Block Island Highlights: Here and There, Block Island, RI

As we neared the end of our 2-week Staycation, it was time for a change of scenery.  Block Island seemed an ideal choice.  For those of you who have never been or don’t know, Block Island is a small island (obv.) off the coast of Rhode Island.  Accessible only by boat or plane, we chose to travel there via high-speed ferry from Montauk.   A quick 1-hour trip helped get us into vacation-mode and we hit the dock running.  We packed in as much as we could in our 2 days.  Here are the highlights (and lowlights):

Eating

I wouldn’t say that eating was the main purpose of the trip, but we were lucky to have some terrific meals during our stay.

-          Rebecca’s Takeout:  Our first stop. Picnics tables are de rigeur here.  JB had the tasty, but small lobster roll.  My grilled tuna sandwich was super-fresh, although not as rare as I would have preferred.  JB decided to go for another round and had the popular and delicious – buffalo chicken finger sandwich.  That’s right, he went from a lobster roll to a chicken finger sandwich.  And, believer it or not, it was an awesome move.  The servers claim that it is popular both late night and for breakfast.  I understand why; it is a winning combination. 

435 Water Street, Old Harbor

401.466.5411

-          Blocks of Fudge:  For me any beach vacation needs to involve fudge.  JB and I came to this small candy shop on our last visit to Block Island in 2000 and we both still remembered it.  The proprietor is a character and put up with our antics as we picked out 5 different fudge flavors for our sampler 1 ¼ lb. box.  Snickers was far and away the best flavor followed by a tie with plain chocolate and cookie dough.  JB loved the maple walnut and neither of us cared much for the Oreo. 

459 Chapel St, Old Harbor

401.466.5196

-          Hotel Manisses: We decided to splurge on a nice dinner, it was vacation after all. But we had no idea that we would have such a fine dining experience.  The Hotel Manisses is an older hotel, slightly up the hill from the center of town.  I was expecting to have some kind of continental meal, perhaps with an emphasis on seafood.  I was blown away by the innovative dishes that ranged from Vietnamese Pho to vegan.  We could not decide what to order, so we chose 4 courses, all to share.  And a bottle of Malbec to accompany it.

1.       Heirloom Tomato Asian Pear Gazpacho: For some reason, I have not had enough gazpacho this summer. That was a mistake.  JB took the first crack at this which was topped with blue crab (that I don’t care for).  Light on the oil, heavy on the produce, perfection in a cup.

2.       Sashimi Tuna-Mango Poke & Halibut-Yuzu Ceviche: This two-part dish well-complemented the gazpacho and the yuzu flavor was strong, yet not overpowering.  The sashimi was nicely sliced and as fresh as can be.

3.       Lobster Raviolos: When in Block Island, eat lobster.  I wasn’t sure if I would like this dish and it wound up being my favorite of them all.  Two large raviolo were stuffed with lobster and ricotta, and topped with a lobster caprese salad.  This dish is worth traveling to Block Island for.

4.       Moroccan Scallops: JB was especially interested in these scallops as they were procured from George’s Bank, a very deep part of the Atlantic.  They were incredible, large but not chewy and well-spiced.  To offset the spice, quinoa and wilted spinach accompanied the dish.  This was JB’s favorite. While I adored the scallops, I was disappointed in the blandness of the sides.

And, yes, the Berger boys did sit through this meal.  While the Manisses serves excellent, fine dining meals, they do cater to children, too.  A big bowl of pasta, a few refills of the bread and butter (and maybe an iPad or two) and JB and I were able to enjoy this special meal. 

5 Spring Street, Old Harbor
401. 466.2421

blockislandresorts.com/dining-2/hotel-manisses-dining/

-          Froozies:   A few doors down from our hotel was Froozies Juice Bar &  Café, located at the back of the National Hotel.  An ad in one of those local tourist magazines featured breakfast burritos and I was intrigued.  What I didn’t realize that this is a vegetarian place, so while I could have said burrito, it would have no bacon or any meat for that matter.  That being said, JB was somewhat disappointed in his egg and cheese sandwich – mainly because it was lacking bacon.  I, however, loved my burrito of egg whites, tomatoes, pesto and mozzarella. This was the fuel I needed to bike the island.

26 Dodge Street, Old Harbor

401.466.2230

frooziesblockisland.com

 

-          The Oar:  As our final on-island meal, we took our bikes to the Oar.  Keep in mind it was a Thursday, after Labor Day and there was a wait for lunch.  This is one popular spot. Right on the water in the Old Harbor, we sat at the picnic tables playing cornhole waiting for our table. 

The restaurant is literally covered in oars.  Patrons donate their oars each summer and they are nailed up on the walls.  JB wants to put one up next time.  This place looks like it will be a dive bar with average food, but it's not.  They actually have the best sushi on the island to go with some pretty tasty seafood. 

JB went the dive bar route with a bowl of New England Clam Chowder and a BLT (he really had missed that bacon from breakfast I guess), and washed it down with a can of PBR.  I went for the sushi side of the menu getting truffle lobster avocado tacos and a spicy tuna roll.  The tacos were small (as the waitress had explained), yet full of flavor.  And the spicy tuna roll was well made and enhanced with cucumbers.  It certainly wasn’t Nobu, but it was the ideal meal after a long bike ride with still a few miles to go.  And a place that should be on everyone’s Block Island go-to list. 

221 Jobs hill Rd, New Harbor

401.466.8820

http://blockislandresorts.com/dining-2/the-oar/

 Lodging

I will not be returning to our hotel, the Water Street Inn.  Big Z, walked into our room, and asked, “Um, why is this room so small?” Small, wasn’t really the issue, although it was pretty small. Instead, it was the fact that the room had not been thoroughly cleaned (we found candy bar wrappers underneath the bed that we definitely did not consume), the A/C unit was so loud it kept us up and the lock on the door was barely functional.  But for 1 night, a location right in town and a low price of $130 (less than the cost of the round trip ferry!), we were fine. 

 Activities

There is enough to do on Block Island to keep a family busy for a whole week, or even a whole month.  Other than eating, we focused on two things: Beaching and Biking. 

The beach is always a destination for us Bergers.  We chose to go to Ballard’s Beach because it was just a 5 minute walk from our hotel AND it has bar-service on the beach.  I’m sure it’s not the nicest beach on the island, and it is a “daytripper” destination. Did I mention that there was bar-service on the beach?

JB did not want to go biking.  He wanted to rent a moped.  They sometimes call Block Island the “Bermuda of the North”.  We compromised that he would rent a bike, if I pulled both boys on a trailer behind my rented bike.  Some compromise. 

Block Island is not even 10 square miles, but it felt like I biked 100.  Pulling 80 pounds of Berger boys uphill is no easy feat.  It was worth the pain, though, to explore more of the island including the South East Lighthouse which has magnificent views.  And the boys especially loved the Abrams Animal Farm which has exotic animals (read: cross-breeds) including my personal favorite, the Zedonk – half-zebra, half-donkey. Plus, we were able to burn off some of the calories consumed on the trip.

Resources

If  you are planning a trip, a simple Google search will get you most of what you need to know about Block Island (other than Bergers & More, of course).  But the New York Times never fails me, especially this great article about late summer in Block Island. 

Until our next Berger Adventure,

KLB

 

Another BBQ Lunch and Dessert: Bobbique and Queen City Cupcakes, Patchogue, NY

Another vacation day, another lunch out. As the clock is ticking on summer, we found ourselves in the town of Patchogue today about 20 miles west of the Hamptons.

Patchogue has in recent years undergone a renaissance of sorts. The main street now houses good restaurants, interesting shops and refurbished theatre. Fresh off our BBQ lunch at Townline last week, JB was eager for some comparison eating at Bobbique. Note: I was sort of still full from last week

The restaurant was relatively empty but that didn't deter us. Big Z insisted on one of the 2 booths in the window which to our delight was right in front of their vast beer list. I was thirsty and jumped at the opportunity to enjoy a Bronx Pale Ale with my lunch. JB, ever the golfer, chose an Arnie Palmer and had at least 3 free refills much to the server's dismay.

I couldn't do another heavy meal, so I chose the BBQ shrimp platter. Each platter comes with 2 sides, and in hopes of sharing with my boys, I selected Mac & cheese and corn on the cob.
I wasn't quite sure what to expect but I was happy to receive 3 skewers of shrimp brushed lightly with BBQ sauce. The shrimp were well cooked and flavorful. The Mac & Cheese came in a small cup and was homemade. Little D devoured the corn.

JB's order, per usual, was meat-heavy. A half-rack of St. Louis ribs was meaty but too saucy for me. His sides of potato salad and coleslaw looked mayonaisse-y from my seat, but spot according to JB.

The boys, surprise, had a burger and fries. This kids burger came in 2 patties and was well-seasoned.

And because we were exploring we went down the street for dessert at Queen City Cupcakes. This quaint shop is part bakery, part housewares store. It was a little too dainty for my family, JB muttered "bull in a china shop" so we hightailed it out of there before anything was broke with a bag full of treats. A large black and white cookie, a rainbow cookie and a brown butter salt cookie. Everything sounded and looked good but the only true winner was the black & white. Maybe a cupcake would have been a better choice.

Until our next Berger,
KLB

Bobbique
70 W. Main Street
Patchogue, NY 11772
631.447.7744
bobbique.com

Queen City Cupcakes
62 W. Main Street
Patchogue, NY 11772
queencitypatchogue.com/

Labor Day Fun: John Scott's, Westhampton Beach, NY

John Scott's is a summer tradition. A glorified shack across the street from the ocean, John Scott's is only open in the summer and there's no better place to temporarily forget your troubles. Unfortunately, it's not a secret and cars can line Dune Road waiting to get in on any given day. Some people are there just to drink, others just to eat, but usually, it's both.

Over the years, I've had most of the items on the menu. And some visits have been better than others, so my expectations were low. This Labor Day weekend may have been one of the beat meals I've had here, ever.

It was an even number of kids vs. adults, 3 vs. 3, so while each of the boys had a burger and fries, the adults split an order of mussels. Mussels are something I rarely order and then when I do I remember that I should order them more often. The mussels at John Scott's are in a rich tomato sauce. The dish comes with bread to help mop up the sauce but JB started using the boys' discarded hamburger buns, too. (That's a sign that he liked it!)

For my main course I had the shrimp Caesar salad. I though maybe if I was lucky I'd get 4 shrimp, and I got double that on a skewer over a well-made salad with just the right amount of dressing. I felt so lucky as I washed down my salad with my Corona light listening to the acoustic guitar player overlooking Moriches Bay. For about 2 minutes. Then Big Z was up and running, but for 2 minutes it was one of those perfect summer moments.

Just a side note, JB also had a burger and declared it straight-from-the-freezer terrible and fishy tasting.

Next time he'll follow my lead.

Until our next Berger,
KLB

John Scott's Surf Shack
540 Dune Road
Westhampton Beach, NY 11978
631.288.5810
No website, but check out their Facebook page.

A Southampton Date Dinner: Tutto Il Giorno, Southampton, NY

Our 2-week long vacation, well mostly staycation, only afforded us one kid-free night, so I chose a place that had long been on my list - Tutto Il Giorno in Southampton. On a Thursday evening in late August it was hopping. Their reservation policy is only same-day reservations accepted, so I dialed right at 11AM and secured an 8PM table. When we arrived they were at least a dozen people waiting as we breezed in.

The restaurant is candlelit yet loud with tables close together and relatively hectic service. It does have a Rome meets the beach kind of vibe.

We went straight for drinks. And feeling Italian, I had a prosecco and JB had his perennial favorite, the Aperol spritz.

The menu is comprised of antipasti, pasta (primi) and meat (secondi). Many of the antipasti looked good but ordinary. Yes, the burrata and their tuna tartar were tempting, but I felt pressed to go for pasta. We opted for 2 primis and 1 secondi, all to share.

JB is a traditional pasta eater. He always wants to try the most simple dish. He's a fan of less is more. Their spaghetti with tomatoes nailed it. A few ingredients - homemade spaghetti, in season tomatoes, basil, delicious olive oil - made this a standout dish. Our second primi was a heavier dish, a wider noodle called Paccheri with a beef ragu. This dish was HOT, not spicy hot, but temperature hot. When it cooled down, the pasta remained al dente, howver the meat was overlooked and lacked seasoning. 

We shared a grilled branzino as our main course. The dish came split into two plates, which always makes life easier for sharing. JB declared the fish perfectly cooked (although I did find a few fish bones). Ratatouille accompanied the fish, which after watching the movie so many times, was a pleasure to actually eat. I will say though that once our dishes were placed at our table we did not hear from our server for a very long time. This was definitely the dinner rush part of the evening. My glass of rose which I had ordered after we finished our pasta came just before dessert. JB's vodka martini came during the fish course, but still not soon enough.

Things calmed down for dessert with a well-executed molten chocolate cake and an espresso for JB. As previously mentioned, I had my rose.

Looking back, I enjoyed the meal - the scene, the food, the drinks and certainly the company. But the service was really quite bad, and for a meal that exceeded $200, it should have been better.

I should mention that one of the owners of the restaurant is Gabby Karan DeFelice, daughter of Donna Karan, and I've heard that this can be a celebrity hotspot even though we didn't see any. This is the restaurant's second location. The first is a few miles away in Sag Harbor. Come fall, a third location is set to open in Tribeca. I'm sure the food will be just as good but I hope the service improves.

Until our next Berger,
KLB

Tutto Il Giorno
56 Nugent Street
Southampton, NY 11968
631.377.3611

No website ....but some good info on Zagat.com

Square & Round: L & B Spumoni Gardens, Brooklyn, NY

Maybe it was the much-hyped VMAs, but I was feeling Brooklyn this week. And what better place to get your Brooklyn on than at L & B Spumoni Gardens. 

About 5 years ago, JB and I were obsessed with a show called Man vs. Food. The show's host was from, you guessed it, Brooklyn, and he criss-crossed the country taking on small food challenges, like consuming 20 inferno-hot spicy chicken wings in 5 minutes or eating a 5-lb cheeseburger. The show didn't last that many seasons, mostly because of health concerns for the host. But what did last was my memory of one particular spot he visited -- L & B Spumoni Gardens in his hometown. And this week, we finally went. 

L & B Spumoni Gardens is an institution of sorts. Founded it 1939, it is an Italian restaurant, pizza place and ice cream shop all-in-one on a corner of a not so trendy area of Brooklyn. Let's just say it's close to Coney Island. This is a place worth traveling to and the throngs of people who frequent this establishment agree.  As we sat outside at one of many picnic tables we saw everything from soccer moms to EMTs to, well, us.

The draw here is Spumoni and pizza or pizza and Spumoni. Depending on your priorities.

First, the pizza. There are two kinds: square and round. Round is your traditional cheese pie- it is good, but average. The square, however, is the star. I mean star. A traditional Sicilian slice it is not. The secret to their success is that when they make the pizza, they put the cheese (mozzarella) IN BETWEEN the crust and the sauce and then more cheese (pecorino romano) on top. This produces a sort of yummy gooeyness inside with a nice crispy, thick crust. Note to any other pizza makers: Try this. 

JB made two trips to the pizza window for us, the second batch of slices were even better than the first. Next to the pizza window is the ice cream window.  In addition to the Spumoni in their name they also have ices and regular ice cream. We tried it all. 

 
JB opted for a vanilla spumoni which also had pistachio ice cream and chunks of the nut in it. I shared a lemon ice with Little D and Big Z opted for a plain-old vanilla soft serve. While the spumoni was good and somewhat obligatory, we all believed the ices were the best. So we got a coconut ice to share which was even better than the lemon ice. 

We left L & B with full bellies, vowing to come back. Next time, I want to try the Italian food with a slice of square and an ice on the side.

Until our next Berger,
KLB

L & B Spumoni Gardens
2725 86th Street Brooklyn, NY 11223
718.449.1230
www.spumonigardens.com

Vacation Lunch:Townline BBQ and Levain Bakery, Sagaponack & Wainscott,NY

To me vacation is all about lunch. Most of my non-vacation lunches are had sitting at a desk shoving some kind of salad down my throat while on a conference call - on mute, of course. So when JB suggested a lunch at Townline BBQ, I was in.

Townline BBQ is a roadhouse of sorts, albeit a Hamptons roadhouse, with counter service and awesome BBQ. Technically, it is in the village of Sagaponack - between East Hampton and Bridgehampton - and at 12:30 on a hot summer Wednesday, it was packed. So packed, in fact, that we had to wait 10 minutes for a parking spot. Like I said, it is a Hamptons roadhouse.

The inside is super casual with a long communal picnic table down the middle and more individual tables down the sides. The "No kids allowed" bar has flat screen TVs, a dart board and a pool table, but we'd have to save that for another day. (Actually, we've had pretty amazing winter bar specials here in the past like $1 sliders and .25 cent wings. I hope they have them again this winter.) JB ordered while I secured a table for the 4 of us. He came back with an abundance of meat:
- 1 order of burnt ends
- 1 order of short ribs
- 1 order of brisket
- 1 order of fries

The burnt ends are typically my favorite. I'm a sucker for anything burnt. Strange, I know. While these were burnt, they were a bit too saucy on this visit. I like burnt and dry, perhaps in homage to my mom's cooking. (Sorry, Mom!) The brisket was dry and good, but ordinary when compared to the short ribs. I later learned that JB had recieved a reccomendation from the Pitmaster. They were perfect and huge. The closer to the rub, the better it tasted. I hope that JB can recreate this at home. Fries looked good, little D liked them the best. I did not partake.

Because we hadn't eaten enough, we had to stop at Levain Bakery down the road in Wainscott for their famous chocolate chip walnut cookie. They call it a cookie, but at $4 this "cookie" is like a blondie and cookie combined into one. It is massive and when you bite into it, it is still soft on the inside with the walnuts giving it the perfect amount of crunch. It must be 1,000 calories, so I'm proud to say that we didn't finish it in one sitting, but I wanted to. FYI, Levain in Wainscott is only open in high season, but you can indulge each and every day at one of their two locations in NYC, either on the Upper West Side or in Harlem.

And with that I made a promise to myself to be back to salads for lunch - after vacation.

Until our next Berger,
KLB

Townline BBQ

3593 Montauk Highway
Sagaponack, NY 11962
631.537.2271
www.townlinebbq.com

Post-season be sure to check their hours/days of operation and those winter bar specials.

Levain Bakery
354 Montauk Highway
Wainscott, NY 11975
631.537.8570
www.levainbakery.com

See their website for other locations.

Quicksie Roadside Greek: Greek Bites, Moriches, NY

Greek Bites is one of those places that you really don't want to share, it's that good.

Who would guess that a non-assuming roadside stand on Montauk Highway in the small town of Moriches would have consistently amazing falafel, souvlaki, gyro and moussaka. They have incredible hummus and a tangy and delectable eggplant dip. JB's favorite, taramosalata (caviar spread for the unitiated), is spectacular.

The challenge here is space. In the summer, you can sit outside watching the trucks go by as top 40 blares from their speakers. I usually dance while waiting for the food. It is pleasant for about 10 minutes, and luckily, that's just about how long this food lasts in our family.

In the colder months, though, there is no indoor seating, so this is strictly a takeout establishment. But, unlike most other places in the greater Westhampton area, they deliver. So visit or dial today.

Greek Bites Grill & Cafe
183 Montauk Highway
Moriches, NY
631.874.0700
greekbitesgrillandcafe.com

More Food Truck Fun: Riverhead, NY

Another day, another food truck adventure.

Yesterday, we attended a charity concert for All For the East End (AFTEE) that was complete with a 70s Disco Dance Party with Nile Rodgers and Chic, a leather-clad and platform-shod Adam Lambert and some serious DJ action from Avicii.

But before the show, tastes from the many visiting food trucks comprised our dinner. Our culinary journey took us to several corners of the world while we sat in a vineyard on the North Fork of Long Island.

Here's what we tried:

- Montaco: For $6, we had a fishy tasting, if not tasteless, shrimp taco. Six minuscule shrimp, one slice of radish and a squeeze of lime were the only ingredients on a sad yellow corn tortilla. This especially bummed me out because according to their website, their shrimp should include tomato, avocado and spicy mayo on a blue corn tortilla.

montacotruck.com

- Palenque Food: After spending $6 on the bad taco, the $5 we spent on a cheese arepa was the best money ever spent. For those of you not familiar with an arepa, get familiar. Fast. It is a corn-based flatbread with a variety of toppings and/or fillings. Our cheese version came with tons of oaxacan cheese topped with arugula, chipotle mayo and cilantro (plus a little butter thrown in). This is lighter and better than any pizza you could ever have. We took an extra cilantro sauce and JB tried to drink it. I wish this food truck would park on my street forever.

palenquehomemadecolombianfood.com

- Hibachi Heaven: Every year JB asks if we can go to Hibachi for his birthday, and I always get out of it, so I was excited that he could just have Hibachi from a truck. Two birds, one stone. Unfortunately, this operation is flawed starting with the pre-cooked, cold rice. Even with a hot topping, we choose tofu and vegetables (chicken and steak are also on offer) the dish never really gets hot. JB declared it pedestrian and akin to mall food. Guess I'll have to take JB to Benihana after all.

hibachiheaven.com

- Carl's Steaks: JB loves a traditional Philly Cheese Steak. I am not a fan. The bread is too soggy and neither shaved beef nor Cheese Wiz is my thing. The Philly Cheese Steak at Carl's Steaks is traditional and has all of the ingredients that dissuade me from taking more than one bite. JB, as expected, loved it.

carlssteaks.com

In addition to those main components of our eclectic meal we also tasted the coffee from the ever delicious Hampton Coffee Company and tried a close to amazing blondie from the appropriately-named Blondie's Bake Shop.

And then it was time to dance off the calories.

Until our next Berger, KLB

North Fork Pizza: Grana, Jamesport, NY

We all know that the North Fork of Long Island has become a destination for the wine lovers and drinkers in New York and beyond, but what you may not know is that it is also a destination for pizza. And since its inception in 2010, Grana in Jamesport is the North Fork pizza destination. On our recent Saturday night visit, it was packed with everyone from babies in their infant carriers to patrons tipsy from an afternoon at the wineries. We were somewhere in between that spectrum. Maybe leaning a little towards the post-winery side.

And everyone is there for the pizza. Our party of 8 had two pies. The classic margherita and their most popular pie, the NoFo. The margherita looked amazing: a thin, charred crust with huge pieces of fresh mozzarella. But this is a knife and fork kind of pizza. I learned the hard way when I picked up a slice to give to little D and it collapsed. The cheese actually slid right off the slice and onto the table. On the second try, it tasted as good as it looked.

The NoFo has the same tomato sauce and fresh mozzarella as the margherita, plus add roasted onions and sausage. This is one heavy slice. I didn't make the same mistake twice and held it with both hands as I gently transferred it to my plate. This was certainly a crowd pleaser, although the sausage had a bit too much fennel for my liking.

JB surprised me with an order of their take on an eggplant parmesan. Two large olive-oil doused, roasted eggplant discs came covered in mozzarella (noticing a trend here?) with a side of heavily-sauced linguine. A definitely party in the mouth.

Grana is also famous for their meatballs. We had two orders of these fresh-ground pleasers. This would be a perfect simple meal if Grana didn't have all of the pizzas to choose from.

This is the kind of place where you could go every week, get your favorite pizza and one other special. I hear they change often and are always the perfect complement to any pizza.

Until our next Berger, KLB

Grana
1556 Main Road
Jamesport, NY 11947
granajamesport.com

Bistro Bar Bites: Little Red, Southampton, NY

Eating at the bar is not a new thing for us, but lately we are obsessed. Seeing the interplay between the bartenders, sitting side by side, not having a server worrying about "pacing" your meal - all make the overall experience more fun and more enjoyable. Yes, eating at the bar has its time and place, and I recommend you make time to make Little Red that place.

A traditional French Bistro, Little Red is the casual sister to the more formal French restaurant Red Bar, also in Southampton.

While casual, it is not necessarily less expensive, but the food is more proletariat, more attainable. They have your requisite steak frites and roast chicken, but they also offer burgers, pizza and grilled cheese, French style, of course.

JB was craving a burger. And I was happy to oblige, especially when we were presented with the cheese choices: American, cheddar, blue or brie. A brie burger? Easiest choice I've made in months.

The cheese kept on coming when we also ordered a flatbread pizza with gruyere, fontina and arugula. And truffles, let's not forget the truffles.

The bartenders gave me a generous pour of the house Pinot Noir (another plus of sitting at the bar) as we nibbled on delicious baguette and butter. And then the cheese parade marched in.

We dove into the burger. The burger itself was thick and juicy, but the brie was the star. Why more restaurants do not serve a brie burger is beyond me. Each bite was better than the last.

The flatbread pizza was paper thin with beautiful grill marks. The gruyere fought with the truffles for the leading role of this dish, but I'm happy to give the award to both. And the truffles were plentiful so that each bite had truffles AND cheese.

We flirted with the idea of cheesecake for dessert to round out the night, but alas it was time to turn in the cheesecloth.

Until our next Berger, KLB

Little Red
76-C Jobs Lane
Southampton, NY
631.283.3309
www.littleredsouthampton.com

Mid-Summer Update: Starr Boggs, Westhampton Beach, NY

At the start of this season, we reviewed dinner at Starr Boggs. We were surprised to find the dinner not up to par, but we knew it may have just been opening night jitters. After dinner last week, we were right. Starr Boggs is back and better than ever.

On a recent Thursday night, JB and I were pleasantly surprised to find a completely packed restaurant. Without a reservation, we had assumed we'd be dining at a bar table. And even those were taken. Luckily, we found a spot at the outdoor bar.

In our small town, the bar is always a fun spot since you never know who you might run into. And you benefit from the same quality food, but in a more casual atmosphere.

We had just been to a movie where we couldn't resist the popcorn, so we opted for some appetizers only. We started with a tuna dish that offered two different types: a seared ahi tuna and a tuna tartar. We should have doubled this. JB and I tried to share fairly. It was hard. Both tuna options were excellent, better than any recent sushi we'd had.

To compliment the cool evening, we chose a heartier dish: tagliatelle with truffles. The homemade pasta was excellent, the sauce had a light touch of cream and a heavy touch of truffles. Another win.

In lieu of a third appetizer, JB wanted dessert. The list is long but we settled on the chocolate pecan pie. This is no traditional pecan pie, instead it is more of a chocolate pie adorned with pecans and caramel, plus some vanilla ice cream. A glass of port made the dessert even better.

This was the perfect date night: movies, truffles and dessert.

Until our next Berger, KLB

Starr Boggs
6 Parlato Drive
Westhampton Beach, NY 11978
631.288.3500
starrboggsrestaurant.com

Hamptons Waterfront Dining Part 2: Saltwater Grill, Westhampton Beach, NY

As we continue on our quest for the ultimate Hamptons waterfront restaurant, we look closer to home at Saltwater Grill in Westhampton Beach. Housed in the Dune Deck Beach Resort, this is the place if you want oceanfront dining.

Large picnic-style tables line the vast deck along the dunes where you can enjoy an al fresco lunch or dinner. A large bar with tables for appetizers and an area for the band, complete the outdoor setting. During the week they offer the usual specials to draw a crowd (think lobster night, pasta night, etc.), but on the weekends no specials are needed to pack the place.

Ask yourself the question: Who wouldn't want to have dinner oceanside listening to live music? And you'll understand why there is almost always a wait at Salwater Grill.

Whether the wait is worth it is up to you. Over the course of recent visits, we thoroughly enjoyed the fried calamari appetizer which is laced with a buffalo sauce and is super spicy. Yet the ample hummus platter lacks flavor. The chicken milanese (one of my favorites) is pounded thin just how I like it and adorned with a pile of greens. Fish tacos are popular and deserve that recognition. I am on the fence about the lobster roll because while it tastes good, it has a green tinge that makes we wonder.

There are definitely more positives than negatives and you can't beat the location. Stick with the basics and you'll have an enjoyable evening, especially if the band is good.

Until our next Berger, KLB

Saltwater Grill
Dune Deck Hotel
379 Dune Road
Westhampton Beach, NY
631.288.1485
dunedeck.com/dining.html

Hamptons Waterfront Dining: Canal Cafe, Hampton Bays, NY

Living in the Hamptons, we often run into the ultimate oxymoron - great waterfront dining. It is not easy to find. The view is almost always the best part of any Hamptons waterfront establishment. We keep trying to find one that is the whole picture -- great food, great view and reasonable prices.

The Canal Cafe in Hampton Bays comes pretty close. The restaurant overlooks the Shinnecock Canal (hence the name) where one can watch some pretty impressive boats cutting across the South Fork of Long Island.

As you can imagine, a place like this gets fairly packed on weekends and does not take reservations. I had called about 15 minutes ahead to see if there would be a wait at 5:45PM on a Saturday. I was told "no wait now", so I implored JB to haul it. Our car screeched into the marina parking lot where I jumped out of the car to put our name down. We grabbed the second to last outdoor table. Phew.

The setting really is spectacular. If the chairs were a little more comfortable (mine was metal, JB's was wood and little D had a stool), you could sit there all day. Alas they do need to turn their tables and therefore they try to keep the meal pace moving.

Seafood is the name of the game here. The blackboard of specials is longer than the printed menu. Order them fast because once they are erased from the board, they are gone for the night.

JB was in the mood for an appetizer so we opted for the fried calamari. I'd give it a B+, it had the right amount of breading (not too much), the fish itself tasted deliciously fresh, but dare I say it was a little bland. Luckily, they provide a spicy tomato sauce for dipping. They do have another killer looking appetizer on the menu - lobster corn fritters - I'll get those next time.

Our mains were from the Specials Board. I chose the Grilled Tuna Sandwich for just $14. I asked for the tuna as rare as possible. The sandwich was simple - tuna, lettuce and tomato on ciabatta bread. The fish was cooked perfectly and I thought the ciabatta was a good compliment. The dish also came with fries that I generously donated to my boys.

JB opted for the lobster roll which was a fair-priced $22. It was actually listed recently in Hamptons Magazine as one of the best lobster rolls in the Hamptons. He disagrees. Yes, the lobster itself was good, but it was on the same ciabatta bread as my tuna sandwich and it overpowered the lobster. The lobster should be the star which is why the hot dog bun usually reigns.

Our landlubber boys, of course, had a well done burger with some fries, and it may have been the al fresco atmosphere (or the Corona Lights) but I thought it was excellent.

Speaking of Corona Lights, I'd also recommend a kid-free stop at Canal Cafe for a drink, to listen to the live music and watch the boats go by. It is a mini-vacation of sorts.

Lunch, dinner or drinks, go. And go early. The line was out the door when we left.



Canal Cafe
44 Newtown Road
Hampton Bay, NY
631.723.2155
thecanalcafe.com

A Pizza Miss: Cafe Crust, Southampton, NY

I had driven past Cafe Crust dozens of times and never gone in.  Located on County Road 39 in Southampton, shortly after Sunrise Highway ends (if you're heading East) is a shopping center that houses among other things, a wine store and a restaurant with a turret-like structure.  I was intrigued. 

The name Cafe Crust represents their supposed excellence in pizza.  I think it should be renamed.  We opted for the Margherita Pizza.  On a first visit to a pizza place, we always try to the Margherita, if done well it is simple and delicious.  Cheese, tomatoes and some basil should be tough to mess up.  Cafe Crust, however, gets its all wrong. 

The Crust, actually, is fine.  It is thin and crispy as should any crust made in a wood burning oven.  What is on top of the crust is the problem.  There was hardly any mozzarella, perhaps one "blob" per slice along with some other mysterious white spots, an overly sweet sauce and an abundance of Parmesan cheese.  Then they try to make it fancy with some basil chiffonade.  Even Litte D, who usually loves pizza, wouldn't touch it. 

For non-pizza people, they do offer grass fed burgers and decent fries.  But this is a pizza place, they should really focus on their craft.  I can get good burgers a lot of places, but good pizza is hard to come by. 
And I would be remiss not to mention the poor service.  I ordered a bottle of Corona Light and the waiter graciously poured the beer into a glass for me.  What wasn't so gracious was that he left a good portion of beer in the bottle and started to take it back to his station (presumably to finish it for himself).  Me, never being one to miss out on my drink, spotted this indiscretion and saved my final sips for myself. 

A disappointment in my book and not worth the stop.

Until our next Berger,
KLB

Cafe Crust
850 County Rd 39
Southampton NY
631.259.8880
cafe-crust.com

Tip: The pizza on their site looks a lot better than it does in person.  Don't let the pictures fool you!

Ladies Night: Southampton Social Club, Southampton, NY

Don't judge a restaurant by its name. On a Thursday night in July the Southampton Social Club didn't seem that social. There were about 4 tables seated outside (not a soul inside) when our party arrived just after 7:30. The restaurant apparently becomes a lot more social when it morphs into a Hamptons Club just after 10:00. My guess is that on a Friday or Saturday the place is packed with partiers, but the laid back Thursday vibe was just perfect for catching up with the ladies. 

Our meal was pre-heat wave, so we enjoyed our spot overlooking the lawn as we sipped our de rigueur rose and nibbled on the whole wheat rolls. The Social Club happens to have an outstanding pre-fixe deal of 3 courses for $35.  I usually turn my nose up at the salmon/chicken only pre-fixes, but this one has a plethora of choices. 

Appetizers choices range from oysters to salad to sliders.  The entree options include the aforementioned chicken and salmon, but also surprised me with more trendy items like duck and short ribs.  I decided on a rhyming meal of ahi and mahi- and was saddened to hear they were out of tuna that night.  Four tables and they were out of tuna? Nonetheless, I opted for a Caesar salad to start. 

The Caesar was a hasty choice.  The best part of it was the parmesan crisp that covered the romaine. The dressing completely overpowered the lettuce.  With so many options for starters, I could have done better. 

Luckily, the entree was a win. A spicy mahi mahi covered mashed sweet potatoes, done in the lightest of possible ways.  It was the kind of dish that satisfies you without making you full.  No need to groan at the thought of dessert. And, good news for us, dessert was included. 

Two bites into my cheesecake, I had to surrender my dessert.  I was full after all.  And now it was time to go dance it off. 

Until our next Berger,
KLB

Southampton Social Club

256 Elm Street

Southampton, NY

631.287.1400
southamptonsocialclub.com

A Non-Existent Lunch: Brasserie, New York, NY

Bad dining is usually a result of a bad decision - picking a sub-par restaurant, sitting at an uncomfortable table and the worst mistake of all, ordering the wrong dish.  Sometimes the right dish can right the other wrongs, but the wrong dish almost always ruins the experience.  I had one of those meals this week.

Since moving full time to the East End of Long Island, my NYC lunches are few and far between. Most of them involve a chopped salad bar (even the New York Times talks about the craze this week), and a sprint back to work. So when the opportunity to have lunch at Brasserie in midtown arose, I jumped on it.

Apparently, the entire city decided to step it up for lunch today for as I descended down the steps into Brasserie there was already a line 10 people deep waiting to be seated. 

The line moved briskly and I soon found myself sitting in possibly the loudest restaurant in the history of the restaurant world. The noise wasn't music, it was people - loud, hungry people.

The subterranean space is quite striking.   TV screens line the bar and show patrons walking into the restaurant. Part voyeurism, part efficient.  My eyes, however, were on the food. Massive burgers with oozing cheese kept skating past me as I munched on some crusty baguette with butter.

I stayed strong (burgers were on the menu for a BBQ that night) and ordered the chicken paillard instead. 

Food came almost instantly. The chicken was pale and buried under a pile of frisee encircled by grape tomatoes.  I almost spit out my first bite of chicken. It was not paillard. It was a barely cooked split breast with no seasoning and not pounded thin.  I tried to find a few more edible bites but wound up mainly eating the tomatoes and frisee before surrendering my plate to the waiter.

The food all around me looked amazing: a scallop dish had me drooling, a steak caesar salad glowed and each burger looked better than the rest. 

So I chalk it up to a bad choice, but, hey, at least I saved some calories.

Until our next Berger,

KLB

Brasserie
100 E 53rd St  New York, NY
212.751.4840

A Casual Seafood Stop: The Crazy Fork, Mattituck, NY

A casual seafood place should not be an anomaly on the North Fork of Long Island.  Surrounded almost entirely by water, there are plenty of them in the former seaport town of Greenport, but moving west towards Riverhead, there was nothing, until now.  The Crazy Fork opened to solve just this problem.  It is the kind of place where you go to get a burger before the movies, except you get a fish sandwich instead.  And we did just that. 

On Fourth of July eve, we found ourselves post-vineyard awaiting an early showing of Monsters University.  The Crazy Fork beckoned.  When I say casual, I mean casual.  A lobster bib would be fancy here. A few tables, a few fans (not sure if they even have A/C) and a bar - conveniently across the street from the Mattituck movie theater. 

What they lack in atmosphere, they try to make up for in food.  The menu has your requisite fried fish baskets and sandwiches, as well as oysters, clams, mussels and lobsters.  Plus, a more elaborate section of the menu offers items like Caribbean jerk mahi-mahi and fig-glazed salmon.

JB chose an oyster po-boy, now I am not a po-boy expert, but I don't think po-boys in New Orleans come on a hoagie roll.  Regardless, JB found the oysters themselves tasty and had no complaints about the fries.

There was a shrimp tacos appetizer as a special, and I felt compelled to continue the never ending quest of the best fish taco on the East End. The Crazy Fork version came with a fresh fruit salsa which kept the tacos on the lighter side.  While Shuckers still wins, I would certainly get these again.

Meanwhile, our boys continued their quest of the well done hamburger.  They were so well done, that I could barely cut them.  No worries, once cut, the hamburger went faster than my shrimp tacos.

They did have some good looking desserts, but we had to save room for popcorn.

Until our next Berger,
KLB


The Crazy Fork
10560 Main Road
Mattituck, NY
631.298.1100
www.crazyforkny.com

Berger Review: Brindle Room, New York, NY

When I read Thrillist's list of the 33 best burgers in the country earlier this week, I was devastated. I had not eaten a single one.  And it is not as if these burgers can be found in far-flung places - most major metropolitan areas are on the list.  My mission was simple; start eating these burgers. 

The first conquest was the Brindle Room in NYC. 

JB and I were in NYC for a birthday party  (a fabulous party, I must say) and as the night wore on, and the prosecco glasses were consumed, I hatched my plan.  We'd takeout one burger to share for the car ride back home to the Hamptons.  

I called in advance as we drove over to the East Village and I ran into what appeared to be a non-descript, almost-empty restaurant.  Granted it was after 11 on a Wednesday night.  I traded $15 for a brown paper bag of fries and the (famous) Steakhouse burger, and jumped back into the car. 

My only regret was ordering just 1.  The Brindle Room sears their burger in a cast iron skillet and smothers it in cheese (I chose swiss) and carmelized onions.  Each bite is packed with a rich delicious fatty burger flavor.  Apparently, the blend of the burger meat includes "deckle" which is the outside edge of the ribeye.  We should all become deckle fans. 

The bun is nothing fancy and does not need to be, it is merely a burger vessel.  And the burger comes with a bag of hand-cut fries that we skipped in an attempt to have some self-control.  Some. 

1 Down.  32 to go. 

Until our next Berger,
KLB

277 East 10th Street
New York, NY
212.529.9702
brindleroom.com

On the Side:  The Steakhouse burger is not officially on the dinner menu (though it is on the lunch menu), but they always have it, so just ask. 

Summer Kickoff: Shuckers Lobster Bar, Hampton Bays, NY

It is officially Summer in the Hamptons.  And we had to celebrate.  A Friday night at Shuckers Lobster Bar was our choice, and an excellent one at that. 

We had a large group that dangerously had more kids than adults. Luckily, Shuckers is a casual place with live music, a huge outdoor patio and an indoor dance floor (that turns into a full on Hamptons dance club around 10PM).  The kids could run around and pick at their burgers, fries, chicken fingers and such while the adults could listen to music, have some drinks and eat some suprisingly excellent food. 

Shuckers is known for its lobster special that offers a 1 1/4 pound lobster with mussels, clams and corn for $19.95.  A steal in the Hamptons.  JB and I were tempted but thought that eating a lobster would take too much dedicated time and effort (plus no one wants to be chasing their kids around a bar wearing a lobster bib, luckily it didn't come to that).

To satisfy our need for lobster, we chose the amazing Lobster BLT.  The best part of all was that there was a ton of lobster meat on it and we didn't have to do any work (like we would have with the lobster special).  Bacon and lobster is a win in my book, and Shuckers complemented the sandwich with a garlic butter instead of mayo.  Yet another win for this dish. 

We also split an order of tacos.  Yes, tacos.  I had actually recently read several favorable reviews on  Curbed Hamptons and I agree that these may be some of the best tacos in the Hamptons.  We chose a trio of tacos: Coconut Shrimp, the Fish Taco and the Special Fish Taco.  Each one was more delicious than the next. I probably should have paid more attention to the distinct characteristics of each, but I was too busy trying to make sure JB was sharing "fairly". 

The good news is that we'll be back again soon for more, although I have no idea what to get.  The bad news is that Shuckers is only open on the weekends.   I know where we'll be....

Until our next Berger,
KLB

Shuckers Lobster Bar
58 Foster Avenue
Hampton Bays, NY
631.905.8292
shuckerslobsterbar.com

Some Quicksie Thai Takeout: Dee Daa, New York, NY

I have this new takeout habit. Actually it is really JB's habit - he insists that I bring home takeout for him whenever I am out for the evening. Sometimes I put my foot down, but usually I cave. And that's how I found myself with a bag of takeout Thai food on the 7:00PM Hampton Jitney. (For those of you who are not familiar with the Jitney, see the definition in our glossary.)

Fortunately, I have found an ideal place for my Jitney takeout. The name is Dee Daa and it is healthy Thai. Everything is under 600 calories. For real. 
Dee Daa is smack in midtown and probably does a big lunch business. It is bright, clean and efficient. I've never waited more than 5 minutes for food and all of the takeout comes in environmentally-friendly packaging.

This trip's order consisted of 2 starters and 2 sides. JB's favorite papaya salad was chock full of peanuts, carrot and papaya. The dressing was strong yet sweet. The crispy shrimp were cold by the time I got home (not their fault, close to 3 hours had elapsed by the time we actually ate them). Had they been hot, I bet they would have been delish.

Luckily, our mains stayed warmer on the ride home.  The Green Curry with Shrimp had a kick to it, which is exactly how we like it.  And the Pad See-ew with Tofu was the lightest tasting noodle dish I've ever had. 

It is such a treat to polish off a plate of Thai food and not feel completely stuffed. And this is why, I will continue to run to Dee Daa for my quicksie Thai takeout. 

Until our next Berger,
KLB

155 East 44th Street
New York, NY
646.396.6500
deedaa.com

A Disappointment: Bistro 72, Riverhead, NY

Sometimes you go to a restaurant and you can tell the meal will be doomed from the beginning.  You keep hoping for a bright spot and wind up being disappointed.  It is those instances when you should really trust your judgment and quit while you are ahead.  This is exactly what happened to us at Bistro 72 in Riverhead, except we didn't quit.  We forged through into a major disappointment. 

This meal was celebrating a few special occasions: our 8 year anniversary, Big Z's last day of Pre-K and the $50 Groupon offer that we purchased last week for $15.  How bad could it be? Bad.

Bistro 72 is located in the Hotel Indigo in Riverhead - dangerously close to the Tanger outlets and the North Fork Vineyards.  While the Hotel Indigo tries to be a retro-type kitschy motel, it is still too reminiscent of a Motel 6, albeit a modern one.  The restaurant is intended to be a draw for everyone - from hotel guests, to the mobs on their way to the Hamptons, to local residents like us.  But at the end of the day, it still is a hotel restaurant that serves three squares and always has a TV on - even in the dining room. 

The warning signs started when we arrived and there was no host or hostess in sight, but there was a sign that read "Please wait to be seated".  So we waited. And waited. JB asked the person at the check-in desk for assistance and eventually the bartender helped us. 

We were handed several menus: Regular, Pre-Fixe, Kids, Wine, Cocktail.  Our table was probably a 6-top for our party of 4, and there was still no room on the table for all of the menus.  I had read on their website that Tuesdays have half-price wines by the glass night  and was told, "Sorry, only at the bar".  We each ordered a glass of Sparkling Pointe champagne, in an attempt to celebrate.   

Bread service may have been the highlight of the meal.  We each received crackers and a poppy seed roll, that came with a trifecta of condiments - olive oil & vinegar, butter and bruschetta. 

Our champagne still hadn't arrived mid-way through the bread course and the waitress explained that they were looking for a cold bottle.  Meanwhile, JB found two chipped water glasses on our table and asked for replacements. 

JB insisted on a starter of a tomato salad.  Three beefsteak tomatoes came covered with feta and a champagne vinaigrette with some grape leaves and the biggest beans I've ever seen mixed in. Truly a strange combination.  The dressing turned out to be the only champagne we'd have that night for we soon learned that indeed there was no champagne.  I opted instead for a glass of Rose and JB gave up and ordered a Diet Coke. 

For our mains, the boys shared a plain burger with fries as did I, though mine had cheese. I will admit that the burger was adequate, but nothing spectacular or to go back for. I asked for salad instead of fries and was given a huge arugula, strawberry and ricotta salata concoction. It was downright odd. Usually the salad instead of fries is some simple lettuce and maybe a dressing. This was some kind of chef experiment and I was the innocent taster. The favors were all wrong, similar to the tomato salad.

JB had ordered a brisket sandwich which he likened to corned beef covered with cheese and barbecue sauce.

So we redeemed our Groupon and ran out of there. I was happy at least not to pay Retail for that meal!

Until our next Berger,
KLB

Bistro 72
Hotel Indigo East End
1830 West Main Street, Route 25
Riverhead, NY
631.369.2200
www.indigoeastend.com/restaurant.html

PS -- We did have some amazing ice cream for dessert at Snowflake Ice Cream down the street.  Ice cream for dinner, anyone? 

NOLA: Lüke, New Orleans, LA

If you ask who the most famous chef you New Orleans is you may get different answers -- Emeril with his BAM, Paul Prudhomme whose face may have resided in your childhood spice cabinet and John Besh.  Chef Besh has no gimmick but rather a variety of awesome restaurants in New Orleans each demonstrating his southern flair. In my 24-hour stint to NOLA, his name must have come up half a dozen different ways.  It was only fitting that we select one of his establishments for our one and only dinner. 

I chose Lüke for two reasons: 1) its proximity to our hotel and 2)its burger.  The restaurant is defined as a "classic brasserie" so there is a French/German twist on the food, yet given the locale and the chef, there is a touch of classic New Orleans cuisine. 

The restaurant decor is heavily dominated by the large wood bar and the bar menu proves it.  I adored my St. Charles Street Car cocktail with the perfect balance of St. Germaine, Pear Vodka and Champagne.  (Note: I have already tasked JB to re-create this at home). 

While I was originally drawn to Lüke by its burger, I decided to go more classic New Orleans and opted for the jumbo Louisiana shrimp.  The dish was in a personal skillet over the best grits I've ever had, most likely because they were jalapeno cheese grits mixed with andouille and green onion sausages.  If I didn't have table manners, I would have licked the skillet clean. 

And while I didn't have the burger, one of my table mates did and declared it delicious with its bacon,  caramelized onions, tomatoes, Swiss cheese and a heaping portion of house-made fries.

I felt required to get dessert.  My preference, again, was to get something more Southern, but their pastry chef serves more brasserie-type dessert fare.  The crust on my strawberry galette was crispy, buttery and delicious and well-complemented the cheesecake ice cream it accompanied. 

Good news for me is that I'll be back in New Orleans soon and can go back for the burger, and even better, Lüke serves breakfast, lunch and dinner.  I wonder what their grits are like for breakfast.

Until our next Berger,
KLB

Lüke
333 St. Charles Ave
New Orleans, LA
504.378.2840

lukeneworleans.com

Birthday Lunch: Cowfish, Hampton Bays, NY

If you don't already know, today is my actual birthday.  And what better way to celebrate than an al fresco lunch on the water with JB.  The day threatenened rain, so our original plans were more landlocked, but when I saw the sun come out late morning, we were waterbound. 

I really can't believe we hadn't been to Cowfish already, it is in the neighboring town of Hampton Bays.  Right on the Shinnecock Canal, which connects the Atlantic Ocean with the Peconic Bay, Cowfish has something for everyone including tantalizing drinks and a playground for kids with some delicious food and views in between. 

Tuesday at 12:30PM is not a busy time for Cowfish so we were given our choice of table on the upstairs balcony.  Since we've heard that such a table on a busy Saturday night in the summer might have an hour or two wait, we considered ourselves especially lucky.

I imbibed some Sparkling Rose from Bedell Cellars on the North Fork, while JB stuck to freshly made mango iced tea complete with JB's favorite, the Mason Jar as a glass. 

Choosing was difficult, the lunch menu was not as large as I'd hoped.  I settled on a Caesar Salad with added Shrimp and JB, after much agonizing, selected the special, a Fresh Flounder Sandwich.  We both chose well.  My Caesar had cornbread croutons and a sizable amount of crunchy and well-flavored salad.  However, there were only 3 shrimp included on my salad which I found a bit skimpy considering the $8 upcharge. 

JB claimed that his flounder tasted as if it had been caught to order.  Two large fried filets covered the bread, almost po boy-like, and there was a hefty side of coleslaw.  JB loved my cornbread croutons so much that he wanted to get an order of cornbread for dessert and then, fortunately, changed his mind.

Speaking of dessert, since it was my birthday, I wanted my all-time favorite, key lime pie.  Sadly, Cowfish doesn't offer it, so instead we headed over to Holey Moses Cheesecake in Westhampton Beach and picked up a whole pie.  Yum.  It doesn't get much better than that.

Until our next berger (or birthday!),
KLB

Cowfish
258 E. Montauk Hwy,
Hampton Bays, NY
631.594.3868
www.cowfishrestaurant.com

And if you want some truly amazing Key Lime Pie, or cheesecake for that matter, you must try:

Holey Moses Cheesecake.
332 Gabreski Airport # 115
Westhampton Beach, NY
631.849.6220
www.holeymosescheesecake.com

A Light Lunch: Seasons 52, Garden City, NY

Birthday week has arrived! The first event was a light lunch at Seasons 52.  Low calorie food seems to be the theme lately, let's see how long it lasts.  Seasons 52 is a newish chain where all plates are under 475 calories, from appetizers through desserts.  And it is good, really good. 

I had been to the Orlando original back in February and thought the concept was phenomenal.  I'm not usually a fan of chain, mall-type restaurants, but this one is a keeper.

Since it was lunch, we couldn't linger.  Fortunately, Seasons 52 is perfect for lunch and the food is enough to get you through the day without leaving you to fall asleep at your desk with a full stomach. 

Their concept, other than low-cal, is that their menu is seasonal and specials change each week, hence the Seasons 52 name. 

We started with the Ripe Plum Tomato Flatbread.  It was paper thin, the flattest flatbread I've probably ever seen covered in tomatoes with basil, roaster garlic and melted parmesan.  Definitely lighter than pizza and certainly more fresh, we all loved it.  It was tacos as our mall around for our main.  Each dish came with three 3 soft tacos (chimichurri steak or blackened mahi mahi) and we all commented how we need to get taco holders at home.  The tacos were adorned with light, liquidy, toppings including a jalapeno-lime slaw, guac, pico de gallo, mole, salsa and some sour cream on the side.  You can easily tell where they are saving the calories, for example, each taco had only 1 piece of steak on it, but I will repeat that everything was delicious.

And since we had a light entrees, there was room for dessert.  My favorite part of Seasons 52 is the dessert course.  The server brings over a candelabra-type shot glass holder, and each shot glass has a dessert in it - they call them "Mini-Indulgences".  The server then explains each dessert (sort of like an old-fashioned dessert cart), you make your 250-calorie choice and said dessert is plucked from its holder and handed to you. 

My Key Lime Pie dessert was layered with graham cracker crust and key lime filling and worth every one of those 250 calories.  We all wanted more, and I guess that's the point.  We'll be back. 

Until our next Berger,
KLB

Seasons 52
@ Roosevelt Field Mall
630 Old Country Road
Garden City, NY
516.248.5252

On the Side:  Seasons 52 is all across the country, find the closest location near you: http://www.seasons52.com/locations/

A Graduation Celebration: Baby Moon, Westhampton Beach, NY

When Big Z graduated from Pre-K, we all deserved a celebration, and we let him choose the location.  Letting a 4-year old choose the restaurant can be riskly, fortunately the guest of honor requested pasta and fries, so we settled on Baby Moon, an Italian joint in Westhampton Beach.  I call it a joint, because that's what it is - old school Italian.  It is not fancy old-school Italian like Carbone (which I drooled about in this week's New York Times review with its amazing food and tuxedo-clad waiters), rather it is your typical pizzeria upfront, dining room in back crowd-pleaser Italian. 

Given that it is still not technically Hamptons high season, Baby Moon had only one of their two dining rooms open tonight in addition to the pizzeria.  It was packed.   Ironically, not with other graduates - I guess not too many parents take a 3 and 4 year old out for dinner starting at 7:45 but hey it was a special occasion.   

Dinner started with a plate of hot garlic knots.  They looked greasy and were greasy (and delicious), although not too garlickly.  We immediately ordered a second batch.  The second batch seemed more like crescent rolls brushed with garlic and olive oil, not that I'd complain about that.

Since it was pushing 8:00 on Wednesday night, we skipped starters and went straight to mains.  Bubba immediately chose the Chicken Cacciatore and we learned long after we ordered that the kitchen was out.  Out of chicken cacciatore?  That did not make much sense. She craned her neck to see what looked good on the other tables and by sight selected the Rigatoni Baby Moon.  Turns out her split second decision was a good one. We all enjoyed this rigatoni dish that had asparagus, peas and eggplant all covered in a tasty Tomato Sauce.  Definitely something to try re-creating at home. 

Best chose a sausage and peppers hero.  An odd choice for dinner, but Best often makes odd dinner choices.  I managed just one taste of sausage, it was well-cooked with slightly dominant fennel flavor.

JB selected one of my all time favorites, Organic Chicken Milanese with a chopped salad on top.  I prefer my Chicken pounded extraordinarily thin, the thickness here was close to 1/2 inch - too thick for me, alas he enjoyed it.

 I had eaten more than my share of garlic knots, and was therefore drawn to the Low Carb Chicken Parmesan from their light menu.  While I do prefer Full Carb Chicken Parmesan, I felt compelled to choose the grilled chicken instead of breaded and the fat-free mozzarella instead of full fat.  
And the boys got their fries and bowties.  They didn't talk much about their dinners, but I will tell you that we brought home leftover bowties and no fries. 

I'd be willing to put money on the fact that there aren't any homemade desserts here.  Nonetheless, Big Z indulged on a Tartufo and Little D shared a lemon sorbet in the lemon itself with Best and me.  Yes, they were good and if you want them, I'm pretty sure you can also get them at Trader Joe's. 

The meal certainly had it's highs and lows, but all in all it was good.  I'd love to go back in high season to see if there are any differences. I'm fairly sure that JB, Big Z and Little D all want to go again.

Until our next Berger,
KLB

Baby Moon
238 Montauk Hwy 
Westhampton Beach, NY
631.288.6350
www.babymoonrestaurant.com

Best Long Island Sushi: Kotobuki, Babylon, NY

When JB and I first moved from NYC to the East End of Long Island, good sushi was hard to find.   We asked friends, neighbors, strangers for recommendations and we always got the same answer: Kotobuki in Babylon.  It wasn't exactly next door, but we craved good sushi, so we made the worthwhile journey. And worthwhile it was - fresh and inventive, it soon became our fave.  We hadn't been in awhile, and were lucky enough to pay them a visit last night.

Right on the main street in Babylon village, Kotobuki is an unassuming sushi den (not like its Pan-Asian neighbor, Monsoon, that is larger than life with a smoking hot hostess trying to lure in diners).  At 6:30 on a summer Saturday, there were still a few tables but the sushi bar seemed appealing.  JB likes to watch the masters at work.  Mind you, by 8PM, there was probably a line out the door. 

We had concert tickets and were pressed for time, so we had previewed the menu on the drive.  I glanced at the menu again, while drinking my Kirin light and nibbling on their gratis spicy noodles, and was swayed by the specials.   

Atop the Specials, I was immediately (and obviously) drawn to this:

K-MAC SLIDERS

chopped tuna, rice, tempura flakes, scallion “patties” topped w/avocado, romaine hearts & spicy mayo on a rice cracker “bun”

Sushi sliders?  Yes, please!

The "Grinch Roll" also enticed us --
spicy tuna, yellowtail, crunchy, scallion roll w/ avocado & cayenne pepper on top

 And then we went with a few standards, a Crunchy Yellowtail and their standard, the Crazy Roll - where they let you choose the fish, we chose tuna, and they add it to a tobiko and avocado roll topped w/ diced fish, tempura flakes, scallions and a spicy mayo concoction.

If that wasn't enough, JB decided he needed to try their Hand Roll entree which is 5 hand rolls - 1 tuna, 1 yellowtail, 1 salmon, 1 eel and 1 california roll  (we swapped this out for another salmon) - PLUS 2 pieces of salmon roe, or as Mr. Japanese orders it, ikura. 

The food came fast, furious and delicious.  

The sliders really looked like little sushi burgers and we loved them, despite the fact that they fell apart after the first bite.  (Note to sushi chef: Bite size sliders would work better here).  Our special grinch roll was on fire, that cayenne pepper they reference in the description is not your run of the mill cayenne, but some kind of Japanese heat enhancer.  The Crazy and the Cruncy were awesome as always, however, the Crazy and the Grinch were more similar than I realized.  Next time I might opt for another kind of fish. 

JB's hand roll platter, aka an exercise of overindulgence, was a treat for him.  He usually gets 1 hand roll for "dessert", tonight he had 5.  Mind you this entree also came with miso soup and salad. 

I pronounced myself stuffed with a few pieces of sushi to go.  And before I knew it someone had finished all of the remaining sushi.

Good thing, because we had a show to catch.

Until our next Berger,
KLB

Kotobuki
86 Deer Park Ave.
Babylon, NY
631.321.8387
www.kotobukinewyork.com

Side Dish: Good news! They have 2 other Long Island locations, Hauppauge and Roslyn.  AND, they have an NYC location in the East Village.  So there's no excuse not to try their sushi sliders.

Berger Review! Happy National Hamburger Day: Smashburger, Wantagh, NY

Today is a great day to be a Berger, a Burger or any kind of "burger" variation.  Why you might ask?  Because it's National Hamburger Day which equates to free burgers at Smashburger. 

Today I am also thankful for social media because I received one Facebook post and one Facebook private message with the awesome tip, plus a late breaking email from Grub Street, New York magazine's food and restaurant blog.

The deal is simple - 1 free classic burger when you show a burger-affiliated ID.  I knew very little about Smashburger, we are more In-n-Out, Steak N' Shake or Five Guys people when it comes to chains, so I was ready for a taste. 

There is a Smashburger that is sort of on my way home from work.  And when I left work late, saw the rain and corresponding traffic, I knew that a somewhat circuitious route on side roads would probably not take much longer than sitting in a parking-lot like parkway.

I called JB and he agreed to the plan, with a caveat.  He wanted one, too.  I reiterated the 1 burger per burger policy, but JB, ever the loophole-finder texted me a photo of his license. 

The restaurant was pleasantly bright, especially with the gloomy rain outside, and full of families (other Bergers perhaps?) enjoying their meals.  Smashburger is a "Fast Casual" establishment, meaning you order your food at the counter, pay, take your seat and await your server who deposits said food on your table.

I explained my fate to the counterpeople, flashed my ID and presto, I had two free burgers.  The official deal was 1 Classic.  I opted for 1 Classic with the works and 1 Classic completely plain. 7 minutes later my food was deposited at a stand up bar and I was on my way.

Both burgers had an excellent egg bun but just an average burger.  The burger was much bigger than a typical fast food burger, but it lacked taste.  The bun was greasy and buttery.  JB's works included

American cheese, smash sauce, ketchup, lettuce, tomato, pickles and onion.  The smash sauce tasted remarkably like mustard, but who can complain - it was completely free. 

 

Since it's a chain, I'll add it to the list of stops on a future road trip.  I think big Z and little D (aka the sliders) would like it, too. 

 

Until our next Berger,

KLB

 

Smashburger - Wantagh

1223 Wantagh Ave

Wantagh, NY

516.308.4772

 

You can have Smashburger all over the country.  Find your closest location

 

Egg-xtra, Egg-xtra, Read All About It:Thomas's Ham and Eggery, Carle Place, NY

Excuse the pun, but I rarely go out to lunch on a workday (except to pick up my bacon tofu salad at Fairway), so I needed to share my excitement. 

Thomas's Ham and Eggery is a diner institution near the shopping mecca known as Roosevelt Field in Carle Place on Long Island.  It is a classic diner via it's style (retro booths & tables), service (gruff & slow) and food (eggs & such, hence their name). 

So let's talk about those eggs.  All egg dishes arrive in their own skillet.  It's pretty genius if you ask me -- patrons love the kitschiness factor and there are less dishes to wash. 

Unfortunately, there were challenges with our order.  The egg white omelet with swiss and broccoli, came with cheddar instead.  It was nearly impossible to locate any chicken sausage in the leek and chicken sausage frittata. And the bacon in the bacon and eggs was devoid of any salt flavor. 

But mostly we were too hungry and eventually too full to notice.

It seemed there were a lot of regulars here.  Maybe if we became regulars they'd get our order right.  Maybe. 

Until our next Berger,
KLB

Thomas's Ham and Eggery
325 Old Country Rd, Carle Place, NY

516.333.3060

No website, click here to link to the menu

Not as “Wynnderful” as Expected: Wing Lei and La Cave, Las Vegas, NV

I am optimist.  I always have high hopes, but for anything at the Wynn in Las Vegas, I set the bar especially high.  Big Mistake, Big, Huge. 

Our first stop was Wing Lei, a Chinese restaurant that falls in the “Fine Dining” category at the Wynn.  We also learned that it’s the only Asian restaurant in North America to receive a Michelin star.  Yes, the room is opulent with gold lacquer and red walls, the service is close to the impeccable level, and the food is good, yet something was lacking. 

We started with several recommended appetizers to share: Crispy Prawns, Pot Stickers and Spare Ribs. The server delicately placed one of each item on our plates, and this is where the disappointment began.  The prawns were crispy, but overly dry; the pot stickers were fine but nothing special and the spare ribs were just gloppy (if that's a word). 

Mains were better.  My massive portion of the General Tao's Chicken, was delicately fried, spicy and, finally, in the very good category. I had a bite of the Garlic Beef Tenderloin which had delicious garlic undertones, although I think it would have been a more appropriate dish at the steakhouse down the hall.  At the urging of a neighboring table, we requested a late order of the Braised Eggplant.  The eggplant was super hot from a temperature perspective and therefore tough to discern much of anything at all.  Surprisingly, the star of the evening was pork fried rice. Usually an afterthought, this was full of flavor, not too greasy and the pork to rice ratio was pro-pork (which is always a plus). 

Our dinner concluded quickly, as we learned that the restaurant stopped serving dinner at 10PM.  We all found this odd, even for a Wednesday, this was Vegas after all. 

This neighboring table said they come here a few times a year and that the Peking Duck is stellar.  Too bad they were out of it, that may have changed things.  I should mention though that Wing Lei, like most things at the Wynn, is very expensive.  Am I glad I went, yes.  But I would go back? Yes, but only if someone else was paying. 

The next night, was the second chance.  We chose La Cave, which deems itself a "Wine and Food Hideaway" in the "Casual Dining" category. I think that's code for, "prices may be somewhat reasonable - somewhat".   I actually ate lunch at La Cave last year and I recall a delightful lunch at the bar with my friend Cathy watching our food prepared before our eyes in the "Cave"-like front room.  This time we had a large party and sat deeper in the restaurant which ironically is more airy and opens onto an outdoor dining area.  

Just like the night before, I thought everything was good, but nothing really wowed me.  La Cave's concept is tapas style with small plates. They suggest 2 plates per person and then sharing.  Sharing is not as easy as you'd think though since the plates really are small.  And the service here was spotty at best.  It took a while to get our water, even longer for our wine, and when the cheapest wine is $70 a bottle, you'd think it would sprint over itself.

With the 2 plate suggestion, I ordered the cavatelli with short ribs and the hamachi cubes.  I also had a craving for the onion soup, but thought that would be too hard to share.  My hamachi arrived first and was perfectly sized - for one person.  I gobbled up the sushi, offering tastes, but it was so small that no one wanted to take from my tiny dinner.  Luckily my second selection, was much bigger and actually quite heavy.  I didn't love it as much I thought I would so I pushed it into rotation with my tablemates.  In return, I did get a few great tastes: namely the sliced sirloin steak and the grilled shrimp.  Simple usually wins at place like this; I should remember that.  Others at the table enjoyed the flatbread pizzas and salads.  Again, the simple stuff.

We had the same issue here with the kitchen closing at 10PM (and this time on a Thursday!) so we pre-ordered one of each dessert.  The S'Mores flatbread sounded like a good idea, but in practice it was sickly sweet with not enough chocolate.  They probably used up all the chocolate on the chocolate risotto, as it had so much that it was like a chocolate rice soup -- definitely a miss.  The other two desserts were the creme brulee and the beignets with multiple dipping sauces, these were the better choices by far. 

Another lackluster meal that could and should have been "Wynnderful". 

Until our next Berger,

KLB

La Cave

and

Wing Lei

WYNN LAS VEGAS AND ENCORE HOTEL

3131 Las Vegas Blvd. South

Las Vegas, NV

702.248.3463

www.wynnlasvegas.com/Restaurants

 

Mother's Day Treats: First and South, Greenport, NY

When the topic of Mother's Day came up in my house, Big Z with his 4-year old generosity said "Mom, I will get you treats." He never defined treats, so I defined them for myself, which meant a trip to the North Fork for wine and food, in that order. 

The first stop was the always lovely McCall Wines in Cutchogue.  While we love going to any vineyard, many of them are too commercial and frankly, not that kid-friendly.  McCall is open only seasonally and it is essentially a barn with a few picnic tables scattered on the lawn, with amazing wine.  JB purchased us a lovely bottle of 2010 Pinot Noir and we were able to imbibe while the boys were relatively well-behaved.  Their selection is not huge, but it is stellar.  Check it out  - mccallwines.com.  They have a new wine club, that we joined (and JB tried to convince me that was my Mother's Day present). If you can't make it there, they will get the wine to you.

After corking up our nearly empty bottle, thanks mainly to me, we drove further east to Greenport for a late lunch at First and South.  Greenport is an old whaling and ship building town that is somewhat of a destination for both daytrippers and vacationers.  The restaurant scene is always improving and I'm happy to say that First and South is contributing heavily to that.

Set a few streets back from the main drag in Greenport, on you guessed it, the corner of First and South, the restaurant is in an unassuming house shaded by cherry trees.  We heard acoustic Pearl Jam as we approached the entrance and immediately felt relaxed.  (The McCall Pinot Noir probably helped with that, too.)

We were lucky enough to score an outdoor bar table where we sat under one of the aforementioned cherry trees.  And were even luckier to have one sleeping child.  We didn't need any more drinks, other than water, so we focused on the food.

We had arrived at around 3, sort of straddling a late brunch and an early dinner.  JB cobbled together a brunch-type meal with a mason jar full of steel cut oats plus a side of applewood bacon and a side of grain toast.  It was eclectic to say the least, but JB is a sucker for anything in a mason jar. 

Big Z and I both had the burger.  On their menu, it's called the "Really Good Burger" and it is.  But besides the awesome brioche, the gooey cheese and the pickle pile, the best part of the dish is the kimchi slaw.  If JB is a sucker for mason jars, then I'm a bigger sucker for kimchi; the spicier the better.  Fortunately, Big Z didn't want any of his (no surprise for a 4-year old) so JB got a taste, too.

And let's not forget the fries.  Hand cut fries are their specialty, so much so that you need to order them separately. The boys indulged in a salty mound of almost-perfect fries.  Even little D ate them cold when he finally woke up. 

We skipped dessert for frozen yogurt in the village, but I saw homemade cookies on the menu for next time.

Speaking of next time, we need to go back for dinner.  The dinner menu appears to have some interesting bites like crispy duck tongue and a pickle plate that I know little D would adore.  And I am fairly certain, I could go for that burger again, and all of its accompaniments, too. 

Until our next Berger,
KLB

First and South
100 South Street
Greenport, NY
631.333.2200
firstandsouth.com