AlwaysStrong: Pretzel Burger and Lobster Roll at Friendly’s
Arthur Bovino — August 09, 2010
The Reese’s Pieces Sundae and the Soft Pretzel Bacon Burger at Friendly’s.
Restaurant: Friendly’s Restaurant
Address: 2640 Merrick Road, Bellmore, NY 11710
Contact: (516)221-2286
Hours: Sun-Thur, 8:00am-12:00am, Fri – Sat, 8:00am-1:00am
Grade: C-
Recommended Dishes: Ice Cream.
The Friendly’s sign, there it was, a double-sided beacon of wonder in the night, one side demanding passers-by to “TRY OUR NEW SOFT PRETZEL BACON BURGER,” the other side proclaiming, “MAINE LOBSTER ROLLS WITH FRIES AND SLAW ONLY $11.99.”
That’s not quite a swerve your car to the side of the road situation, but it’s too tempting not to investigate. Friendly’s has been around for 75 years, they must be doing something right, right?
Pretzel Burgers, Lobster Rolls, and Grilled Cheese Burgers at Friendly's >>
AlwaysStrong: Lola (Great Neck, Long Island)
GutterGourmet — June 18, 2010
Lola Duck à la Yuzu Orange, the signature dish at Lola in Great Neck.
Restaurant: Lola
Location: 13 Middle Neck Road, Great Neck
Contact: (516)466-5666
Hours: Tue-Fri, Lunch, 12:00pm-3:00pm; Bar Specials, 5:00pm-6:30pm; Dinner, 5:30pm-10pm. Thur-Sat, Dinner, 5:30pm-11:00pm. Sun, dinner, 4:00pm-10:00pm.
Grade: A-
Recommended Dishes: Whole Lola Duck.
“Well I’m not dumb but I can’t understand
Why she walked like a woman and talked like a man
Oh my Lola lo-lo-lo-lo Lola lo-lo-lo-lo Lola.”
— Lola, The Kinks
Looks can be deceiving. So it is with Lola on Long Island. You’d never expect to find a restaurant of such quality with these ingredients, and a chef of this stature on Middle Neck Road in the heart of Great Neck. But, we shouldn’t be surprised by Lola’s chef and owner, Michael Ginor. After all, he is not only the author of my all-time favorite cookbook, “Foie Gras: A Passion,” he is also the founder and owner of Hudson Valley Foie Gras, the upstate producer and purveyor of foie gras.
AlwaysStrong: Peter’s Clam Bar
Arthur Bovino — June 04, 2010
Clockwise from top: Littleneck Clams at Peter’s Clam Bar, overlooking Empire Point Marina from the deck behind Peter’s Clam Bar in Island Park.
Restaurant: Peter’s Clam Bar
Address: 600 Long Beach Rd, Island Park, NY, 11558
Contact: (516) 432-0505
Clam Bar Hours: Mon-Thu, 11:30am-10:00pm; Fri-Sun, 12:00am-10:00pm
Restaurant Hours: Mon-Thu, 12:00pm-10:00pm; Fri-Sun, 12:00PM-11:00PM
Notes: Clam Bar closes the third week of September.
Grade: B-
Recommended Dishes: Lobster Bisque, Littlenecks, Cherrystones, Baked Clams (must), White Wine and Garlic Steamed Clams, Bowl of Steamers.
The cash-only deck out back where you watch kids on the rocks cast lines into Shell Harbor. Barstools out front. Clams. Oysters. The calming bob of boats at the piers of Empire Point Marina. And of course, the crowds when work is out or the weekend begins. For many Long Islanders from the South Shore, whether it’s 90 degrees out or not, it isn’t summer until Peter’s Clam Bar reopens.
More photographs at Peter's Clam Bar in Island Park >>
HungryHamptons: Best of Long Island and the Hamptons
June 04, 2010
Food pit-stops for your drive out to the Hamptons, and what to eat once you arrive.
Summer is here, and with it begins the weekly Friday trips to the Hamptons. If you’re driving, and looking for culinary distractions from traffic, there are plenty of pit-stops to make along the way. So we’ve created a map of all the delicious things you find on Long Island, and a guide to the best food in the Hamptons for when you finally arrive.
HUNGRYHAMPTONS: WHERE TO EAT ON THE DRIVE
Some of the places to hit along the LIE on the way out, including some that are off the beaten path if you’re in the mood for adventuring.
HUNGRYHAMPTONS: BEST OF THE HAMPTONS 2010
From jelly doughnuts, to soft shell crab sandwiches, skillet fried chicken and ribs to lobster rolls— where to go and what to get when you’re out there.
AlwaysInformed: Eddie’s Pizza Truck Debuts June 10th
Arthur Bovino — May 27, 2010
Plain Thin Crust Pizza at Eddie’s in New Hyde Park on Long Island, “Home of the Bar Pie.”
Courtesy of the Always Hungry Twitter feed, we hear that the new truck by Eddie’s Pizza, which was first reported by Slice as slated to hit the City’s streets in late May, has pinpointed an actual planned day to start serving their bar pies while on the move: June 10th.
If you haven’t eaten at Eddie’s before, and you’re planning your weekend Hamptons trip, check out HungryHamptons: Where to Eat on the Drive for the details on how to get there.
HungryHamptons: Best of the Hamptons 2010
Jeff Zalaznick — May 26, 2010
Always Hungry’s guide to the best places to eat in the Hamptons.
We have already put together a user-friendly guide to what and where you should eat while you are driving to the Hamptons, so now we can move on to the fun stuff. A guide to the best foods that the Hamptons has to offer. What to eat when you get there. From jelly doughnuts, to soft shell crab sandwiches, to big nights out for dinner, these are the best things that you can put in your mouth this summer. Print this baby out, unleash your inner fat kid, enjoy the AlwaysHungry 2010 Hamptons Guide, and start crossing these off your summer to-do list.
HungryHamptons: Where to Eat on the Drive
Jeff Zalaznick — May 26, 2010
Always Hungry’s guide to where to stop along the LIE for good food on your way to the Hamptons.
Summer is finally here, and with it comes the weekly Friday trips out East to the Hamptons. As we will all find ourselves sitting in perturbing amounts of traffic on the Long Island Expressway (LIE/495) over the next few months, we thought that it would be kind to put together a map of all of the delicious things along the way where you can stop to satisfy your hunger and to break up the trip. All of these locations are also accessible if you take the GCP/Northern State, but that you will have to map for yourself. The conclusion: there is actually some great food that is worth eating on Long Island—you just have to know where to find it. You’re Welcome.
HungryHamptons: Navy Beach (Montauk, Long Island)
Arthur Bovino — May 21, 2010
Navy Burger with Onion Bacon Marmalade, Hand-cut Fries, and House Pickles at Navy Beach.
Restaurant: Navy Beach
Address: 16 Navy Road, Montauk, NY 11954
By Boat: 41° 02′ 45.11″N, -71° 57′ 44.88″W
Contact: (631) 668-6868
Hours: Thur, 3:30pm-12:00am; Fri, 3:30pm-12:00am; Sat, 12:00pm-12:00am; Sun, 11:30am-12:00pm; Mon, 3:30pm-12:00am.
Grade: A-
Recommended Dishes: Littleneck Clams, Navy Burger, C.M.P. Sundae.
Past Lunch, beyond the Clam Bar at Napeague, just off 27 and the turn for 2nd House Road, there’s a new addition to the Hamptons dining scene in Montauk: Navy Beach. Sand, water, picnic tables, and tiki torches, the old Sunset Saloon has been whitewashed, the interior redesigned, with chef Paul LaBue in the kitchen. The project is backed by partners Frank Davis and his wife Kristina Davis, and Leyla Marchetto of Scuderia and her fiancée, Franklin Ferguson.
Survey Navy Beach, your toes in Fort Pond Bay, or catch a glimpse of a classic Mustang parked outside, and you glean its black-and-white postcard quality. There are open portals behind the bar, rods and lures at the door, and framed vintage bathing suits in a dining room with thick wood beams and rattan windowshades. Boaters are being encouraged to anchor and come for dinner. They, and anyone nautically-inclined will notice the message spelled out in naval flags under the bar: DRINK. It was the brainchild of the woman behind the restaurant’s design touches, Kristina Davis.
Photographs of the food at Navy Beach >>
AlwaysStrong: Pretzel Crust Pizza at Pietro’s (East Meadow)
Arthur Bovino — May 14, 2010
Pretzel Crust Pietro’s Speciale Pizza at Pietro’s Pizzeria in East Meadow.
Location: Pietro’s Pizzeria & Italian Kitchen
Address: 476 East Meadow Ave, East Meadow, NY
Contact: (516) 794-8820
Hours: Mon-Thu, 11:00am-10:00pm; Fri-Sat, 11:00am-12:00am; Sun, 12:00pm-10:00pm.
Grade: C+
Recommended Dishes: Sesame Crust Pizza, Pretzel Crust Pizza.
You’re driving through East Meadow, nearing Pietro’s Pizzeria and Italian Kitchen and you see a neon sign declaring Pietro’s place in the universe: “Home of the Original Sesame Seed Edge Pizza.” “Really?” you’re thinking, “They invented it in East Meadow?” You pull the car over, tires squealing, but before your mind wanders far down the very winding road of the origins of sesame crust, the menu grabs your attention again: “Try Our Sesame, Onion, Garlic, Pretzel or Poppy Seed Edge – Free on request.” Pretzel Crust Pizza?
AlwaysStrong: Maureen’s Kitchen (Smithtown, Long Island)
Arthur Bovino — April 09, 2010
The Oreo Pancakes at the bovine-themed Maureen’s Kitchen in Smithtown on Long Island.
Restaurant: Maureen’s Kitchen
Address: 1 Larson Avenue, Smithtown, NY 11787
Hours: Mon, 6:00am-3:00pm; Tues: 6:00am- 3:00pm, Wed, 6:00am-3:00pm; Thurs, 6:00am-3:00pm; Fri, 6:00am-3:00pm, Sat, 7:00am-1:45pm; Sun, 7:00am-1:45pm.
Contact: (631) 360-9227
Note: Cash only. No reservations.
Grade: A
Recommended Dishes: Muffins, Baked Oatmeal, Oreo Pancakes, Stuffed French Toast.
“My dream is to take this to the next level,” said Kevin Dernbach, who along with his sister, Christine Fortier, owns Maureen’s Kitchen. “I want to expand, open a few more locations.” Where? “Anywhere, I really have a lot of passion for what I do. The way we’re set up, we’re either going to do it pretty soon or we’re not going to do it. That’s why we worked for 25 years, and broke our asses in this business.”
Cow statues outside. A cow head mounted on the façade. Cow paintings. Black and white mottled tablecloths, booths, and mugs. Little about Maureen’s Kitchen is subtle, or a secret. But, if ever there was a restaurant that needed to be written about by a guy named Bovino, Maureen’s Kitchen is it.
More Photographs at Maureen's Kitchen >>
AlwaysStrong: Marshall’s Ice Cream Bar (Massapequa)
Arthur Bovino — April 02, 2010
Marshall’s Ice Cream Bar in Massapequa, Long Island.
Restaurant: Marshall’s Ice Cream Bar
Address: 4270 Merrick Road, Massapequa, NY 11758
Contact: (516) 798-9723
Hours: Daily, 10:30am-10:30pm.
Grade: A
Recommended Dishes: Pistachio Soft-Serve, Banana Cocolate Chip Ice Cream, Peanut Butter Fluff Ice Cream, Hot Fudge Sundae with Homemade Sprinkles.
All American Drive-In may be the more well-known 50’s style fast-food joint on Merrick Road in Massapequa, Long Island, but Marshall’s Ice Cream Bar next door precedes it by eleven years. Phillip Vultaggio opened it as a Carvel in 1952 on the edge of what was a golf course. In 2004 his daughter, Diane and her husband Jan Marshall, went private. “We were one of the longest running Carvels in the franchise at the time,” said their daughter, Iole Marshall.
AlwaysStrong: Bonanza’s (Oyster Bay, Long Island)
Arthur Bovino — March 12, 2010
Bonanza Fries at Bonanza’s in Oyster Bay on Long Island.
Location: Bonanza’s
Address: 25 Shore Ave, Oyster Bay, NY 11771
Contact: (516) 922-7796
Hours: Winter, daily, 11:00am-4:00pm; Summer, 11:00am-close (usually around 8:00pm).
Grade: A-
Always Hungry Recommends: Bonanza Dog, Bonanza Fries, and Raspberry and Peach Ices Combined.
Long before the Western, the name Bonanza on Long Island has been associated with homemade Italian ices. Given that Bonanza’s was started by John “Chick” Bonanza 115 years ago, this family-run business almost stretches back to a time when the Old West existed. These days, their little red shack is just as associated with dogs and fries doused with great, messy, piles of dripping chili and cheese. They’re made the way you would have made them for yourself when you were a kid if someone had let you.
AlwaysStrong: Eddie’s Pizza (New Hyde Park, Long Island)
Arthur Bovino — March 10, 2010
Plain Thin Crust Pizza at Eddie’s in New Hyde Park on Long Island, “Home of the Bar Pie.”
It is exciting news that Eddie’s is planning to plant a flag in Manhattan with a food truck that will sell pizza featuring par-baked versions of their signature cracker-thin crusts. Bar pizza goes mobile! Can you get a tumbler of Jack on the rocks with that?
Look, it’s not that Eddie’s is the world’s best pizza, but there is something about the quasi-matzoh crust that makes it a great pace-changer between typical New York slices. Given how thin it is, it will be interesting to see how everyone adapts to eating it on the run in the city. At the New Hyde Park location, the slices are foldable, so you could technically do the two-fold move, and walk with them. The fact that they’re not very filling may mean that the lunch move is the 16-incher.
In honor of the news, here are photographs of a meal at the original location.
AlwaysStrong: Bigelow’s (Rockville Center, Long Island)
Arthur Bovino — February 19, 2010
Bigelow’s Ipswich Clam Burger.
Restaurant: Bigelow’s
Address: 79 North Long Beach Road, Rockville Center
Hours: Mon-Thur, 11am-9pm; Fri-Sat, 11am-10pm; Sun, 12pm-9pm
Contact: (516)678-3878
Notes: Cash only (ATM inside)
Grade: A
Always Hungry Recommends: New England Clam Chowder, Buffalo Popcorn Shrimp, Ipswich Clams (Burger)
It’s not that Bigelow’s is a secret. There are Chowhound threads, and write-ups in The Times every few years. It’s just that it is good. Why? The tiny clam shack does fried seafood that reminds you what summer is like, or acts as a figurative flag planted in June that declares summer’s arrival.
Bigelow’s is in Rockville Center just off Sunrise Highway at the edge of town. They’ve been frying Ipswich Clams in the style Russ Bigelow learned while working at hotels in New England, since he opened up in 1939. The Andreolas brothers (Christo, William and Anthony), who have owned it since 1991, take pride in the fact that the method hasn’t changed much.
AlwaysStrong: Breadzilla (Wainscott, Long Island)
Arthur Bovino — January 11, 2010
Shrimp Salad Sandwich on Squishy Bread.
Location: Breadzilla (map)
Address: 84 Wainscott Northwest Road, Wainscott, NY
Hours: Mon, closed; Tues-Sat, 8am-4pm (lunch, 11:30am-2:30pm); Sun, 8am-3pm (lunch, 11:30am-1:30pm)
Contact: (631)537-0955
Always Hungry Grade: A-
Always Hungry Recommends: Shrimp Salad Sandwich on Squishy Bread
What possesses the Always Hungry Crew to go on a road trip to the Hamptons in a snowstorm at the crack of the new year? The answer is the good fortune that happenstance brings. Like when you eat something you would never order because you arrive at a place nine minutes after lunch ends and that’s what you’re given after begging the kitchen to make you something, anything. That’s what happened recently with a Shrimp Salad Sandwich at Breadzilla, the East Hampton sandwich shop.
For the uninitiated, Breadzilla the bakery is open Tuesday through Saturday, 8am to 4pm, but lunch is only served until 2:30pm (1:30pm, Sundays). A menu featuring about 20 to 25 options goes online about 11am (with photocopies at the counter). As noted on Serious Eats New York some of the sandwiches seem like “mad scientist creations.” The handwritten menu changes daily and has something Shopsin’s-like about it. The three or four items at the bottom are the ones you’ll find consistently. They are: Spicy Tuna Jade on 8 Grain ($8.95), the Zilla Melt ($8.95), and two sandwiches on “Squishy” Bread, Tuna Salad ($6.95) and Egg Salad ($5.95).
Given the more complicated, enticing options that were on the menu (Ribs and Potato Salad, Gooey Cheezy Roasty Beasty, Steadkadilla, and the Crispy Duck Wrap), Shrimp Salad Sandwich would normally be one of the last things selected. But it was incredible. Full of unchopped, tender shrimp with the texture of the amaebi you’d get at one of the City’s better sushi restaurants. Barely dressed with mayo and seasoned just enough, so the fresh flavor of the shrimp was the focus. Beautiful.
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