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

 

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

Medley's, Islip

Even though I happen to enjoy the wifey-poo's cooking tremendously, I also enjoy dining out with her whenever we can. We wanted to try Medley's Restaurant and Lounge since opened in the quaint town of Islip. We had seen in advertisement in a local paper that they have an all you can eat special a few nights during the week and a Sunday Brunch both very reasonable priced. Upon being seated we had noticed that it was a "Pasta Night" all you can eat special that evening. The dishes looked and smelled very appealing but sadly to say I was not able to feast upon all of these dishes because of my allergy to cheese. So we decided to try some dishes off of their regular menu; but we do suggest anyone that is looking for a night of endless pasta trying Medley's Buffet. We both agreed on trying out the Homemade Beef Chili for our appetizer. I must say it was a very good chili served with water crackers. It is quite interesting the different variations chefs have with their idea of a perfect chili. Freddy the owner and Chef got this one right on with taste consistency and heat. As we were enjoying our appetizer Freddy introduced himself and some of the staff as well. He is a very nice guy with a very friendly personality. We both think is a big plus when you are trying to make a name for yourself and your restaurant. I opted for the Chicken Marsala and the wife chose the Medley's Pork Chop. We were both extremely happy with both dishes. The sear on the pork chop along with the caramelized onions and garlic wine sauce was a perfect combination. The Chef custom tailored the chicken Marsala to my taste; making it with olive oil in place of butter. He also uses a zucchini ring to wrap around some steamed veggies; very cool idea that makes a unique presentation. Over all a great experience from the food to the Chef and his staff. We chatted for some time with Freddy and mentioned that we would be back to try out their Sunday brunch with some friends.

They get 5 out of 5 forks!

http://www.medleysrestaurant.com

Classic American, West Babylon, NY (Revisited)

The hubby and I have been wanting to go back to this restaurant for some time now and the main reason is that we both were there the first night of the filming of the Kitchen Nightmare's episode. I was so excited about being there and also getting to meet one of my favorite chefs and TV personalities (plus he is a cutie).
I am happy to say that I did get to meet him the following day and the hubby took a great picture of us. Gordon Ramsay is truly a very nice guy and enjoyed meeting his fans. Well back to our thoughts of the restaurant. We had left work early one day and hubby suggested going back to Classic American Restaurant in West Babylon because he had been dying to try their Chef Ramsay tweaked hamburger since the airing of the show. I was hesitant because I remember how the food was and how our experience was with our first visit. But he twisted my arm so we stopped in at around 12:30. As soon as you walk in the doorbell rings... but no one came to greet us after being there for a few minutes. Eventually the gentleman who was fixing the toilet in the bathroom came over to us and seated us; which in this case was sign number 1 that this was going to be a nightmare, little pun there. Okay so after being seated and looking over the menu we both decided on the chili for an appetizer, unfortunately the waitress told us that the chili has not been made yet. Sign #2, it is lunchtime and the place was busy and you have not even begun to prepare a popular item on your daily menu. Oh boy where is Gordon Ramsay when you need him. We decided to skip apps and place our order for lunch which consisted of their house hamburger and I went for something lighter, the chicken Cesar salad. We also ordered a side of onion rings to share. Lets start with the hamburger; it was cooked exactly to order, however it was smothered in an odd tangy balsamic orange marmalade and topped with what they called coleslaw. Sign #3 the chicken that topped the salad was extremely dry and bland. The lettuce did not appear to be fresh and they replaced the olive tapenade with three lousy olives. Even as I write this I cannot fathom how anybody can screw up a simple salad. We both agreed the onion rings using red onions were unique and also tasted good. After a disappointing meal we did not want to risk having dessert so we opted for just coffee, which again we both agreed was an excellent cup of Joe. To top it all off when we got the check the Cesar Salad that was $10.00 on the menu was $11.00 on the receipt after she corrected herself from $12.00 she originally wrote (Oh Boy!). As a final thought I just want to say that after having been so fortunate to have had a great chef and businessman come in to show you how to operate a restaurant properly only a few months prior should not result in a service and experience as we had that day. In conclusion if you are in the mood for onion rings and a good cup of coffee this is the place to go....

They get 2 Forks this visit.

http://www.classicamericanrestaurant.com