chocolate.

With local Long Island companies Gotta Eat Sweets (Syosset) http://www.gottaeatsweets.com/ and NibMor (Huntington) http://www.nibmor.com/index.php amongst the exhibitors, Long Island natives will be wowed when they taste these chocolate creations and realize they are made right it their backyard.

Popular dessert personalities such as Dylan Lauren, owner of Dylan's Candy Bar, Johnny Iuzzini of Bravo's Top Chef: Just Desserts, and Martin Howard, award winning pastry chef will also be on hand to show off their pastry skills and love of all things chocolate.

Tickets for the 2010 New York Chocolate Show are $28 for adults (13 and older) in advance and $30 at the door. Children are free with a two child per adult limit, $8 per additional child (5 years to 12 years). To purchase tickets and for additional information, schedules and exhibitors, please visit the Chocolate Show Web site at www.chocolateshow.com.

24 Hour Restaurant Battle Casting on Long Island Nov. 14

2010-11-05T08:33:00.000-07:00

Mmmmmm....Scalded Beef Tripe

2010-11-04T16:28:00.000-07:00

From an ad for Compare Foods.

Happy Halloween

2010-10-30T15:29:00.000-07:00

Some local non-food but Halloweeny info. Lake Ronkonkoma finished as the #1 most terrifying place on Travel Channel's Most Terrifying Places in America Top 13, which aired Friday night.

A pic of Lake Ronkonkoma taken early 2010:

I had no idea it was so terrifying. There are apparently different stories, but they are all basically that an Indian princess, Princess Ronkonkoma, fell in love with a white European settler. Her father forbade her from being with him, and she ended up drowning, intentionally or not.

There is supposedly a curse that each year a male will drown in the lake, though not everyone can agree what the reason is.

Note to self: do not swim in Lake Ronkonkoma.

Long Island Restaurant Week is Coming

2010-10-28T19:07:00.000-07:00

...and it's coming for YOU Nov. 7 through Nov. 14.

$24.95 for a 3 course, prix fixe meal.

Restaurants here.

From the lovely Lindsey Myers:

If your Long Island restaurant would like to participate in this year’s event or to view a current list of participating restaurants, visit www.longislandrestaurantweek.com. For more information about Long Island Restaurant Week, please call (631) 329-0050 x108. For press inquiries, contact the Long Island Restaurant Week Executive Committee at WordHampton Public Relations at (631) 329-0050.

Kahn Noonien Singh says:

2010-10-24T17:26:00.000-07:00

Review: Cozymels

2010-10-23T07:42:00.000-07:00

I wish I knew more Spanish. Then I could say "The food at Cozymels is gross" in Spanish.

I could say "The food at Cozymels is disgusting" in Spanish.

Or "The food at Cozymels sucks sweaty rat balls" in Spanish. Which is what I'd really like to say.

OK, it may not be as bad as that, but it is very unimpressive. There are 1,000 Mexican places on Long Island, and 997 have better food. I will say that the corn chowder there IS disgusting and DOES in fact suck the scrotum of small, sweaty rodents.

And hey Cozymels: chimichangas are supposed to be crispy. That is why I like them. I got one that had some kind of liquid on it, so it was all squishy. Gag.

Now I'm sure this is a nice place to hang on a Friday or Saturday night or on Cinco de Mayo. Or on a Thursday when the margaritas are flowing, and groups of women from local offices get loud and gropy. But the food = thumbs down.

1 out of 5 stars

Pics:

Squishy chicken chimichanga

Pork carnitas (I hate, hate, hate blurry pictures, but this is all I had)

Cozymels
1177 Corporate Drive
Westbury, New York

Chili Cook-Off Oct. 23

2010-10-21T07:39:00.000-07:00

Chili cook-off this Saturday to benefit the Family & Children's Association. 12:00 PM to 3:00 PM at Old Country Road and Holly Avenue in Mineola. $10 for adults, kids under 12 free. All the chili you want; and the next day 12 painful hours on the toilet.

Judges will decide the winner of the best chili. I'm assuming my invitation to be a judge got lost in the mail. Hopefully that's cleared up by Saturday.

Note to the Family & Children's Association: please, please, please use a different picture in the future. It is with great restraint that I don't have the guy saying something obnoxious.

Pumpkin Donuts

2010-10-15T09:18:00.000-07:00

Tried the pumpkin donuts at a Waldbaum's the other day. Buck 99.

Verdict: They taste like regular, powdered sugar donuts.

Sad face.

Social Networking

2010-10-12T14:53:00.000-07:00

A long poll from Technorati about blogging asked a bunch of questions about whether I had a twitter or facebook account for this thing. The answer is no.

I do have a twitter account, but it's not in this blog's name, and it's only to see what the Kardashians are up to.

This is why I don't do social networking:

1. Why not just log on here and say whatever dumb thing it is I have to say?

2. I don't want to start an account, tell people I have an account, then get 2 followers. And one of them is my mom.

But...I am hearing good things about friendster.

Chicken For the Win

2010-10-09T13:34:00.000-07:00

Got an email from The National Chicken Council that you can make a video about chickens or something. And there's a $5,000 prize or whatever. Details here.

Blah blah. I just think it's funny there's something called The National Chicken Council.

Yes I've used this picture before.

Picnic Potato Salad

2010-10-06T13:17:00.000-07:00

If the picnic potato salad at Stop & Shop were a musical instrument, it would be a sucksaphone.

If it were an animal, it would be a suck-billed platypus.

Because it sucks.

Bad Experience

2010-10-04T12:40:00.000-07:00

I thought the Bears-Giants game last night would be better enjoyed with chips and beer. I also picked up some Johnsonville Brats. I couldn't remember if I'd had them before.

Oh my god. They taste like road kill eaten by a donkey then shat out of its hemorrhoidal smelly ass into a sausage casing.

Imagine the nastiest most godawful cheap cut of meat made with hooves and intestines and sphincters you've ever had in any bad gyro from a diner or any hamburger with soy filler from a public school cafeteria. Whatever you are imagining is 10x better than what I ate last night.

New Restaurant Opening Today

2010-10-02T06:29:00.000-07:00

Southfork Kitchen in Bridgehampton. Going to be the first in the Hamptons using locally-grown, sustainable food sources. And has a Michelin-starred chef:

Opening this Saturday in Bridgehampton, Southfork Kitchen will the first sustainable restaurant in the Hamptons, highlighting fresh produce, sustainably-sourced seafood and proteins, local wineries, craft breweries, and many of Long Islands top organic food purveyors. South Fork Kitchen will be manned by Michelin star chef Joe Isidori, an alumni chef of DJT at The Trump Las Vegas and Harbour in West SoHo.

Placing an emphasis on locally sourced, organic and sustainable business practices, the restaurant has teamed up with many of Long Island's like-minded food companies, utilizing Gosman's Dock, Amber Waves Farm, Dale & Betty's Farm, Mecox Bay Dairy, Amy's Preserves, and Blue Duck Bakery for the majority of their menu's needs.

I got a look at a sample menu, which is going to be seasonal, which is always good. Very interesting stuff. Should be a good place. Good luck to them.

Some pics:

203 Bridgehampton/Sag Harbor Turnpike

Bridgehampton, NY

Bad Restaurant Names

2010-09-29T11:23:00.000-07:00

Gary Larson once wrote a Far Side comic with the caption "Nature's way of saying do not touch" or "Nature's way of saying stay away." I forget what it said exactly, and I can't find it online. One of the pics was a psycho-looking guy with a gun or something wearing an animal pool floaty.

Here is a restaurant's way of saying "stay away":

I won't be going there anyway. At least the menu doesn't say "we delivery." Like every other Chinese menu I've seen.

Pickle Festival! OMG!

2010-09-25T07:43:00.000-07:00

It will be pickle madness today at the 31st Annual Greenlawn Pickle Festival in Greenlawn.

Why am I telling you about it today? Because I just got an email about it yesterday on behalf of the Horman family's line of pickles, which will be on display at the festival. They do their thing in Glen Cove. Gotta support the locals.

Horman’s Best (booth number 10) will feature samples of all its fresh-from-the-barrel fan favorites including: Honey Mustard, New Dill, Sour, Spicy Sour, Sweet Cajun, Bread & Butter, Horseradish, Red Flannel, and Kosher Dill as well as Pickled Tomatoes and Hot Cherry Peppers.

New York Deli Pickle (booth number 17), now carried by Fairway among others, will debut its jarred line featuring Kosher Dill, Spicy Kosher Dill, Mustard and Horseradish.

Better Link

2010-09-19T09:31:00.000-07:00

So I see from the stats feature on blogger that Germany has moved into the second spot of the countries who look at this stupid blog. Must have been the Oktoberfest post.

Guten Tag, my German readers. Hey, can you explain why when I type "drunk German" into a Google image search, 90% of the images are porno? I mean I expect like 50% to be porno for anything, but 90% is a bit high.

I used to know some German and was actually the top German student every year I took it in high school.

Reader: Stop lying, you liar! We all know you're stupid. And now you're a liar.

That was when I had some intelligence. No longer.

Anyway, I realized that I linked to a Newsday article about Oktoberfest and that Newsday is a $ubscription $ite. Sorry. I get access as a Cablevision customer, so sometimes I forget. Newsday went $ubscription a while ago. Then they came out with an article that said 37 people or something had signed up. Way to go, Newsday!

Here's another post about Oktoberfest events from Long Island Restaurant News. A site like that has so much information it scares me. But they link to me, so I don't feel too bad.

Oktoberfest at Rein

2010-09-18T08:59:00.000-07:00

This is pretty cool. Rein at The Garden City Hotel is having a 16-day drunken orgy of Oktoberfest. "Drunken orgy" are my words.

From Newsday:

On Friday Oct. 1, from 6 to 10 p.m., executive chef Steven De Bruyn and chef de cuisine Kevin Buckenberger will serve a lavish, beer-friendly buffet. (De Bruyn is from Belgium, so he knows a thing or two about beer.) During the cocktail hour, the hotel’s English garden will be transformed into a traditional biergarten. Draft Paulaner Oktoberfest and Franziskaner Dunkle Weisse will be served, along with grilled bratwurst, beer-braised sauerkraut and passed (by lederhosen-clad servers) hors d’oeuvres.

Tickets for the open-seated dinner event are available by pre-booking by Sept. 30 for $47 per person (plus tax and 15-percent tip) or, on the evening of the event, for $55 per person.

I would love to check that out. Don't know if I'll make it.

I've eaten at Rein, which is the main restaurant at the hotel since Polo closed. Boo. It was fine. Whatever. But that German crap sounds interesting.

No info on beer wench outfits. Oh my.

Fancy McDonald's

2010-09-11T11:15:00.000-07:00

Finally got around to trying the fancy dancy McDonald's in New Hyde Park. There's a lot of info about it online. So I'll just say a couple things.

The house was built circa 1875 and belonged to the Denton family, which apparently has roots back to when the Town of Hempstead was founded. There's a plaque inside with the 1875 date. A quick property records search (because I can do things like that) says the house was built in 1921. What does this discrepancy mean? I don't know.

So the place was originally a private residence, but starting in the 50's the property was owned by different corporations. Some people have said it was an Italian restaurant at one point.

Looks like it was purchased by the McDonald's Corporation in 1986 (not 1985). They were going to tear down the house and build a typical McDonald's restaurant, but people in New Hyde Park and the Town of North Hempstead were able to get the place designated an historic landmark. McDonald's just restored the building, which is cool.

So the place is fancy. And you know what? It makes the food taste better!

Just kidding. It's still shitty. Hey, McDonald's, mayonnaise on a mushroom burger is f*cking gross.

There are also a lot of pics online. But here are mine (including the top pic):

Review: Dolci Cafe

2010-08-28T12:16:00.000-07:00

Impressive little place on Franklin Avenue in Garden City. It's a bakery and sandwich shop, with a number of interesting sandwiches and wraps. If you enter in the rear (snicker), where all the parking is, the door's by the tuxedo shop.

I've probably tried most of the sandwiches by now. All of them are good, though the chicken parm is just OK. It's better at pizza places. The bread is pretty good. Some sandwiches come as panini.

The only problem has been the roast beef sandwich with bacon, lettuce, and tomato. I call it the "Roast Beef Surprise" because it's always a surprise what ingredients they're going to forget. One time it was just roast beef, cheese, and mayonnaise.

On the other hand, I've only ordered it on Fridays. Fridays there seem to be a problem.

I don't have much of a sweet tooth, but hot secretary advises that the pastries (of which there are many) are tasty. I'm sure they don't make them in house since the place is so small. They also have gelato, which was sweet and creamy.

For you dudes, it always seems to be pretty girls working in there. I'm sure it's just a coincidence.

When I was there one day some guy came in just to buy a red bull and bottle of water. The cashier knew him by name, so I imagine he goes in there every day to buy an overpriced red bull and water just so he can drool over some girl who in reality couldn't give a shit about him. Good times.

The average price for sandwiches is around $7.00. Pretty cheap for lunch in Garden City.

Some pics:

3 out of 5 stars

Dolci Cafe

953 Franklin Ave
Garden City, NY 11530

Thanks Bon Appétit

2010-08-25T09:05:00.000-07:00

The August issue of Bon Appétit has a recipe for using up the cold cuts in your fridge: End-of-the-Week Deli Sandwich.

Here's the recipe: take the cold cuts in your fridge; put them between bread; and put on some other stuff like cheese and mayonnaise.

The people at Bon Appétit call this "clever." And say it takes 30 minutes.

Thanks, geniuses.

Something No One Here Cares About

2010-08-14T10:03:00.000-07:00

But it's my blog, so I'm going to talk about it anyway. Maybe I get can more nasty remarks from Indiana readers like for my St. Elmo's review.

Man v. Food this Wednesday is in Indianapolis, the land of chain restaurants. Supposedly he was in the area around Memorial Day (Indy 500 time).

From the previews it looks like he was at a place called Gray Brothers Cafeteria (known as Gray's), which is in Mooresville, maybe 30 min. south of Indianapolis. It's a cafeteria, like a school cafeteria, which there aren't really a lot of on Long Island (none that I've been to). You go in, get a tray, silverware, etc., and move down the line. The food is behind glass, and you tell a server (there are like 10) what you want. They plop it on a warm plate and hand it to you. At the end of the line you pay.

I've been there a hundred times and have gone there since I was a kid. Looks like chunky was eating the meatloaf, which I've never had. They have great fried chicken and chicken and noodles. I've really never had anything bad there.

It's good old country cookin. Think Cracker Barrel. But it kicks Cracker Barrel's ass.

The place is very popular. Always long lines stretching out the giant wooden doors. And always a bunch of oldies. Like a nursing home. So you also know it's cheap if a lot of geezers eat there.

I was last there in September '09 and took the pic below. It's the chicken and noodles (with green beans and corn obviously). Yum. Never thought I'd have an excuse to post it.

McDonald's in Mineola

2010-08-04T10:45:00.000-07:00

Whatever town that is. It's just off of Glen Cove Road, north of Old Country Road.

I just have to say what a bunch of fucking stupid fucktards.

Man v. Food follow-up

2010-07-29T06:44:00.000-07:00

So I watched the Man v. Food in Islip show. I wonder how he picks those three places out of all the restaurants on Long Island.

I said I never heard of the Port Royal Grille on Main Street in Islip. Watching the show last night I found out why. Chunky was walking down Main Street, and when I saw Tellers in the background I realized, oh shit, Port Royal had taken over Island BBQ & Grille, which I had reviewed. That's a shame, though the place wasn't very good. I wouldn't want to be in the restaurant biz.

Port Royal's "The Captain's Blog" says that Man v. Food visited around April 30th. Fun quote:

What really shocked me was how the ladies were into this guy...This guy basically looks like I did before I had 5 kids and got seriously fat.

Yeah, uh, I don't think the ladies were interested because of his looks. I would imagine (read: sarcasm) it has something to do with the fact he has a TV show.

Dockers Bragging about Celebs

2010-07-27T14:34:00.000-07:00

The very lovely Britta Lofgren of Guest of a Guest Hamptons has posted a story about Dockers' (in East Quogue) habit of bragging about the celebs who eat there and asks if it's an invasion of their privacy to do that.

Read it here.

My take: whether it's an invasion of privacy or not, it's probably not very smart if Dockers wants celebs to keep going there. I'm sure celebs and their friends and personal assistants talk, and they may begin to see Dockers as a place to avoid.

Man v. Food in Islip

2010-07-26T08:18:00.000-07:00

Wednesday (July 28) on The Travel Channel will be Man v. Food at the Port Royal Grille on Main Street in Islip. He will also be at Ciao Baby and International Delight Café. Gee, it would have been nice to know he was coming since I'm a big fan of the show.

I hate to admit I've never heard of the Port Royal Grille, and have not been to Main Street in Islip for a while, but, good for them, this episode will probably keep them in business for a few years.

Dear Stop & Shop:

2010-06-26T11:18:00.000-07:00

When I buy a 30 cent pack of gum, why do you give me a receipt that is 2 feet long?

Sincerely, etc., etc.,
Butter Lover

Wiener Dog

2010-05-20T12:21:00.000-07:00

Pizza in Naples: Baked with Coffin Wood!

2010-05-17T14:15:00.000-07:00

Here. Take that, Mario Batali, Mr. Everything in Italy is the Best. BTW, the "Everything in Italy is the Best" stuff got pretty tiresome when I used to watch his shows.

I think the tombstone with the giant "RIP" should have tipped these customers off that something wasn't right. Oh Google Image Search, is there anything you can't do?

Portugese Feast May 21-23

2010-05-15T07:52:00.000-07:00

In Mineola. Or at least I think that's what the big banner said that I passed on Mineola Blvd. yesterday. It was near the Heart of Portugal Restaurant.

Can't find anything about it online, so this may be something put on by that restaurant.

Cinco De Mayo

2010-05-05T11:48:00.000-07:00

Got lunch at Green Cactus for Cinco De Mayo with hot secretary. They were pretty busy there, of course. Like UPS guys around Christmas or H&R Block people around tax time.

Do you think employees at Mexican places wake up every May 5th and say, "Oh shit it's Cinco De Mayo!"

Evening of Star Chefs Fundraiser May 7

2010-05-04T18:28:00.000-07:00

SUFFOLK COUNTY COMMUNITY COLLEGE’S CULINARY ARTS PROGRAM PRESENTS ITS ANNUAL “EVENING OF STAR CHEFS” FUNDRAISER

Riverhead, NY - The Culinary Arts Program at Suffolk County Community College will be hosting its annual “Evening of Star Chefs” Fundraiser on Friday, May 7th at 6:30 p.m. in the College’s Culinary Arts & Hospitality Center located at 20 East Main Street in Riverhead.

The evening will begin with signature hors d’oeuvres prepared by Long Island’s very own star chefs including: Doug Gulija, owner of the Plaza Café in Southampton Village; Tom Schaudel, owner of aMano in Mattituck & Coolfish in Syosset; John Montgomery, owner of Sea Levels Restaurant in Brightwaters; Michael Meehan, Executive Chef for H2O Restaurant in Smithtown, and Jim Carpenter, Executive Chef of the Living Room Restaurant at the Maidstone Arms in East Hampton.

A three-course wine pairing dinner featuring the award winning wines of Pindar and Duck Walk vineyards will follow. This five-star dinner will be prepared and served by SCCC culinary students. A silent auction, special gifts and live entertainment will round out the evening. Proceeds from the fundraiser will assist in providing instructional supplies for the College’s culinary labs.

Tickets are $75.00 per person. Please make your reservations early, as seating is limited.

For further information or to make a reservation please call (631) 548-3701 or e-mail rippeg@sunysuffolk.edu.

You Make Your Own Heaven

2010-04-22T08:17:00.000-07:00

The other day Jim Carrey on Twitter, on one of his crazy rants, was asking people to send in their pics of Heaven. I like this pic (no one sent this in). I like the meditative quality of this. Surrounded by flood waters, she is content with her cup of noodles.

Review: Mama Mia's Pizzeria

2010-04-16T19:03:00.000-07:00

She called me Fred. "She" being the somewhat attractive but ditzy blonde who's always behind the counter at Mama Mia's when I go in. "Fred" is what she said the other night when I picked up some rigatoni bolognese--"Fred, your dinner's ready."

My name is not Fred.

Mama Mia's is in a crappy strip mall on Johnson Avenue in Ronkonkoma, filled with giant car-swallowing potholes. Some locals told me they love the place, so I gave it a try. The pizza is decent. Average Long Island size. $13.00 after tax.

Someone also told me they like the spaghetti with meat sauce. I didn't see spaghetti with meat sauce on the menu. The closest thing was rigatoni bolognese, which tasted like cheeseburger Hamburger Helper. No joke. That was $10.85 after tax. BTW, there are no prices on the menu above the counter.

Verdict: would have given it an average rating for the pizza. The Fred thing earns it a 0.

She called me Fred
Which she shouldn't a said.
The review is now dead
Like a shot in the head.

Mama Mia's Pizzeria

892 Johnson Ave.

Ronkonkoma, NY

News Source!

2010-04-14T07:16:00.000-07:00

Long Island Food Blog is now a recognized news source, according to NPR.

I was teasing a friend about this yesterday who is an NPR fan. He has now sworn off NPR.

Can't wait for my press credentials to start rolling in.

Bay Shore Restaurant Week April 12 - 21

2010-04-11T17:23:00.000-07:00

More here.

Aji 53 Japanese Cuisine*
Captain Bill’s
Cool Water Grill
Declan Quinn’s
fatfish Wine Bar & Bistro
Galanga Thai Restaurant
Gibson Street Restaurant
The Jon Thomas Inne
The LakeHouse*
Milk & Sugar Café
Mitsui Japanese Restaurant
Molly Malone’s
Nicky’s Clam Bar
The Nutty Irishman
Peninsula Oriental Cuisine
The Pie at Salvatore’s
Sea Levels
Smokin’ Al's BBQ
T.J. Finley’s
Tula Kitchen
Yesterday's Cafe

*Aji 53 and The LakeHouse are participating for lunch only

Good Article on How No One Cares About [Wine] Bloggers

2010-04-08T13:42:00.000-07:00

Derrick Schneider of obession with food wrote a good article about how no one cares about bloggers--and in that article, wine bloggers. (Look for it on his site. His permalink isn't working at the moment.)

I've seen my share of self-important wine bloggers, including locally, who write long, tedious posts about wine every damn day and have a bunch of advertising on their sites. Well guess what? No one cares! Those blogs have no influence in the industry and no impact on wine sales says the article.

It's nice to see a leading food and wine blogger put these people in their place. This guy too. Stop taking yourselves so seriously! No one cares about your blogs, and no one cares about your stupid conferences on wine blogging!

God knows no one cares about this website, and I think it's pretty obvious I don't take it seriously. I don't even have advertising and have rejected any offers. I don't care if anyone reads the useless information on here or not. It's just my take on food on Long Island, and I started this because I thought everyone else said dumb things about the restaurants I went to. So suck it, wine bloggers.

Review: Maxxel's

2010-04-05T11:11:00.000-07:00

Maxxel's is a little place in a strip mall in Mineola, next to an always-busy Panera Bread. And when I say busy, I means ba-hizzy.

Not really sure what the place is supposed to be. It calls itself an "American Bistro." It has mussels, meatballs, pasta, and american and french food. The place seems to push its wines, so it must pride itself on the wine selection, which I don't really care about.

I've been here for lunch a few times, not for dinner. The dinner menu is moderate/reasonable, but lunch is overpriced. The place is tiny inside. Maybe 10 to 12 tables.

The hamburger (Maxxels Sirloin Burger) is very good. The fries are shit (though Hot Secretary likes them). I should note that the shitty fries are the matchstick ones. On a recent visit they were serving fatter fries. I don't know how the fatties taste.

I've had their American Bento lunch for $14.95 (ouch). I picked meatballs and wild mushroom soup and had them pick the veggie and salad. The meatballs were not great and had an herb or spice that was strong that I couldn't place--possibly cumin, which I detest; the tomato sauce was sweet, which I don't mind. Balsamic vinaigrette on a mesclun mix was pretty good. Sauteed green beans and carrots were boring and stupid. Wild mushroom soup was not bad.

Hot Secretary really likes the grilled chicken with provolone and spinach sandwich. She hated the beef fajita wrap and thought the meat was awful.

American Bento Lunch

Hamburger

Verdict: good hamburger, otherwise average food, interesting menu, overpriced.

3 out of 5 stars
Maxxels
526 Jericho Turnpike
Mineola, NY 10005

Off-Topic: Go Butler!

2010-04-04T08:42:00.000-07:00

Butler 52, Michigan State 50 - More The Indianapolis Star Galleries

I was in the stands in the Hoosier Dome in March, 1991 when Duke beat an undefeated UNLV team before going on to win the championship. And I stood up with the tens of thousands of people cheering and clapping for 10 minutes (or whatever it was) after the game was over.

But I'll be rooting like a lunatic for Butler on Monday night against them. Great story. Wish I was there. I would love to pig out while watching the game, but I've been trying to behave lately.

Local (sort of) tie-in:

A good friend of George Steinbrenner's came into the restaurant about 2001 or 2002, and he says to me [Bobby Plump], 'Mr. Steinbrenner has seen the movie "Hoosiers" 180 times. He sees it every time he's disappointed.' And I said, 'You mean he's only seen it 180 times?' And ['Hoosiers' screenwriter] Angelo Pizzo told me this: He said Steinbrenner has the movie in his private plane and in his houses. And he was taking Lee Iacocca to a meeting in his private plane. And he said, 'Lee, I want you to see this movie.' And Lee says, 'Ehh, what's it about? 'Well, it's about a high school basketball team.' And Iacocca says, 'I don't want to see a movie about a high school basketball team in Indiana.' Supposedly, Steinbrenner said, 'It's my plane, your free ride, so absolutely, we're watching it.'

On the flight back, Lee Iacocca asked whether they could watch the movie again.

Don't Fight and This Will Be Over Quick

2010-04-03T08:16:00.000-07:00

This unsettling image was also in the March, 2010 bon appetit. It's from a slightly overwritten article by Andrew McCarthy, of all people, about trying to find traditional brown soda bread in Ireland.

I feel like I'm in a psych ward, and it's time for an angry bath from the head nurse--which I may or may not enjoy.

Local Shout Out: Loaves & Fishes

2010-04-02T17:20:00.001-07:00

The Vegetable Slaw of Loaves & Fishes in Sagaponack/Bridgehampton was featured in the March, 2010 bon appetit. But, since bon appetit didn't put it online, I can't, either, even though I am holding the magazine at this moment. I will say this: surprise ingredient sugar snap peas trimmed and thinly sliced.

The person asking for the recipe is named Dotson (first name), and he/she spends a week in the Hamptons every spring. No, I will not make a joke that only people named Dotson spend a week in the Hamptons each year.

Trying Out a New Poll Program

2010-03-30T17:13:00.000-07:00

Was asked to help try out a new poll program from www.tallyup.com. Give it a shot.

I Thought My Chocolate Pie was Sandier Than Usual

2010-03-29T13:00:00.000-07:00

Two losers on Long Island were arrested for larceny and for tampering with a consumer product after buying Jell-O pudding boxes, replacing the contents with baggies filled with salt and sand, then returning the boxes for a refund.

Really? You thought this was a good idea? How about this. How about instead of spending all that time and effort on your stupid idea--and getting arrested for it--you spend time figuing out ways to make the $1.20 to buy each box?

New Whole Foods in Lake Grove

2010-03-12T11:20:00.000-08:00

Opening up on March 17. Have heard rumors of this for couple years. Nice to have a Whole Foods close by. Sneak peak on March 15 with food samples, live music, and giveaways. $10 donation will be asked to benefit Long Island Cares.

I remember the first time I went to a Whole Foods. It was in Charlottesville, VA. I was looking for vitamins. The place stank to high heaven, like what the Soylent Green factory ("Soylent green is people!" or something) probably smelled like. I have no idea what caused it, but I haven't smelled it since, thank God.

Headline: Jackass Wants to Ban Salt

2010-03-11T15:35:00.000-08:00

Some idiot New York City Assemblyman has proposed a bill banning NYC restaurants from using salt in preparing food. $1,000 for each violation.

I'm glad our public servants are tackling the tough issues.

Hamptons Restaurant Week March 21 - March 28

2010-03-08T19:14:00.000-08:00

Prix fixe dinners for $19.95 and $24.95. Website here.

Thank you to Lindsey Jaffe at Word Hampton Public Relations who always reminds me of these things, and I occasionally remember to post them on here.

Celebrating 5 years of Occasional Posting

2010-03-06T06:20:00.000-08:00

So it occurs to me that this thing has been around for 5 years. Or just about. Looks like March 20 will be the 5-year mark. I thought I'd better post about it now before I forget.

When I see that, the only thing I can think of is...what a waste of time. Think of all the more productive things I could have done over those last 5 years.

...Oh well. More reviews are coming. I just have to sit down and do them. You know I finally watched Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog. I'm now tempted to do this thing as a video blog.

For now I wanted to say that it looks like food shows are taking over The Travel Channel. You've got Anthony Bourdain's show, which I sometimes watch (the Montana show was great). But lately they've been pushing Man v.Food. So I'm guessing it's becoming popular.

For a while it looked like my Ghost Adventures show might become their leading thing. Not anymore.

BTW, think of the slightly disturbing premise behind Man v. Food: let's see if the fat guy can eat the giant plate of food! So it's a mystery how each show will turn out. It's like "Will Rocky win the big fight?" But, hell, I'll travel around and make a disgusting pig of myself if they pay me to. I'm all over that sh*t.

Peyton Manning Buys His Boys Dinner

2010-02-06T06:17:00.000-08:00

Last Monday Peyton Manning shelled out some big bucks to buy his offense (nearly 25 dudes) dinner at Café Martorano in Miami--looks like a small national chain. The meal was 12 courses, and every guy stuffed himself silly.

We don't know what the bill was, but based on the not-cheap prices on the menu, you can easily figure $200 per person and probably more. $200 x 25 is $5,000, without tax or the 20% gratuity they slam you with for parties of 6 or more.

I guess this guy sells sauce, too. Then menu says, "Do you know why my jarred sauces cost more than the rest?"

Butter Lover: I don't know. Because everything you sell costs more than the rest? I'm talking about you, $38 chicken parm.

Go Colts!

About that dye job comment...

2010-02-04T07:29:00.000-08:00

It is with a heavy heart that I retract my "Sack up, dye job" comment directed to Guy Fieri in the post below. According to cnnsi.com Fieri is predicting the Colts will win:

Super Bowl is gonna rock. Experience is on the Colts side. Not only have they been to the Super Bowl before, but they went through the same routine in Miami. Plus they've got one of the best QBs in the league coming off what may be his best year. Gotta dig the saints and their stellar year, but I think it will be Colts win 33-23.

Here Comes the Super Bowl!

2010-02-03T15:59:00.000-08:00

Happy (I suppose) that the cat fight is over, and the Food Network is back on. And, good for them, they've been showing football-themed shows a lot this week leading up to the beatdown the Colts are going to deliver the Saints Sunday night.

Can't say I'll be making Guy Fieri's Bacon Wrapped Shrimp for the game...Come on, bro. Bra. Broseph. Broheim. Broseph Stalin. Broseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. You're a guy. And your name is Guy. So shame on you twice. It's the Super Bowl, not some Gourmet magazine hoity toity Hamptons party with a bunch of rich snobs. Sack up, dye job.

Did I ever tell you I used to write in obnoxious, sarcastic letters to Gourmet making fun of their stupid dinner party articles? How they always showed a bunch of rich douchers eating some lavish meal no one would ever actually make, on their expensive estates. The women all in their Gucci or Prada outfits or whatever the hell rich women wear. Sadly, my letters never got published.

BTW, rest in peace, Gourmet. I guess I'll have to come up with a new fake quote praising the blog.

Go Colts!

Cat Fight!

2010-01-08T08:10:00.001-08:00

So let's see how the cat fight between Scripps, which owns HGTV and the Food Network, and Cablevision plays out. Apparently Scripps is upping the license fees cable companies have to pay them to broadcast those channels.

Scripps is playing the card that customers will bitch to Cablevision to put those channels back on, or they will switch cable providers. I have no idea if that's happening or if Cablevision is losing customers. Or in many areas there may not be an alternative to Cablevision.

I don't really watch the Food Network a lot these days, so I barely noticed when it went off the air. It seems like every time you turn around there's a new show on, and it isn't very interesting.

Juicy Pears

2010-01-06T11:48:00.000-08:00

So hot secretary kept begging me to try her juicy pears. "You've gotta try my juicy pears," she'd say. "You've got to wrap your mouth around my juicy pears."

I finally gave in. And boy howdy were they sweet and succulent and juicy and a nice handful.

They were, of course, the Harry and David pears, which are ridiculously expensive (normally $37 for 6). We got them at the office just before Christmas.

Hot secretary kept saying,"These are like the best pears ever or something OMG!" Yeah, I guess, but they're just pears. They are pretty juicy. Disturbingly juicy.

Maybe This Will Shut Her Up

2009-11-23T12:41:00.001-08:00

Video of Paula Deen getting smacked in the face with a flying ham.

Actually, I like Paula Deen. In fact I hate when the Barbara Walters types out there attack her for making fattening food.

Getting Milk at Walgreens

2009-11-22T19:50:00.000-08:00

It says homo. Snicker.

Reader: What are you, twelve?

Butter Lover: Yes.

Long Island Restaurant Week Nov. 1 -8

2009-10-26T16:20:00.000-07:00

Hey, I finally checked my email at the right time for this thing! I've partaken of Restaurant Week in the past but am always too late to let people know about it on this site. Below is everything you need to know about it, plus a contest from Dishing On Dining (a pretty cool website, with much more resources than the staff at Long Island Food Blog have):

WHAT: Fourth Annual “Long Island Restaurant Week”
WHERE: Restaurants on Long Island, NY
WHEN: November 1st – 8th, 2009

Fourth Annual Long Island Restaurant Week
November 1st – 8th
Dine at Top Long Island Restaurants at an Affordable Price!

(Long Island, NY . . . October 2009) The Fourth Annual Long Island Restaurant Week (www.longislandrestaurantweek.com) is scheduled to launch Sunday, November 1st through Sunday, November 8th, 2009. The eight-day promotion features a special prix fixe dinner offered by all restaurant participants. The idea is simple: for eight days, Sunday to Sunday, all participating restaurants offer a three-course prix fixe for $24.95 all night, except Saturday when it will be offered only until 7 p.m. Each restaurant offers their own unique menu. So far, 204 restaurants have signed on with new establishments signing up daily.

From West to East
Nassau County: Crabtree’s Restaurant, Jameson’s Bar & Grill and Villa D’Este Restaurant in Floral Park; Burton & Doyle Steakhouse in Great Neck; Caffe Laguna, Coastal Grill, Lola’s Kitchen & Wine Bar, Nick DiAngelo, Sutton Place, and Swingbellys BBQ in Long Beach; La Marmite in Williston Park; La P’tite Framboise and Tava Restaurant and Bar in Port Washington; Sanibel Chophouse in Lynbrook; B.K. Sweeney’s Uptown Grille, Calegero’s, Legal Sea Foods, Rein at The Garden City Hotel, and Seventh Street in Garden City; Uncle Bacala’s in Garden City Park; Besito, Bistro Citron, Poco Loco, and Thyme in Roslyn; Mim’s Restaurant in Roslyn Heights; Sole Restaurant in Oceanside; Gabrielle’s Brasserie & Wine Bar and George Martin The Original in Rockville Centre; Bistro M Restaurant and On 3 Restaurant in Glen Head; Fishermans Catch Restaurant in Point Lookout; E.B. Elliot’s in Freeport; Prime Seasons in Uniondale; Wild Harvest Restaurant in Glen Cove; Nicholas James Bistro, RS Jones and Surf N Turf Mediterranean Grill in Merrick; Chi Dining Lounge and City Cellar Wine Bar and Grill in Westbury; The Carltun, Puglia of Little Italy, and Ruby’s Famous BBQ Joint in East Meadow; Antonette’s Restaurant, Bayou Restaurant, and Cafe Symposio in Bellmore; Peppercorns and West East Bistro in Hicksville; Coolfish, Fulton Prime Fish & Steak House, and Testarossa in Syosset; Butera’s Restaurant of Seaford, Cara Mia Due, and Catfish Max Restaurant in Seaford; Hemingway's American Bar & Grill, Snaps American Bistro, and Thom Thom Steak & Seafood in Wantagh; Il Felice Ristorante in Seaford; Luce Ristorante in East Norwich; Canterbury’s Oyster Bar & Grill, Coach Grill & Tavern, Fiddleheads, and Wild Honey Restaurant in Oyster Bay; HR Singletons in Bethpage; Bistro Cassis and Red Fish Grille in Plainview; Mim’s Restaurant and Rachel’s Cafe in Syosset; Big Daddy’s in Massapequa; La Casuccia, The Library Café, Palmer’s American Grille, and Verona Ristorante in Farmingdale; Butera’s Restaurant of Woodbury and The Delano Mansion at The Woodlands in Woodbury.

Suffolk County: The Bulldog Grille, and Vittorio’s Restaurant in Amityville; Grasso’s in Cold Spring Harbor; Abel Conklins, Besito, Bin 56, Bistro Cassis, Black and Blue Seafood Chophouse, Café Buenos Aires, The Clubhouse, Honu Kitchen and Cocktails, Jonathan’s Ristorante, Mac’s Steakhouse, Osteria Da Nino, Osteria Toscana, Porto Vivo, Red Restaurant, and Rookies Sports Club in Huntington; City Café and Legal Sea Foods in Huntington Station; Four Food Studio and Cocktail Salon in Melville; Argyle Grill & Tavern, Babylon Carriage House, Post Office Café, and Ristorante Gemelli in Babylon; Café Il Villaggio in Babylon Village; P.J. Lobster House and Ruvo Restaurant in Greenlawn; Ludlow Bistro and Popeis Clam Bar in Deer Park; Ciao Baby, Jackson’s Restaurant, and Maize Cantina in Commack; Captain Bills and Tula Kitchen in Bay Shore; Brookwoods in Islip Terrace; Irish Coffee Pub in East Islip; Butera’s Restaurant of Smithtown, Casa Rustica, The Garden Grill, and Union Station in Smithtown; Butterfields Restaurant,The Grill Room, and Pace’s Steak House in Hauppauge; Riverview Restaurant and Snapper Inn in Oakdale; O’s Food and Wine Bar, Villa Sorrento, and Vintage Steak House in Saint James; Bliss and Raga Indian Restaurant in East Setauket; Mamma Lombardi’s in Holbrook; Blackbirds’ Grille, Café Joelle, Cu 29, la Tavola, Oysterman’s Restaurant & Pub, and Popeis Clam Bar in Sayville; Le Soir Restaurant in Bayport; Blue and Bliss Squared in Blue Point; Bella Vita City Grill, Mirabelle Restaurant, Mirabelle Tavern, and Pentimento in Stony Brook; Murtha’s Steak House in Bohemia; The Catch, Costa de Espana, The Fifth Season, Lombardi’s on the Sound, Pasta Pasta, Pace’s Steak House, Ruvo Restaurant, and Wave Restaurant & Lounge at Danfords Hotel & Marina in Port Jefferson; Harbor Crab Co. Restaurant, Lombardi’s on the Bay, The Oar Steak & Seafood Grill, and PeraBell Food Bar in Patchogue; Chachama Grill and South Country Inn in East Patchogue; Avino’s Italian Table, The Bellport, and Porters on the Lane in Bellport; Blond Restaurant in Miller Place; Popei’s Clam Bar in Coram; Mill House Inn in Yaphank; Cooperage Inn in Baiting Hollow; Legends Restaurant in New Suffolk; A Mano and A Touch of Venice Restaurant in Mattituck; The Inn Spot On The Bay and Oakland’s Restaurant & Marina in Hampton Bays; Amarelle, Blackwells Restaurant, Desmond's Restaurant & Lounge, La Plage Restaurant in Wading River; Villa Michelangelo in Manorville; Jerry and The Mermaid, Stonewalls at the Woods, and Tweeds Restaurant in Riverhead; Jamesport Manor Inn and Jedediah Hawkins Inn in Jamesport; Bayview Inn & Restaurant in South Jamesport; Annona, Casa Basso, The Patio at 54 Main, and Westhampton Steakhouse in Westhampton Beach; Stone Creek Inn in East Quogue; MUSE Restaurant & Aquatic Lounge in Water Mill; Pierre’s and Copa Wine and Tapas in Bridgehampton; 75 Main and red/bar brasserie in Southampton; Elbow East, North Fork Table & Inn, and Seafood Barge in Southold; Porto Bello Restaurant and Scrimshaw Restaurant in Greenport; Vine Street Café in Shelter Island; Blue Sky Mediterranean Lounge, Fresno, Oasis Waterfront Restaurant, and Tutto Il Giorno in Sag Harbor; The 1770 House, Café Max, Della Femina, Laundry Restaurant, Matto Restaurant, Michaels’ at Maidstone Beach, Nick & Toni’s, and Rugosa in East Hampton; and Gulf Coast Kitchen at Montauk Yacht Club and Gurney’s Sea Grille in Montauk.

Long Island Restaurant Week is presented by WordHampton Public Relations, the creators of Hamptons Restaurant Week. The event is sponsored in part by Zrii. Media sponsors include EastofNYC.com, liparentsource.com, Long Island Pulse, News 12 Long Island, Newsday, Walk 97.5, DishingonDining.com, Lenndevours.com and SpotonLI.com. The First Annual Long Island Restaurant Week won the SABRE Gold Award Certificate of Excellence and was recognized for its superior achievement in branding and reputation by the leading public relations industry analyst, The Holmes Group. The Second Annual Long Island Restaurant Week garnered the prestigious Big Apple Award in the Marketing Consumer Services, Travel and Tourism/Hospitality sector by the New York Chapter of the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) for excellence in research and situation analysis, planning, execution, results and evaluation.
If your Long Island restaurant would like to participate in this year’s event or to view a current list of participating restaurants, visit www.longislandrestaurantweek.com. For more information about Long Island Restaurant Week, please call (631) 329-0050. For press inquiries, contact the Long Island Restaurant Week Executive Committee at WordHampton Public Relations at (631) 329-0050.

WHAT: Dishing on Dining’s “Biggest Long Island Restaurant Week Fan” Contest
WHERE: DishingonDining.com
WHEN: Deadline for Entries – Sunday, November 8 at Midnight
Winner Announced – Monday, November 9 at Noon

ARE YOU THE BIGGEST LONG ISLAND RESTAURANT WEEK FAN?
Grand Prize is $200 Gift Certificate at Long Island’s Newest Four-Star Restaurant
Mirabelle at Three Village Inn

(Long Island, NY . . . October 2009) Do you love Long Island Restaurant Week? DishingonDining.com announces the “Biggest Long Island Restaurant Week Fan” contest. The grand prize winner will receive a $200 gift certificate for dinner at Long Island’s newest four-star restaurant, Mirabelle Restaurant at the Three Village Inn (150 Main Street, Stony Brook, NY (631) 751-0555 www.threevillageinn.com). Runners up will receive gift certificates to other notable Long Island Restaurants. Entries may be submitted online at www.DishingonDining.com. Tell your story in writing, photos or video. All entries must be received by midnight on Sunday, November 8. Winners will be announced on Monday, November 9 at noon on www.DishingonDining.com.

About Long Island Restaurant Week:
Long Island Restaurant Week, running from Sunday, November 1 through Sunday, November 8, is an eight-day promotion where participating restaurants in Nassau and Suffolk counties offer their own unique $24.95 three-course prix fixe dinners. So far, 190 restaurants have signed on with new establishments signing up daily. To view a current list of participating restaurants, visit www.longislandrestaurantweek.com. Long Island Restaurant Week is presented by WordHampton Public Relations, the creators of Hamptons Restaurant Week. The event is sponsored in part by Zrii. Media sponsors include EastofNYC.com, liparentsource.com, Long Island Pulse, News 12 Long Island, Newsday, Walk 97.5, DishingonDining.com, Lenndevours.com and SpotonLI.com.

About Mirabelle Restaurant:
For 25 years, Chef Guy Reuge and his wife Maria operated Mirabelle in St. James, considered by many discriminating gastronomes to be the very best Long Island has to offer. They now operate Mirabelle and Mirabelle Tavern at Three Village Inn. The all-new Mirabelle combines innovative French/American cuisine, superb presentation and world-class ambiance. The restaurant garnered a four-star rating from Peter Gianotti of Newsday and four-and-a-half stars from Long Island Pulse reviewer Richard Scholem, the former New York Times food critic. Gianotti commends, “The reborn Mirabelle, haute in cuisine and refined in style, improves on the original and in a handsome, serene setting.” Meanwhile Scholem declares, “There are many excellent restaurants on Long Island—none are better than Mirabelle.”

About DishingonDining.com:
Long Island’s newest resource of food news, DishingonDining.com, provides the island’s foodies with up to date information on restaurants across the Island. Everything from food news, dining deals and foodie events to holiday happenings and celebrity sightings, DishingonDining.com offers breaking news for some of the Island’s top restaurant openings. DishinginDining.com’s blog “Steve’s Sense” offers insight and dining experiences of restaurant publicist Steve Haweeli as he dines around Long Island.

For more information about Long Island Restaurant Week or this contest, please call (631) 329-0050 or visit www.DishingonDining.com. For press inquiries, contact the Long Island Restaurant Week Executive Committee at WordHampton Public Relations at (631) 329-0050.

Lindsey Jaffe, Account Executive and Emerging Media Specialist
WordHampton Public Relations Inc.
512 Three Mile Harbor Rd.
East Hampton, NY 11937

Office (631) 329-0050
Cell (631) 804-4983

lindsey@wordhampton.com
www.wordhampton.com

http://www.facebook.com/lejaffe
http://twitter.com/LindseyJaffe
http://www.linkedin.com/in/lindseyjaffe

Grilling Tip

2009-09-09T17:37:00.000-07:00

...that I discovered late in the summer. If you have a charcoal grill (I'm a charcoal man) that has grates you can raise and lower, and a front gate sort of thing, like above, instead of using starter fluid to get the charcoals going, use newspaper. Keep feeding newspapers in that open area under the grates until you feel heat coming from the coals. You'll get a fire going faster, and probably the less starter fluid you use, the better.

Second, slightly more stupid tip. I was playing around like an idiot and stuck a piece of cold pizza in that open area after the coals got going. Holy shnert! It's like a crazy hot broiler and oven in there. So it was pretty cool.

Review: Tuscany

2009-08-29T12:26:00.000-07:00

I am PISSED OFF at Todd English for this pathetic, shitty, rip off of a meal. Seriously. Totally pissed off.

Tuscany is, I guess, the centerpiece restaurant at Mohegan Sun. Like literally a centerpiece. It's inside a big waterfall there.

That thing is fn loud, so I don't know why anyone would want to sit at these outside tables, but whatever. We ate inside where it was dark and quiet.

We had seen the tasting/wine pairing menu online, and that sounded interesting, so we got that. In fact I was really looking forward to it. This meal was going to be the highlight of the trip for me. Celebrity chef, Mohegan Sun, high rollers, lots of cash flying around. Surely the restaurant would be good, right?

Nope.

There were 4 courses: (1) Caprese salad; (2) seared salmon over chickpeas; (3) beef tenderloin topped with sauteed onions and red peppers; and (4) a "fallen" chocolate cake for dessert.

The food was bow-ring, mediocre, and underseasoned. And the portions were tiny. Holy shit. It was like a lunch tasting menu. Hey, Groucho, if you're gonna serve portions that size, make sure the tasting menu is 17 courses or something, like at Maroni Cuisine.

What is especially annoying is that the a la carte dishes looked HUGE. Some chick next to us got the filet mignon, and it was the size of her head. Our filets were small and flat and shaped like a hamburger. What the f*ck is that?

The stupid onions and red peppers made the dish taste like something from Lean Cuisine. Know what I mean? Lean Cuisine puts red peppers on everything to give the bland food some kind of flavor since they can't use fat.

And those assholes really skimped on the wine. Each glass was about two sips. For the entire meal we got the equivalent of one decent-sized glass of wine each and had to pay $35 a piece for it. The food was $47 a piece.

We should have ordered a la carte and bought two bottles of wine. At least then we would've gotten our money's worth.

Normally the crap fest that we had would earn this place 2 out of 5 stars. But because the meal was such a rip off, the restaurant is getting 0 stars.

That's right, Todd English, 0 stars. So screw you and your shitty restaurant and your giant Groucho eyebrows.

Review: Mystic Pizza

2009-08-22T14:42:00.001-07:00

I've never seen the movie. Only about 5 mins. of it, probably. But this place is famous because of the movie, so when the wife and I were in the area we had to stop here.

Mystic is split into different sections. There's the stupid, touristy Old Mistick Village, which is completely phony and just a bunch of shops that have nothing to do with the area's history. (So, of course we spent like an hour there.)

There's Mystic Seaport to the south, which is on the water, and you have to pay $24 per adult to get into.

Then there's the downtown area of regular, old Mystic to the south and west, where Mystic Pizza is.

It's kind of a boring, gray building on the corner of a street. Nothing that would catch your eye. Inside, there is a decent-sized eating area, which is nice. We didn't eat there, just got take out from the counter.

The employees were very nice. And they have to deal with idiots like us all day long. A waitress took a picture of a family eating in one of the booths.I know what you're thinking, and no, I didn't ask any stupid questions about the movie.

We ordered a large half plain/half Grecian pizza. The crust is thick and bready. It reminds me of a Pizza Hut pan pizza, but with a softer crust. The cheese even looks the same. There is a pleasant hint of garlic, and I thought I tasted some Parmesan.

The Grecian part was awful. The wife wanted it. Lots of olives, some feta, some hot peppers. Yuck. She loved it though.

We were there on a nice, sunny Saturday in the summer. So the area was packed silly. We just parked by the bank across the street and were in and out fast.

4 out of 5 stars (for pizza)

Mystic Pizza

56 West Main Street

Mystic, CT

Connecticut Food Bloggin

2009-08-16T05:47:00.000-07:00

Spent the day up in Mystic and Mohegan Sun yesterday. We stopped at a couple places to eat, most notably Mystic Pizza and Todd English's Tuscany (at Mohegan Sun). I have a lot to say (esp. about Tuscany), so I'll be blogging about those as restaurant reviews.

Highlights: coming out $130 ahead on the stupid slots and watching Night Ranger sing Sister Christian in the casino theater.

How Stupid is This?

2009-08-14T07:27:00.000-07:00

From time to time I'll check the links on my page to see if they're still current. Not as often as I should, considering the life spans of restaurants.

Today I checked on the Newsday: Dining link. Of course the page has moved again like it does every year. So screw you, Newsday, I'm tired of updating your link. I couldn't care less if people find your stupid restaurant section or not. Besides, I like DOD better.

Anyway, when I got to the current link and read their blog (cough, hack) I saw that some restaurant in Westbury was hosting a dinner with dishes "inspired" by Mario Batali. And Batali wasn't even going to be there. (BTW, I'm told that that particular restaurant is overpriced and not great.)

Are you f*cking kidding me? How lame is that? It's one thing to do that for a famous dead chef. But for one that's still alive and still (more or less) young? And who wasn't even going to be there? Lame ass.

Curse of the Normandie Inn

2009-08-13T11:13:00.000-07:00

All right this is really "Mystery of the Normandie Inn Pt. 2." I didn't think of "curse" until the other day. Otherwise I would've used it for the first post. I like "curse" better.

After my first post I was talking to some people about the place. They all seem to think (1) it's cursed; and (2) it's older than the 1920's.

A lot of people have heard that the Normandie Inn is cursed. That everyone who owns it has tragedy strike them or their families, etc. They've heard about the haunting, too.

I'm told that in the 70's and 80's the place was a hangout for bikers. I don't know why. Seems like a pretty gay place for bikers to hang out.

Supposedly some bikers who liked to go there would end up dying, either in the area or some place else. I guess the others caught on that the place was bad luck and stopped going there. Then the place became a mainstream restaurant again until it shut its doors in late '03.

And look some interior decorators bought the place in 2004. When the contractors were ready to go in and renovate, the two knight statues were stolen. Five years later the new owners still haven't been able to move in. Is this the curse at work?

Also everyone I talked to thinks the building is much older than was reported in the LIBN article, which said it dates back to the 1920's. But another LIBN article (May 27, 1996--not available online for free), a restaurant review actually, puts it back in the 1800's:

The curious-looking stucco building at the intersection of Lakeland and Smithtown Aves, in Bohemia has been a landmark site since the late 1800s. Here, the oldest building in Bohemia once stood, providing a stopping off point for, so the lore goes, rum runners on a NYC to Montauk run, and Manhattan, Chicago, and LA celebrities to drink and dine during prohibition.

Besides, think of the timelines. It was supposedly built as a house for a Czech baron in the 1920's, but it was also a speakeasy during prohibition, and Rudolph Valentino slept there?

Well Prohibition was from 1919 to 1933. And Rudolph Valentino died in 1926. The timelines don't make sense. If it was built in the 1920's as a residence, Czechy boy sure didn't live there long. So it's probably a lot older than that. I suppose somebody could pull a building permit or certificate of occupancy from the Town of Islip and check.

On another note, for a while Ritchie Blackmore of Deep Purple used to play Renaissance music there. Below are some pics showing the interior of the place with Blackmore and his band. They are supposedly from November, 2000. The hot-ass blonde is Blackmore's wife.

Normandie Inn, the mystery deepens.

Mystery of the Normandie Inn

2009-08-08T07:12:00.000-07:00

Anyone who travels through the Bohemia area knows this place off of Lakeland Avenue, right? That kind of weird mansion, tiny castle looking, thing. It's a great building, full of nooks and crannies in the architecture.

I really don't know much about this place. I never ate there. It's been boarded up for years.

An article in Long Island Business News gives a good history. It was built as a residence for a Czech baron in the 1920's, then it was a speakeasy during prohibition, became a hotel, etc.

According to these postings it closed at the end of 2003. One poster (Nick) is probably Nick Campitiello, one of the current owners, id'd in the LI Business News article.

The restaurant isn't listed in an old 2000/2001 Long Island Zagats that I still have around. This website describes the kind of food that was served:

About: Normandie Inn is an upscale restaurant that focuses on and serves French, Italian and American foods. Expect the average entree to cost between $12 and $20.

And the place may be haunted by the ghost of a Maria, who was strangled there. I love that, of course.

The building has been sold to an interior design company, but they obviously haven't moved in yet. I think I'd rather see it as a restaurant.

Cool, narrated slide show by LI Business News.

More pics by moi:

Normandie Inn, I'm sorry I missed you when you were still up and running.

Kitchen Kabaret

2009-08-02T10:13:00.000-07:00

Found this place in Bay Shore a couple weeks ago. It's unusual. I would call it an upscale grocery/gourmet store.

I guess. Mostly it's food stations (pizza/Italian, sushi, bakery, deli, coffee, and whatever else they have). The kind you'd see in a lot of grocery stores (except for pizza/Italian)--but without a lot of groceries around them. Or something.

Think of cocktail hour at a swanky wedding. With some groceries.

I'm sure the people there can explain it better.

It's tiny. At least the Bay Shore one. There's another store in Roslyn Heights. Don't know how big that one is.

We've tried a few things. The pasta is decent, not great. Very cheesy and mushy, of course--it's been sitting around for hours. The cupcakes and cannoli are pretty good. Lately my wife has been getting the small, layered mousse cakes every weekend.

Pickies:

Pizza/Italian Station

Center of Store

Kitchen Kabaret

87 Saxon Ave.

Bay Shore, NY 11706

Mario Batali's Other Job

2009-07-26T11:07:00.001-07:00

Why didn't I see this before? For the last 6 years Mario Batali has been moonlighting as an actor, playing Berta, the fat, cranky, sarcastic maid on Two and Half Men.

I dare you, DARE you to prove me wrong:

Man that guy is huge.

Review: Mojo's Express Grill

2009-07-25T11:14:00.001-07:00

"We have Chinese restaurant. No business. Too many Chinese restaurant. What do stupid American want?"

[Thinking]

"Stupid American want taco. Stupid American want French fry. We make new restaurant. Taco, French fry!"

And so was born Mojo's...Though I'm probably pretty far off.

Mojo's is a Mexican place next to Wal-Mart in Islandia, off Vets Highway. Mojo's looks like a Chinese place. It has a Chinese-style paper menu. Chinese-style price listings behind the counter. And it's run by Chinese people. But it serves Mexcan food.

And for some reason most of the combo meals come with French fries. And and the place sells hot dogs!

How can Butter Lover not love a place like this? Well, because it sucks.

Trust me, I want to root for a Mexican place that is run by Chinese people and serves fries and hot dogs and wings and a lot of other crap that doesn't make any sense. I love that. I want to root for this place, but the food just isn't any good. At least the Mexican stuff.

I've been there a few times. First a couple years ago, again a few days ago. On the most recent trip I got the taco combo with fries and the nachos grande with grilled chicken and cheese.

The tacos were OK. Very Old El Paso, home-made tasting.

The nachos were aw-ful. First, they crammed the nachos into one of those styrofaom Chinese food boxes, so the chips steamed inside and got soft. Second, the cheese sauce was bland, and the nachos were drowning in it. I'm sure the nachos would have been better without it. The black beans looked gross.

Believe it or not, the best thing was the fries, after I threw some salt on them at home. Crispy and not bad. Probably dredged in corn starch.

Poor Mojo's. I want to root for them, but I'm not a fan.

Pics:

Interior shot (don't know the ppl-but this does answer the question

"do chicks grow up to look like their moms?"...that butt is starting to get a little big)

Taco combo with fries and nachos

2 1/2 out of 5 stars

Mojo's

1826 Vets Hwy

Islandia, NY 11749

Consultant for Hire

2009-07-21T09:10:00.000-07:00

Something I was thinking about when I posted my review of Island BBQ & Grille (which I was reminded of by the comments) was that it would be so easy to improve the food there.

Cooking ribs is all about technique. And it takes time to do it right. I can't guarantee there would be more business, but at least the food would be better and more authentic, and people like me would give it better reviews.

So, Butter Lover is offering his services as a consultant for hire to any restaurant owners who wonder if they are serving the best food or could improve the quality of their food. If there are any takers, shoot me an email at longislandfoodblog@yahoo.com.

File This Under: WTF Were You Thinking?

2009-07-18T10:11:00.000-07:00

As I've said before, one of my favorite food programs is Colameco's Food Show. Good inside info.

I was watching the episode the other day and saw this:

What the f*ck is that thing on his face? Why would he possibly think it looks good?

He looks like one of those guys who stand outside elementary school playgrounds in an overcoat, asking if the kids can guess what's in his pocket. Get rid of that thing!

Review: Out of the Park Burgers

2009-07-11T08:10:00.000-07:00

Went to the Def Leppard/Poison/Cheap Trick concert at Jones Beach the other day, which was great. For a pre-concert meal we hit Out of the Park Burgers in Central Islip. I guess the idea of this place is that you get food there and take it to Citibank Park for a Ducks game. They put all the food in brown paper bags.

The food is average and overpriced. Like Bobby Flay's burger place they sell everything separately so they can bend you over and screw you. A single burger with cheese is $2.99. A double with cheese is $3.99. Fries are $1.99 (I think) and onion rings are $2.49. You have to ask for ketchup, which they hide in little plastic containers behind the counter.

The burgers are OK. The onion rings are crunchy but bland (and there aren't many). The chicken sandwiches are decent. The wings ($4.99) suck. The menu is pretty basic. Besides the stuff I mentioned, there are hot dogs, chipotle burgers, a couple salads.

The food isn't terrible (over all), but there isn't much for the price. We all ate our food, which was $28 and change for 3 of us, then asked each other "Did we just eat?" Because it sure didn't feel like it. So we spent another $28 or something for a second round and finally got filled up.

I think the building used to be a Starbucks. So there isn't a lot of room to sit inside. There are a couple tables outside. But, again, I think the idea is you take the food to a game.

Pics:

One round of food

Interior shot

Postscript. The concert was awesome. I took some pics and videos just for memories. But in the middle of Hysteria one of the loser event staff told me to put my phone away (not like a thousand other people weren't doing the same thing). Yeah, I'm gonna sell my short, crappy cell-phone videos for a million bucks. So just for that I'm posting a video of Poison singing Fallen Angel:

2 1/2 out of 5 stars (for fast food)

Out of the Park Burgers

(What I'm calling the) Target Shopping Center on Carleton Avenue

Central Islip, NY

The Best Nachos on Long Island--Review: California Cactus Cafe

2009-07-04T11:49:00.001-07:00

IMO the best nachos on Long Island are from a Mexicano place in a little, crappy strip mall in Bohemia. The California Cactus Cafe.

The California Cactus Cafe is like a lot of the small, non-chain, Mexican places on Long Island--they have an open kitchen, so you can see them cook and put the food together. Most, if not all, of the stuff is made on-site and fresh.

The burritos ($6.75 to $8.25) are good and typical of those small, better Mexican places. The wife loves the tropical chicken wrap ($8.25) and the portabella chicken grill ($8.95).

The tamales (chicken) ($6.95), which they run out of sometimes, are all right. They're kind of bland and soggy when you get them but are better the next day after they've dried out a bit. At least they are fresh tamales (as far as I know).

But the best thing about the place is the nacho platter with chicken ($6.99). The chicken is shredded and mixed in a thick red chili sauce. The nachos come with refried beans, jalapenos, salsa, sour cream (yuck), and a cheese sauce--which I don't think you need, but the wife likes it. Put the nachos with chicken on your lap, open a cold beer, and you're set.

Some pics:

Nachos with chicken

Tamales

Bad picture of the portabella chicken grill

4 out of 5 stars (for Mexican)

California Cactus Cafe

3320 Vets Hwy

Bohemia

Seascape Follow Up

2009-06-28T08:19:00.000-07:00

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

2009-06-20T14:49:00.000-07:00

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

2009-06-20T09:47:00.000-07:00

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

2009-06-16T11:06:00.000-07:00

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

2009-06-02T11:58:00.000-07:00

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.

Flowering Chives

2009-05-30T05:55:00.000-07:00

An herb garden is a nice thing to have. Fresh herbs at a supermarket are usually OK. And it's easier to get parsley and cilantro there than to grow them or cut them. But rosemary and sage, for instance, are much better grown yourself and cut fresh.

Each year the first herb that's ready always seems to be chives. They've been ready for a while now, in my garden, and they've already gone to flower. Which is bad. Here is a pic of my chives:

(No, I don't know why the bottom part is out of focus. I'm trying to figure it out.)

The point of all this is that my flowering chives remind me of something Alan Harding said on his short-lived Cookin' in Brooklyn, if anyone remembers that thing. I forget what the recipe was, but one of the ingredients was "flowering chives."

Well, as anyone who grows chives knows, once the chives go to flower, the leaves (what you eat) become woody and flavorless. It's like eating straw. So I don't get the point of having that as an ingredient unless you don't know what you're talking about and are trying to make your recipe sound more exotic. Like having orange blossom water or some shit. Give me a f*cking break.

This isn't the only dumb thing Harding said. See here. Not that I didn't like the guy. His recipes didn't really do much for me, and he seemed like a weird dude, but nice enough.

Review: Takara

2009-05-23T12:19:00.000-07:00

This is a Japanese/sushi place in the strip mall on Vets Highway in Islandia, just off Exit 57 of the Big L.I.E. It's usually packed for lunch. I've eaten in there a couple times, and it's nice inside--though pretty dim. But mostly we get take out. (I remember being in there for lunch a few years ago and not being thrilled with their lunch selections.)

The spicy calamari appetizer is spicy. Their tempura is average/good. The wife loves their red bean fried ice cream. But the ginger salad dressing is nothing to get excited about. Nor is the miso soup with tofu. Yuck.

The best thing about this place is that the sushi is generally pretty good (read: fresh) and is a decent price--for sushi, that is, which is always a rip off. Always. It's just one of those things you have to accept in life.

The hand roll special comes in big, long pieces of nori. So it's kind of a pain to eat. I've tried cutting them into individual pieces, and I have good, sharp knives, but apparently I have no idea what I'm doing. So it didn't work out.

The best sushi deal in town, though, is their sushi deluxe ($16). I get it each time we go there. It's a California roll, with another type of big roll, with something like 8 or 10 pieces of sashimi (I forget). It will fill you up. Other places (read: Kotobuki) would charge $30 for that.

Now the bad part...I got the take out last week (normally it's the wife). Inside were three or four waitresses, standing around, who were completely clueless and had rotten, shitty attitudes. And because they annoyed me, I am giving Takara 1 star. So suck on that, bitches.

1 star (that's right)

Takara

1708 Vets Highway

Islandia, NY 11749
(631) 348-9470

Best Rotisserie Chickens

2009-05-02T08:27:00.000-07:00

I like those pre-cooked rotisserie chickens you get at supermarkets. They're usually around $7 to $8, and you can good 4 or 5 cheap, high protein, low carb meals out of them. For those of you who care about low carb crap, which I do.

Let's start with the worst ones: Stop & Shop and King Kullen. The chickens at these places are always bland, overcooked, dry, and soggy and gross on the bottom. Yes, the chicken is at once dry and watery. Nice combo. The problem is that, since these stores are all over the place, I normally get the chickens at one of them since it's more convenient. And I don't care what flavors they come up with--BBQ, Bourbon, etc. They all suck.

A better one, believe it or not, is from BJ's. The chicken is not overcooked and for some reason seems to taste better overall. It's also cheaper--around $4 or $5 if I remember.

But the best is from Whole Foods in Jericho. The chickens are juicy and, again, seem to have a better flavor, all over, than the Stop & Shop and King Kullen chickens. Also, Whole Foods actually seasons them. And whatever they do (packaging or who knows what), the chickens are not soggy on the bottom. Maybe beause they don't sit in a puddle of chicken juice like the Stop & Shop and King Kullen versions.

Review: Irish Coffee Pub

2009-04-25T07:24:00.000-07:00

Went here last week with a buddy and his wife for dinner and drinks. At one point this place was the big lunch hang out for lawyers and judges in the Central Islip area. But since they shipped a lot of the Supreme Court judges out to Riverhead a few years ago, I don't know if that's still true.

I've been to this place a couple times over the years, so I've tried a few things on the menu. The fish and chips are good. So is the Shepherd's Pie.

The other night we just sat at the bar and had appetizers. The French Onion Soup was tasty. But they use mozarella cheese (I think), so you have to break it off in big, gooey chunks to eat it. My other dish was Escargots Bourguignonne--snails in a salty, garlicky broth. And tucked into mushroom caps in this case. They were OK. Kind of bland. I mostly tasted the broth and mushrooms.

The other two also had the soup. One had a Caesar salad, which she said didn't have vinegar in the dressing, which is good to know. My buddy had the Clams Casino Royale. He liked it. I did observe that the clams were tiny and were covered in bacon. I'd imagine the bacon overpowered the clams.

And by the way, on the subject of "Clams Casino Royale"--first, what kind of stupid name is that? Is that a James Bond reference? If so, then the bartender should have known what a Vesper martini is, which I ordered. But he didn't. Even after I explained what it was. So I just had a Bud on tap. And he was an old timer. He should have known better. Swing and a miss you mick bastards. (Since I'm part Irish I can say things like that.)

The place is nice inside, as you can see. Here's the bar:

A lot of the stuff on the dinner menu is $20 and up. But they did have a dinner menu special, with five or six things under 10 bucks or close to it. We were keeping it casual.

3 out of 5 stars (would have gotten 3 1/2 if I'd had my martini)

Irish Coffee Pub
131 Carleton Ave.
East Islip, NY 11730

Zagat, Go Screw Yourself

2009-03-21T10:35:00.000-07:00

Got an email from zagat that they've just come out with their World's Top Hotels, Resorts & Spas guide.

Are you f*cking kidding me? Who f*cking cares? People are just trying to get by these days. So, hey zagat, how about this year you don't release your stupid guide, you clueless assholes?

The only people who can even afford to go to these places are those pricks at AIG who are getting huge bonuses, paid by you and me, for running their company into the ground. And this guide is just about as tasteless as that fiasco.

Show some class, douches.

Rachel Ray Pics

2009-03-07T08:57:00.000-08:00

So I learned this week that Rachel Ray posed for FHM back in 2003. How did I not know about this before?

As I've said in the past, while I can't stand her now, I used to be a fan. But these days she is just waaaaayyyyy overexposed. Enough already. Seriously. (BTW, is bringing up the FHM thing from 6 years ago just a way to pick up the sagging ratings for her stupid talk show? It has to be, right?)

So, if you haven't seen them, below are some of the pics, before Ray became the piglet she is now. What a dirty, little slut. In other words, NICE. As James Bond said in On Her Majesty's Secret Service, I'm feeling "[j]ust a slight stiffness coming on."*

*According to the Wikipedia article on the movie, Bond's line was voted the "Rudest Ever Moment in Any Film." So of course I have to quote it here.

Review: Asian Moon

2009-03-01T08:38:00.000-08:00

Asian Moon is one of those places on Franklin Ave (where I'm hanging out these days) that probably gets 90% of its business from the lunchtime crowds who work nearby. Those Morgan Stanley folks have to eat somewhere I guess. (BTW, their parking lot was packed, PACKED on President's Day! Go home already!)

And because I work nearby, we get lunch from there probably once a week. They have an extensive menu, but we normally order from the "Lunch Specials" section. The entree comes with soup or salad and rice unless you get a noodle dish.

Just about everything I've had there is pretty good: lo mein; sesame chicken; General Tsao's chicken; chow fun; pad thai; and some other things I don't remember. Other people really like the salmon dish and the chicken with mango. Their wanton soup doesn't have that dark, morning pee pee look you see from other places. And the wantons are soft and delicate, not those thick, heavy, lumps of dough. The salad with ginger dressing is good but not great. The hot secretary at our office loves their hot and sour soup and says it's the best she's had. I tried it once but thought it was the most heinous, godawful thing I'd ever tasted.

The only bad experience I've had (besides the hot and sour soup) was the Chow Fun. It tasted fine but didn't sit too well with me afterwards, and I had to make a few trips to the john that afternoon. This could have been totally unrelated, of course.

I made a joke about it to the hot secretary. It went something like this:

Me: So I had the Chow Fun. Turns out it was no fun at all. (Pause for laughter)

Hot Secretary: Get the f*ck away from me.

So the restaurant is a step up from the typical dirty, shitty Chinese places you see all over Long Island. The lunch specials are generally around $7 to $8. Other things on the menu are a little more.

3 out of 5 stars

Asian Moon

825 Franklin Ave.
Garden City, NY 11530

The Horseman Restaurant

2009-02-14T08:16:00.000-08:00

Should have posted about this a while ago, but what can I tell you? Just before Halloween last fall we took the kiddies up to Sleepy Hollow to give them the full Halloween experience. Or at least that was the plan. I'm pretty sure they didn't care too much.

So we went up there, bought some crap in the gift shop at the Philipsburg Manor thing, walked around the cemetery at the Old Dutch Church for a while, then headed back into town for lunch. As we were driving we saw The Horseman restaurant and decided to stop. It's on the main street there (North Broadway).

Come on. Something called The Horseman? In Sleepy Hollow? Yes, it's gimmicky to attract loser tourists like me, but I'm a sucker for something like that. I have to stop at a place called The Horseman in Sleepy Hollow. I have to. Some things in life cannot be avoided.

The place is just a diner, but the food wasn't bad. We got "the Horseman Appetizer" (I told you I'm a sucker), which is cheese sticks, a potato skin, chicken tenders, and chicken wings. The wife had a chicken souvlaki wrap, and I had a hamburger with cheese, mushrooms, bacon, and onions. The kids had pizza. After tax and tip it was around $50. Not horrible.

It was a good time. Halloween. Headless horsemen. Sleepy Hollow. I love that shit. I love all that ghost shit. The reason is I'm not sure there's anything beyond this life, and I want to know if there is. So I watch all those ghost hunting shows, read stuff on the internet, the whole thing. Can't get enough of it. But that's for another time.

276 N Broadway

Sleepy Hollow, NY 10591

SB Follow-Up

2009-02-07T06:54:00.000-08:00

So, the food was fine. I hate all the prep work for the stuff I made, though. Pain in the ass.

The only problem is that, at times like this, I want to make a fat pig of myself and eat and eat and drink and drink and pass out and wake up a few days later. But I was full and about to puke before halftime. So that sucked.

More importantly, ladies and gentlemen, can we please have a Super Bowl where the refs don't hand the game to the Steelers, as has happened before? Holmes did not get both feet down on that supposed TD catch:

Then, after the non-catch, why wasn't Holmes flagged for excessive celebration, which would have made the Steelers kick at the 15?

And please explain why the 12-4 Colts, who beat the Steelers in Pittsburgh, had to play at 8-8 San Diego just because the Chargers were the least pathetic team in a pathetic division? You win your division, fine, you get into the playoffs. But that should not get you a home game.

Super Bowl Eatin'

2009-02-01T07:40:00.000-08:00

I'm gonna break with my usual rule that I don't post about meals that I cook myself. Because who cares?

But it's Super Bowl Sunday, so I'll pass along what we're doing tonight for what it's worth.

Last year it was traditional, breaded chicken wings, philly cheese steaks on an Italian flatbread thing, and I don't remember what else. Probably nachos with salsa.

That stuff was a big hit, and the wife (yes I watch the Super Bowl with the family, like a loser) wanted the same thing this year. But I can't do repeats the very next year.

I am repeating the wings because one of my kiddies likes them. The recipe is a heavily doctored version of a recipe from the Dean and Deluca cookbook, which I've had forever.

I wanted ribs this time, but the wife didn't. So I'll be making small pizzas with fontina cheese, sausage (no disgusting fennel), shiitake mushrooms, and fresh thyme if any is surviving in my herb garden. Those are from a recipe in Gourmet probably 4 or 5 years ago.

I'll also make spinach and artichoke dip. That stuff's easy--throw an Italian cheese blend into a bechamel and add the artichokes and cooked spinach. Maybe you want to brown it a little in the oven, too. My only advice is don't use canned artichokes. They put acid in there to preserve them and keep them from turning brown (I guess), and you can never get rid of that flavor.

Go Cards!

Review: The Palm Court at the Carltun

2009-01-17T11:31:00.001-08:00

This is a half review since I've only had lunch there. And it wasn't even with the wife, so I couldn't try anyone else's stuff. But everyone liked the food a lot.

In Zagat's this place always gets great decor ratings (usually finishing #1) but not as good food ratings. I think it's the opposite. There's really not much to The Palm Court restaurant. It's just a big, open, rectangular room. Whoop de do. But my meal was pretty good.

The appetizer was lobster bisque, which was tasty and sweet. They can get fishy pretty easily.

My entree was a "mini" Beef Wellington, which was also good. My only complaint was that instead of foie gras they give you a whole porcini mushroom (what the waiter said), and it just kind of sits there on the plate, out of place. And it was watery, so it was probably out of a can. Blegh.

Dessert was flourless chocolate cake. It was fine. Those are hard to screw up.

So, the dining room itself is pretty boring. I don't know what people love about it. I went with kind of a regular, so we got to walk around. There are some intersting rooms, as you can see on the Carltun's website. The dining room just isn't one of them. You can get a table in the wine cellar

and sit in one of the giant chairs like a big, fat king:

BTW, the wine cellar is not as big as it looks in the pic.

4 out of 5 stars

The Palm Court at the The Carltun
Eisenhower Park
East Meadow, New York 11554
(516) 542-0700

Review: Bobby's Burger Palace

2008-07-29T10:50:00.000-07:00

We grabbed a meal at the recently opened Bobby's Burger Palace at the Smithaven Mall before catching The Dark Knight.

The set-up is a little weird. You go in, stand in line, make your order, pay for your food before you actually see it; then you are handed a number, and you go sit down and wait for your food to be brought out. There aren't a lot of tables. A lot of the seats are part of a long, winding counter. I don't know what kind of ambience Flay was trying to create with that, but it doesn't work.

There are 10 burgers. Some are creative but didn't appeal to me: Napa Valley Burger (goat cheese, watercress, meyer lemon honey mustard) and L.A. Burger (avacado relish, watercress, cheddar cheese)for example.

I had the Philadelphia Burger (provolone cheese, griddled onions, hot peppers). My wife had the Santa Fe Burger (queso sauce, roasted green chiles [actually they were jalapenos out of a jar], and blue corn chips crumbled on top). The burgers were good, not great. They were $7.50 each, like 9 out of 10 of the burgers, and came by themselves.

They are not as big as you'd think for the price. They're about the size of a typical supermarket pre-formed hamburger.

Sides like fries are extra. Fries are $2.50, and onion rings are $3.00. The fries were all right, even though crinkle cut, which I hate. The onion rings were not great. Kind of bland. They worked better with the dipping sauce you get with the fries.

Drinks are also extra. My wife had a beer ($3.50), and I had a Sprite ($2.00). You can get a frozen margarita ($4.50) or a glass of wine ($4.50), which is interesting.

The food was good/decent. Overpriced but decent. My wife doesn't want to go back.

It's hard to give this place a star rating. It's really just fast food. But I'll say 2 1/2 out of 5.

Bobby's Burger Palace
355 Smith Haven Mall
Lake Grove, NY
631-382-9590

Bobby's Burger Palace

2008-07-15T14:31:00.001-07:00

So if anyone has been waiting for my comments on this (though I can't imagine there is anyone), here it is. Yes, I was aware of it. But this is the first chance I've had to say anything.

So Bobby Flay has opened a burger place, Bobby's Burger Palace, at the Smithaven Mall. And that's kind of cool, huh? Big celeb chef, burger joint in Suffolk County?

God knows I likes my burgers. So I'll try the place soon. Though when the wife and I are in the area she only cares about the Cheesecake Factory or the California Pizza Kitchen. Yawn.

One thing of interest. Flay is using 80% lean beef. Holy shnit! I know you need some fat for flavor and so that the burgers stay together, but 20%? I guess he knows what he's doing.

I was around there last Friday, but at John Harvard's, with a buddy, trying their hideous beer tasting thing. The only food we had was nachos--no protein of any kind in them, like chicken or beef, BTW.

The Newsday article shows Flay's giant Irish head in your face:

Better than his giant man boobs.

Local Potatoes

2008-07-15T14:12:00.000-07:00

Did anyone have a clue that people grew potatoes in Mattituck? They do! Then they cut them up real thin like and fry them and call them North Fork Potato Chips!

That was a lame introduction to North Fork Potato Chips, which is apparently a growing Long Island business. I get mine from Papa's Farm (a farm stand and nursery) on Connetquot Avenue in Central Islip (the subject of a future post). But I've seen them in King Kullens here and there.

OK, these aren't the greatest chips I've ever had. And the saltiness tends to be inconsistent among the types, and even in the same bag. Some chips get curled up, and it can be an f'n salt explosion. But they are a local product, so that's cool. My favorite is the Cheddar & Onion.