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

 

Mama Lombardi's Holbrook, NY

I must be honest about this place; it is by far the best Italian food I have ever had besides my mothers. Mama Lombardi's restaurant, Pork Store and Catering Halls are all top notch. From the service they provide to the ingredients they use and their expertise in preparations. We were married at Villa Lombardi's their catering hall located next door to Mama Lombardi's Restaurant in Holbrook; people talked about our wedding for years as far as being one of the best weddings they ever attended. We also frequent Lombardi's Market for one of the best pork store, bakery, butcher shop, Italian specialty and then some store.
We have gone to Mama Lombardi's on our anniversary every year since we have been married and this year was no exception. I started with the Grilled Calamari Salad. This is perfectly char-grilled calamari over baby field greens and red roasted peppers with a lemon olive oil vinaigrette. Mama Mia! Need I say more. The wifey poo had their Caesar Salad that she loves top with shaved Parmigiano Reggiano. For the main course I had the Mama's Special Zuppa Di Pesce which is served on a family style platter (yes I finished it all myself...no doggy bag required) this amazes the waiter every time. You get about a half pound of perfectly cooked to al dente Linguine topped with a massive amount of seafood including Clams, Shrimp, Lobster, Mussels, and Calamari in a marinara sauce made of the finest San Marzano Tomato's. I really can not say enough good things, words just can't do it justice this is a must try for the seafood lover. The wifey (who gets a doggy bag every time) had the Chicken Pollatine with Angel Hair pasta. The chicken is stuffed with Prosciutto and Mozzarella and comes in a Marsala wine and mushroom sauce. Even after all that I still had room for a light dessert. We shared a Lombardi's Delight; a custard with fresh berries topped with homemade whip cream. I may not have stressed it enough in the preceding so I'll say this...If you want Neapolitan cuisine any better than this Fugetaboutit!!! you"ll need to break out the passport
and head to Italy.

This time as well as every other time we have been there they get 5 out of 5 Forks!
(we may have to create something for these places that exceed our rating scale)

http://www.mammalombardis.com