Guy's American Kitchen & Bar, New York City

From the minute I head heard that Guy Fieri was opening up one of his restaurants in New York City it was on my to do list of places to go to. Upon hearing of the reviews when it had first opened up did not whatsoever change my thoughts on "I have got to go here". I am a huge fan of his; the hubby and I love watching his show Diners Drive-ins and Dives. So it was off to a day in the city. We were first going for a bite then a nice walk around the Chelsea Market. We got there just in time for lunch. It is a fairly large restaurant with two floors separated dining areas. It was not extremely busy and we were seated upstairs as soon as we walked in. The entire theme of the restaurant is all American, using the American flag and I guess his love for guitars that seem to be everywhere you look. The entire restaurant is beautiful wooden shakes and planks. The waiter was by far one of the nicest waiters we have had in a long time.Our appetizer consisted of California Egg Rolls served with a Thai Chili dipping sauce. I totally enjoyed this dish and for the most part hubby did as well; except he does not like super crunchy stuff. Hubby opted for the Crispy Shrimp Po Boy and I went with the Pulled Pork Sliders. The shrimp is coated in cornmeal and served with a true New Orleans Creole mayo, shredded cabbage, pickles and tomatoes. Hubby really enjoyed the sandwich. The shrimp were excellent, however he thought the portion was small and the sandwich had a little too much cabbage for his liking. The Pulled Pork was extremely moist and tossed in Guy's signature bourbon brown sugar bbq sauce topped with fresh slaw and bacon served on Hawaiian rolls. I thought these were extremely tasty, the combination of each ingredient made all the dishes work well. Each  of our dishes were served with fries; that said I am not by any means a lover of french fries but I have to say these fries i found myself digging into. We decided not to get coffee or dessert because we wanted to have something over at Chelsea market. So I would have to say contradictory to what the reviews were from opening day, I am happy that I got the chance to eat there and found the restaurant to be highly favorable. As Guy says- Love, Peace and Taco grease.

We will give him 4 out of 5 forks.

http://guysamerican.com/

Ssambap Korean BBQ Restaurant, Stony Brook

After a day of going out to a winery on the east end and walking around the Vanderbilt Museum for the annual Jaguar Car show and a tour of the mansion, the wifeypoo and I were contemplating where to eat for dinner. She loves reading Newsday on the newest hot spots for dining. So she insisted that Ssambap Korean BBQ is the newest and highly rated dining experience we must go try. They are actually in the same parking lot as this really good Chinese market that we go to. So off we went. They have two choices for tables to sit at one with a BBQ pit in the middle of the table and the other without. They really did a great job on the decor and the staff was really hospitable. Our waitress Misook was so sweet and friendly and was such a big help with the choosing of dishes from their menu. Being it was our first time ever eating Korean food we definitely needed the help. We started out with the wifey trying a Korean beer Tsing Tao and for appetizers we had Mandoo Soup this is a chicken dumpling soup with a light broth. We also had seaweed salad; their version was the same as any other seaweed salad I have had in Japanese restaurants. The main entrees were Goong Joon Tuckbockee, in English this is short ribs in a soy based sauce served with vegetables and a bean paste and rice flour pasta topped with a hard boiled egg. As odd as this dish sounds we both really enjoyed it and recommend everyone to try it. The other dish with an equally odd name; Ssam is pork belly braised with scallions in a not so to our taste brown sauce. We also tried a spicy pork dish that was served with red bean sticky rice and accompanied by 5 small dishes of what they refer to as condiments. These dishes consisted Kimchi , spicy pickled cucumbers, broccoli , string beans and bean sprouts. Overall, the wifeypoo and I enjoyed our first Korean dining experience. We look forward to someday returning and trying the Korean BBQ where as you cook your own food in the built-in BBQ table pit.

They get 4 forks out of 5 on this visit.

http://ssambapbbq.com/Welcome.html

Havana Central, Garden City

The hubby and I have been long overdue to get out for a bite and spend some time with our good friends. My girlfriend has been dying to have us join her and her husband at this restaurant where she had dined previously. She raved about the place and we could not wait to try it out for ourselves. Havana Central has four locations, one is on the outside of the Roosevelt Field Mall and decided to go to this location. I love the way it looked from the outside but it is when you walk through the doors of the restaurant that you feel you have walked into another region of the world. You automatically feel the electricity and the ambiance of feeling like you are in Cuba. The only thing I was hoping for is to see Al Pacino (from Scarface) to walk through the doors; that would have been the icing on the cake. The decor was done perfectly, they have these beautiful booths that have an enclosed canopy around them. I was so hoping that we would be seated at one of those but we where seated in the second part of the restaurant at a standard table. They also have a live band playing which only adds to the feel of the Cuban experience. The place was quite busy but the wait was not long at all. They have a wonderful menu along with some very interesting drinks.
We started with our choice of apps; which when we are with the hubby and his friends is not trying one or two but about four or five. After that I hardly have room for too much more but god bless hubby and his friend they can sure eat. We ordered the homemade Chicken Sofrito, Beef Picadillo Empanadas, Cuban Tamales, and the Caribbean Deviled Eggs. They also offered a dish of their sweet plantains which is one of hubby's favorite dishes. We all loved the Beef Empanadas, the chicken however were so-so at best. The Tamales were done well, but the Deviled Eggs were nothing and I mean nothing out of the ordinary as a matter of fact they really were not worth getting at all. Actually hubby makes the best deviled eggs by far. Bill ordered the Syrah Sangria and I the house sangria which was OK. As far as dinner I knew immediately what I was in the mood for which was the Oxtail Stew, hubby ordered a special which was a Braised Pork Shank that came with a mashed potato but hubby asked for Steak Fries instead. Our friends went with the Guava Glazed Havana Ribs and Roast Pork Mofongo. I could not get over my dish; it was done to perfection. Hubby was not that happy with his, he found it was too sweet of a sauce for his liking but thought the pork shank cooked perfectly and was exceptionally tender. The mofongo was a well executed dish as well as the ribs. For dessert we went with the Flan that I thought was just OK, I have had better. Surprisingly for a dish the Cubans often make.  The Chocolate Filled Empanadas were really yummy and hubby because he could not get over how incredible the plantains were had to order another dish of them for dessert. Did I not tell you he can eat. All in all we really enjoyed this restaurant and would highly recommend it.

For this visit they earned 4 out of 5 forks.

http://havanacentral.com/

Del Fuego South, Babylon

Well with all this hot weather and humidity we have been having it has been unbearable cooking at home so the hubby gave me a night off and we decided to go to the newly opened Del Fuego located in Babylon Village. We did not think we were going to be dining there once we arrived and saw how many people were in the restaurant. I definitely thought the wait was going to be very long but we only waited 15 minutes to be seated. It is not a very large restaurant, it has some tables in the front then a nice bar area and some seating towards the back. The bar has an Insane list of over 50 Tequila's. We both liked the decor of the restaurant, very friendly and relaxed atmosphere.
We started with Turkey Chorizo Chili and the BBQ Pork Fried Wontons. The main dishes were the Skirt Steak Fajita for the hubby and I opted for the Beef Brisket Tacos. Once again because hubby was the designated driver he was stuck with a tall glass of water while I indulged in their homemade Sangria.
Like everyone else; they have their own very different twist on Chili. I happened to thoroughly enjoy it because it had a sweet base with a fiery finish on the other hand Hubby thought it was good but he prefers not to have anything sweet if it is not a dessert. The consistency was loose and borderline soupy not to say that it was not good but it is just that we prefer a denser chili consistency. As far as the Wontons once again hubby was slightly disappointed because of the sweet factor and I enjoyed them as much as the chili. I really enjoyed the Mango BBQ sauce that was served with the wontons and yes he thought it was too sweet. After specifying our hatred of Cilantro, hubby's Skirt Steak was marinated in Cilantro. That said even though the portion was small with the Cilantro factor it seemed to be never ending. The horrible taste of Cilantro stayed with him until the following day. I on the other hand really enjoyed my pick of entrees. The brisket was moist, tender and cooked to perfection. It was served in a soft shell taco (you can order it with either a hard shell or soft) and it was complimented perfectly by the Pablano Aioli and Mexican cheese. It is a nice place that I highly recommend for anyone to try for a good drink and Tex-Mex meal.

For this visit they earned 3 out of 5 forks.

http://www.delfuegorestaurant.com

The Bayou, Bellmore, NY

 

Hubby and I spent our honeymoon in New Orleans. We not only enjoyed the people and various attractions that they have there but we definitely fell in love with their flare for excellent cuisine. We went to the Bayou located in Bellmore a few years ago and because of their unique twist on New Orleans food we decided to go back again with our son; who also enjoyed the restaurant on our first visit. The Bayou was established in 1986 as a Cajun/Creole restaurant. When you first walk in the door you feel as if you walked into one of the local restaurants located in the French Quarters of New Orleans. They have a great set menu as well as specials that change on a weekly basis. What is great about this restaurant is all the dishes can be prepared hot or mild according to your tolerance. That is a great option especially when I cannot tolerate heat at all and the hubby who is totally opposite cannot have it hot enough. We started out with Crawfish Tempura and Gumbo Soup. Our entrees were Cajun Maque Choux Chicken, Pan-fried Catfish and the Paella Special. The Crawfish tails in tempura batter were perfectly fried and drizzled with an amazing Wasabi Mayo. The Gumbo is great every time and I would put it up against any of the great gumbos of New Orleans. My chicken dish was sauteed with sweet corn, onions and bell pepper in a light cream sauce served over rice. The Catfish is pan fried in a crawfish mushroom and scallion cream sauce. It is served over rice as well. My son and I thought both of our dishes could not have been any better. As for the hubby and his Paella he loved his dish as much as we did but thought the portion was a little skimpy. All three of us shared a slice of Red Velvet Cake and Pecan Pie. We didn't inquire as to the desserts being homemade or store bought. We were relatively happy with the Pecan Pie but certainly not with the Red Velvet Cake. This after being disappointed over the fact that they were out of their sensational Bread pudding that were had enjoyed on a prior visit. Overall this is a great place with excellent food in an authentic atmosphere that you won't find many of in New York.


For this visit they earn four our of five forks.

http://www.bayou4bigfun.com



Villa Monaco, West Islip

I had been to Villa Monaco's many, many years ago and sad to say it did not leave a good impression with me then so when the hubby received a gift certificate I can not say I was exactly thrilled with going back again. Villa Monaco's has been located in West Islip for over 43 years and is known more for their catering than the actual restaurant itself. We went there right after work for their Early Bird Special Supreme Italian Dinner for Two @ $29.95, includes Soup and Salad. This special is served Monday through Friday from 4pm to 6:30 pm. We were expecting to have a wait not having made reservations, however we were only one of three tables for dinner that night.
Our waitress was Madeline. She was very friendly accommodating and helpful with the planning of our order. We started with the Clams Casino, salads and soups. Our entrees were Eggplant Supreme for me and for the hubby Calamari, Scungilli and Linguine special. Okay so starting with the Clams Casino. The small piece of bacon along with the tons of mixed pepper and onions was the only flavors. They were so overwhelming they masked the clam completely. The salads and soups were both OK. I was pleasantly surprised with my Eggplant dish though the portion was pretty small. Hubby's dish was good except for the calamari was ridiculously overcooked to the point of becoming hard and rubbery. As hubby has stated in previous articles there are only two ways to prepare calamari the first is to flash cook for a brief moment and the other is to cook it for hours. Anything in between unfortunately results in the texture of leather and that is what happened with his dish. It was early enough to have coffee and dessert where the caffeine would not keep us up all night. We both enjoyed the coffee which is saying a lot being we are both coffee connoisseurs. I especially enjoyed the pistachio tartufo where on the other hand the hubby did not have the same feelings...so I proceeded to eat the entire thing. Overall I can say that I was a little more impressed than I was in my past visit; but it is still a place that I would not often frequent. On the other hand hubby's opinion was that it was an overall "good bang for the buck" but also could not see going back very often.


On this visit they get 3 out of 5 forks.

http://www.villa-monaco.com/

 

Sonoma Grill Holbrook, NY

Sonoma Grill in Holbrook is a casual dining experience we have been going to from time to time for the past ten years. Glenn the chef owner was originally the head chef at Vincent's Clam Bar located in the Smith Haven Mall where we first had the opportunity to experience his cuisine. Sonoma Grill has a menu that consists of a diverse selection spanning from Classic American, Italian, Asian and much more. This restaurant is family oriented as well as having very active bar scene.
We started out with fried zucchini chips and Asian teriyaki wings. The zucchini came with an amazing Dijon Horseradish dipping sauce. We both enjoyed the chips the only thing I would say is that a few were overcooked a bit too crispy. The wings were absolutely perfect. The coating on the wings was enhanced by the char-grilled finish and was served with a sesame ginger dipping sauce that complimented them very well. These are a must try for any wing lover. The wifey as usual had to try one of their specialty drinks. She opted for the Flirtini Martini which is Raspberry Vodka, Pineapple Juice and a splash of Raspberry Liqueur with a float of Champagne and a twist of Raspberry Melba sauce. Being that I'm the driver I get to enjoy my ice water every time. The entrees were Chicken Marsala Pizza for the hubby and Chicken Francese for the wifey. My pizza had a superb crust that was done just right. Now keeping in mind my cheese allergy my toppings were only the chicken Marsala and caramelized onions making it a little plain. I am sure that with the addition of the mozzarella they way it normally comes would bring it all together very nicely. My usual choice is the outstanding Blackened Chicken Wrap with the slow roasted, super spicy, thinly sliced Cajun chicken, red onion, lettuce and tomato with a spicy mayo dressing minus the provolone it comes with. My wife enjoyed her Chicken Francese dish immensely. Just enough lemon and cooked so that the Chicken remained moist and tender- Job well done! We wanted to end the meal with their own variation of Bread pudding that we happen to love and unfortunately they were all out of that evening. This is another must try item on their menu.
All in all this is a great all around neighborhood restaurant to pop into any day of the week.


For this visit they earn four out of five forks.

http://www.sonoma-grill.com/main.asp