Manninos in Commack is different from their other restaurants. It’s a small restaurant that has a high quality service. Their food is delicious and even the left over’s taste great the next day. Their Chicken Mannino is amazing! It’s a breast of chicken that is lightly breaded topped with fresh plum tomatoes, bermuda onion and fresh mozzarella in a balsamic and olive oil vinaigrette. Manninos is a great place to take a date or go out to dinner with the family. It’s small, quiet, and personal. The staff is polite and always attentive.

The dinner menu is a little bit pricey, but the lunch menu is reasonable and still delicious. Their serving size is large they make sure you leave with a full stomach to ensure that their job was done correctly. One you go to Manninos and try their food you’ll want to go back again and again. Manninos is located on 169 Commack Road, Commack NY 11725.

kb

Quetzalcoatl in Huntington

If great Mexican food is what you’re in the mood for tonight then Quetzalcoatl in Huntington is the place to go! Their long list of freshly made food will satisfy any craving you may have. For an appetizer try the Nachos Deluxe it has freshly homemade chips topped with melted cheese, refried beans, lettuce, sour cream, jalapenos, pico de gallo, guacamole and grated cheese. But make sure you save room for your entrée because the servings are big. I tried the empanadas which are homemade corn tortillas shells filled with your choice of chicken, huitlacoche or beef, fried and served with a chiquita salad, rice, beans, and sprinkled with grated cheese. No matter what you get on the menu you are sure to have an amazing meal.

Quetzalcoatl is located on 296 Main Street in Huntington NY 11743. Monday through Thursday they are opened from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday they are opened till 11 p.m. and Sunday 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Quetzalcoatl is a great place to eat with friends and family! You'll leave happy and full. 



kb

Gino's Tuscany Restaurant and Pizzeria

As an Italian, I am a very harsh critic of many Italian restaurants. Since I eat normally eat homemade Italian food every night for dinner, I do not go to Italian restaurants very often. When I do, however, I am only going to go somewhere with food as delicious as Gino’s Tuscany Restaurant and Pizzeria.  

Eggplant Rollatini



On a Friday or Saturday night, expect a long wait. Gino’s is always crowded during the weekend dinner rush, but that only solidifies that the food is so amazing that people do not mind the half hour or more wait. Come hungry because portion sizes are big, and everything from their appetizers to entrees are simply flawless. One of Gino’s signature items is their Sicilian pizza. Cooked perfectly crisp with just the right amount of sweet tomato sauce and quality mozzarella cheese, the Sicilian sliced pizza is a must-have at Gino’s! Also, Gino’s menu also specifies specific items that are heart healthy like the Grilled Chicken Balsamic. It is three very large pieces of chicken breast marinated in light balsamic vinaigrette topped with onions. It is absolutely delectable!

At Gino’s everyone feels like they are a part of a large Italian family enjoying themselves at Sunday dinner. The entrees are delicious and large, the staff is friendly, courteous, and attentive, and the prices are very agreeable. Gino’s Tuscany Restaurant and Pizzeria is located at 5159 Merrick Road in Massapequa Park.

-MC

Energy Kitchen in Syosset

I literally live about 5 minutes away from this Energy Kitchen location and I never even heard of it or knew it existed until 2 days ago. I was completely drawn to the place because of its motto,” Fast Food, Not Fat Food.” Catchy and something I am always looking for: guilt-free food on the go. Second thing I noticed: this place was completely packed for lunch! Everyone from the hospital staff across the street to the law offices down the block dine here around lunchtime.

I decided to drag my boyfriend here last night for dinner to see what it is all about. Once inside, my first impression of the restaurant was that it is impeccably clean and it definitely strives that nothing on the menu is over 500 calories or fried. Also, there was an overwhelming variety of food to choose from and everything sounded amazing.

However, my first gripe with the restaurant was with the beverage selections it provided. The only drinks available were water, fountain diet soda or unsweetened iced tea, or zero-calorie Vitamin Water. Other than that, you can order an overpriced freshly made smoothie or you are out of luck. For my boyfriend, this was a huge problem. He hates anything diet or zero-caloried, and having water with a burger for dinner is simply unacceptable. I understand that they are staying true to the non–fat content or no unnecessary sugar added to their customer’s diet, but I feel that they could provide a better selection of drink options to the menu. Besides, diet soda is not a healthy selection! Serving fresh unsweetened ice tea in more than one flavor is probably a better and more health conscious option.

My second complaint with Energy Kitchen was the prices. For only the two of us, we spent barely less than $30 dollars. We didn’t even order anything too extravagant! I ordered a kitchen chopped salad with a side of mixed vegetables and a fountain diet soda and my boyfriend ordered a smoothie and a sirloin burger with a side of baked French fries and black bean & mango salad. Nothing over-the-top, but the meal begins to get pricey when you order sides, and believe me, you need to order a side or you will still be hungry.

Overall, I did enjoy my dinner. Everything was extremely tasty and I did not feel overfull or sluggish after my meal. However, I feel that this is more of a girl-friendly atmosphere. Boys, in my opinion, will be more likely to be unsatisfied with the meal. Portion sizes are not big, but they do fill you up. However, it is your eyes and your wallet going, “This is it?” I will definitely eat here again and I do recommend trying it. They have about 8 locations in the city and you can even order your meals online!

-MC

Olio Ristorante in Commack

Olio in Commack has a large selection of specialty pizzas. The prices range depending on what you order, but the food is worth it. The buffalo chicken pizza is delicious. The chicken is spicy and not dried out, but if spicy isn't your taste I recommend the salad slice. The salad is topped with their homemade salad dressing. The restaurant has a small dining room, but it sets up a nice atmosphere for costumers.

Olio is located on 5990 Jericho Turnpike and if you’re not in the mood for pizza try something from their take out menu. They offer authentic italian dishes that taste fresh. Olio is also associated with O Sole Mio, La Scala, Buona Sera, and Caffe Amici. If you’re ever craving italian Olio is the way to go.

kb

Dallas BBQ in NYC

This past Wednesday I went into the city and ate at Dallas BBQ in Times Square. The two story restaurant is loud, busy, and popular amongst tourists. Upstairs is for bigger parties and has a bigger dining hall. They even offer different packages for group and tour travels.

The food is a reasonable price and their menu has a wide variety of choices. They have many different types of burgers including a veggie burger. You can even get a little of everything in their combo meals. Everything is bigger in Texas including their drinks. And at Dallas BBQ their drinks are big! Their colorful frozen drinks can stratify your thirst. Dallas BBQ has nine lactations all spread around NCY. I recommend Dallas BBQ to anyone who wants to have a great meal in the city.

kb

Pollos el Paisa in Westbury

Your first impression of Pollos el Paisa will probably be: “Wow, what a small place!” However, the saying, “Good things come in small packages,” only begins to describe the experience in which you will embark on when dining there.

Don’t get me wrong, the restaurant is extremely tiny. They seemed to somehow squeeze in the amount of tables in a space that should be double the size. I would not recommend coming here for as a large party, but for a small group of people is ideal for a place such as Pollos el Paisa.

Most importantly, the food is outrageously delicious. The prices are extremely inexpensive and the plate portions are huge. Every inch of the plate is covered with food. Although the menu provides a wide variety of food, the trying namesake of Pollos el Paisa is a must! The rotisserie chickens are marinated and cooked to perfection. These birds are impeccably flavored. The savory juices surprise your mouth and it is love at first bite!

The last time I was there, I decided to try something new and not from the rotisserie side of the menu. A native dish of Columbia, Bistec a Caballo is a dish consisting of a top round steak sitting under a tomato sauce topped with two fried eggs. I never had an egg over a steak before, but now I absolutely love the combination. The tender steak and lightly salted egg complement one another excellently.

To get a small taste of the whole menu in one dish, try the mountain platter or the Bandeja Paisa. It includes chicken plus fried pork belly, grilled skirt steak, a fried egg, plantains, avocado, rice and beans. All of that delicious, mouthwatering food in one dish is priced at less than $12! You can’t beat that price.

Also, to truly get a feel of Colombian cuisine: ask your server for the list of Colombian drinks that they carry. Besides the shakes, one of my favorite things to drink there is an apple soda called Postobon de Manzana. It is so rich in apples that you definitely order a second!

All in all, Pollos el Paisa provides an enjoyable environment with a courteous wait staff, wallet friendly prices, and out-of-this-world authentic Colombian cuisine. Are you curious for a taste? For more information visit their website at http://www.polloselpaisali.com, or just stop by! Pollos el Paisa is located at 989 Old Country Road in Westbury.

-MC

Breakfast at IHOP

When you think of going out to breakfast, many people immediately think of the International House of Pancakes. Not only are they famously known for their rich and creamy pancakes, but everything from their home fries to omelets is anything short of heavenly delicious. I used to think that going to IHOP meant eating food heavily cooked in butter or saturated in grease. However, IHOP has a new menu specifically catered to individuals trying to watch their carbohydrate intake and sodium content. The new Simple & Fit option is sporadically located throughout the menu to allow customers to see various alternatives to their favorite dishes within their nutritious goals. 

Last week, my friend and I recently took considerate advantage of this aspect of the menu as we treated ourselves to an IHOP breakfast. Against my better judgment, however, I simply had to indulge in an International House Roast French Vanilla Coffee.  It is one of my favorite things to get at IHOP, especially because it is generously topped with whipped cream.

Sticking true to our new-found diets, we both ordered the Spinach, Mushroom, and Tomato Omelet from the Simple & Fit category of the menu. For only 330 calories, I happily ate an omelet made with egg substitute, fresh spinach, mushrooms, onions, Swiss cheese, and diced tomatoes. Also, seasonal fresh fruit are served a substitute to the home fries. The entire plate was completely up to par with IHOP standards, and I did not even miss the bacon, sausage, or home fries that usually accompany my dish.

I know that for many people, my IHOP experience will be very different. IHOP is prominently known for their buttermilk pancakes made from simple and wholesome ingredients. Nothing from the Simple & Fit menu can over compete with classic choices and mouthwatering items from IHOP, but for those that want to indulge in breakfast outside of home without feeling guilty: IHOP has a considerable amount of tasty options that will leave you and your stomach feeling very satisfied. 

-MC

Samurai in Huntington Village

Samurai in Huntington Village is a great place to eat with a large group of friends. It has 12 hibachi tables set in areas that can be sectioned off for private parties. To have your own side of hibachi you need at least 7 people and to have an entire hibachi table you need at least 15 people. The private party rooms can accommodate 15 to 125 guests. You don’t have to order hibachi dishes if you are seated at the hibachi table, but the hibachi chicken and steak are both delicious. The hibachi entrees include 2pc shrimp appetizers, onion soup, salad, and white rice. Hibachi is a little bit on the pricey side, but you are getting a lot of food for your money.  

On Mondays Samurai is closed and Tuesday-Thursday and Sundays they are opened from 3:30p.m. -11p.m. Friday and Saturday they are opened from 3:30p.m. - 12a.m. They are located at 46a Gerard St. Huntington, NY 11743. They are located at the corner of Gerard St. and Wall St. or across from the Huntington Village movie theater. They take reservations, but you will lose your reservations if you are more than 15 minutes late. Hibachi is a deliciously entertaining experience that I recommend you try!

kb

Jani in Hicksville

On Thursday I went to a local restaurant called Jani. It is the perfect place to go if you cannot decide whether or not to have Chinese or Japanese food.  Jani conveniently serves both! The menu is very large in order to satisfy all cravings. Prices are very reasonable too. For those of us dining on a budget, The North Shore Clipper Magazine usually has coupons to make your overall dining experience even more enjoyable.  

To give you a taste of both menus, we ordered from both. I ordered Two Flavor Chicken off of the Chinese side of the menu. It consists of two different tastes of chicken served side by side. One is shredded white meat chicken with sliced vegetable in garlic sauce. The other is thinly cut white meat chicken with snow peas, water chestnuts, carrots, mushrooms in a wine sauce. The chicken is separated by a sliced orange down the center of the plate. I suggest taking the orange and squeezing it over both types of chicken. It gives the dish an added tangy and citrusy taste, and makes the meal that much more delectable.

My boyfriend ordered his meal of the Japanese menu. He loves sushi and ordered the Box A dinner special. His dish was prepared in a traditional style bento box. For those that are not familiar with a bento box, it is a large rectangular shaped box containing smaller boxes that completely separate the different portions of food on the plate. The Box A special included the following: six pieces of sushi, two white fish, two tuna, and two salmon; chicken teriyaki, white rice, and a small salad served with ginger dressing, To complete his Japanese themed entree, he also ordered a Sapporo,  a Japanese beer.  I definitely recommended trying one the next time you dine in a Japanese restaurant. It is very different with a light, refreshing taste.

There are two Jani locations: one in Huntington and one in Hicksville. Although I have been to both, I personally prefer the one in Hicksville. First at foremost, the food at the Jani in Hicksville is always delicious. If you are getting something as typical as Chicken and Broccoli, or if you decide to become adventurous and try something completely foreign such as Szechuan Delight, the food is always perfectly cooked and extremely tasteful. Secondly, the staff at Jani in Hicksville is the nicest and they are very accommodating.  Upon entering, you will always be greeted by the owner of the restaurant. He is also the person to promptly seat you and your party at your table. His exceptional service and genuine care for his customers is always reciprocated by his patrons. Obviously, customer service is a high priority for the staff of Jani. They show it in every aspect of their job. It is always great to know that when I go there for lunch or dinner, I will be seeing friendly, familiar faces, and I will soon be enjoying wonderful Japanese or Chinese cuisine.

Jani Chinese & Japanese Cuisine is located at 260 North Broadway. It is only two short blocks away from the Broadway Mall in Hicksville. Do not forget to look in the North Shore Clipper Magazine for coupons. We saved $5 off our bill and you can too! Enjoy!

-MC

Dixie's in Kings Park

Dixie’s Smokehouse in Kings Park is the perfect place to go for BBQ. The restaurant is hidden inside of a shopping center right before the train station. They have a small dining room that is always packed. There food is inexpensive and amazing. For their side you have 13 choices, but I recommend the macaroni and cheese because it is thick and creamy. Each entrée comes with corn bread and the corn bread is warm, moist, and fresh. No matter what your entrée is it is going to taste great!

Dixie’s Smokehouse is a great place to go if you’re craving Texas BBQ and rotisserie. They are located at 12 Indian Head Road Kings Park, NY 11754. Their mouth watering food will have to coming back for more. The service is friendly and attentive. Once you try Dixie’s it will become one of your favorite places.

kb

Novita Trattortia and Wine Bar in Garden City

Located in the heart of Garden City, Novita Trattortia and Wine Bar is a trendy, but cozy location with an excellent wine selection. It does not matter when you go, there is always a decent amount of people inside, especially by the bar and high top tables. They seem to have a very loyal clientele, and with the great weekly deals and superb wine selection, it is no wonder why Novita has its customers constantly coming back for more.  It is on the pricier side, but it is definitely worth saving your money to enjoy a night out sipping wine and eating absolutely delicious Italian food.

I went there last night to catch up with two of my old friends from high school. We all follow traditional Lenten practices and were all prepared to enjoy our meals without meat. It was hard, especially since many meat options on the menu are extremely delectable, such as prosciutto white pie and the chianti marinated skirt steak. However, we had options that were equally as appetizing. We decided to share three dishes, and we also ordered the fondue appetizer to start. Yes, we went overboard, but it is not very often that we see each other and we decided to celebrate!

The fondue appetizer consisted of provolone, fontina, and parmesan cheese cooked with prosecco wine. As dippers to this amazing fondue are sliced apples, grapes, and cubed pieces of warm focaccia bread. I have only been to Novita three times, and every time I come, I must get this appetizer. It is perfect and a must-have for all cheese lovers. For our entrees, we ordered five mushroom truffle, a thin-crusted white pizza made with creamy ricotta cheese topped with mushrooms, polenta crusted calamari served with a spicy marinara sauce, and baked parmesan spinach and artichoke dip served with warm, homemade potato crisps.  However, what completed our entire meal and experience was our wine. We bought a bottle of Cadonini Pinot Grigio. It is probably one of the cheapest wines one the menu, but it is still very delicious and fruity with a hint of citrus. Sadly, I wish I remembered to take more pictures of the dishes we chose. I only was able to take a picture of the last two pieces of the Five Mushroom Truffle Pizza. 

I absolutely love going to Novita Trattortia and Wine Bar. Like I said, it can be quite expensive (luckily my friend gets a discount), but sometimes the price can be worth it due to the overall quality of food and the enjoyable atmosphere that Novita provides to its patrons. Although I have never had to wait for a table, I recommend making a reservation especially for parties of over 2 people after 7pm.  Novita is located in 860 Franklin Avenue in Garden City.


- MC

Black Forest Haus In Farmingdale

Typically when I am intending to go out to dinner, my usual “go-to” restaurants are not serving German cuisine. In fact, I have never even been to an exclusively German restaurant until this experience.

Unfortunately, when my boyfriend and I arrived at Black Forest Brew Haus in Farmingdale, they had already stopped seating people to dine inside. However, we were more than welcome to order food to go.  Since German food was completely new for the both of us, we wanted to have as authentic of a meal as possible. We ordered two entrees that are from the German Specialties section of the menu: Jager Schnitzel (plate on the right) and the Plowman’s Platter (plate on the left). My boyfriend’s dish, the Plowman’s Platter consisted of grilled veal bratwurst, knockwurst, and pork bratwurst braised in the restaurant’s homemade lager and sauerkraut and German potato salad as sides. My dish was tender breaded veal cutlet pan-fried and smothered in brown gravy with mushrooms, and potato dumplings and red cabbage were served as sides. In addition to our meals, we also ordered handmade soft pretzels, and an extra side of red cabbage. Our ravenous appetites served us well because the restaurant has a policy that if you spend over a certain amount of money, the Black Forest Brew Haus gives you a complimentary ½ gallon jug of homemade beer!

It was not until we finally arrived home and set up our plates that we realized how much food we ordered. The portion sizes were extremely large and everything smelled incredible. The homemade pretzels were absolutely delicious and my veal was cooked to absolute perfection. My boyfriend undoubtably loved his meal; he cleaned his entire plate! I am not a typical beer drinker, but I definitely enjoyed our free jug with our meal. It was light and not overly foamy. It went perfect with our enterees and I would positively recommend trying it.

Another awesome aspect to the restaurant is that they are currently serving non-meat specials during the Catholic season of Lent. This is even great for all of the vegetarians out there that would love to encounter a taste of German excellence without feeling limited by the menu.  

Even though I did not dine inside Black Forest Haus, I had a generally amazing first-time experience. My level of satisfaction was of complete delight especially towards the quality of food I chose off the “to-go” menu.  The food was absolutely delicious and although I only had a brief meeting with the staff, they were all extremely friendly and accommodating.  Also, the atmosphere inside feels fun and exciting. They have events for almost every night of the week, and I look forward to dining inside next time!

Black Forest Haus is located minutes away from Suny Farmingdale at 2015 New Highway in Farmingdale. Be sure to check out their website at http://www.blackforestbrewhaus.com/ordereze/default.aspx. It offers everything from gift cards, to event calendars, and menu options.

Enjoy!

MC

Aki in East Northport

Aki in East Northport serves up the best Japanese cuisine. Their lunch specials are affordable, made fresh, and taste incredible. All lunch specials are served with miso soup and house green salad. The salad dressing is a ginger based dressing that’s light and refreshing.  If you’re craving sushi you can get any 2 rolls for $8 or 3 rolls for $11. Since I am not a fan of raw fish I get their shrimp tempura roll and their California roll. The rolls are packed and after eating 2 rolls you’ll be full.

 If you’re a tuna lover you need to try their spicy tuna roll and tuna cucumber roll. Their shrimp cucumber roll is also delicious. Their food is the best sushi I have had in a long time. I am a frequent customer. The service at Aki is fast and there are no waits to be seated. It is right off Jericho and from the outside doesn’t look too appealing, but inside is clean and overall a relaxing environment. Aki is located at 2074 Jericho Turnpike East Northport, NY 11731.

kb

The Cheesecake Factory in Huntington

Did you know that the Cheesecake Factory now offers a Happy Hour on Monday through Friday from 4-6pm? This new addition has had my friends and me anxious to enjoy delicious food and tangy drinks to spicy up our weekly routines.

We went to the Cheesecake Factory in Huntington on Friday to experience what the Happy Hour menu had to offer, and we were not disappointed. Many specialty drinks, such as Long Island Ice Teas, Mojitos, Margaritas, and Cosmopolitans, are on the $5 menu. As for the food, the following full-size appetizers, which normally cost anywhere from$9.95 to$13.95, will be offered for half off: roadside sliders, hot spinach and cheese dip, avocado eggrolls, fried macaroni and cheese, Sweet Corn, tamale-cakes, fire-roasted fresh artichoke, Vietnamese shrimp summer roll, made-to-order guacamole, Tex-Mex eggrolls, fried calamari, factory nachos, buffalo blasts, Southern fried chicken sliders, chicken pot stickers and crispy crab wontons. My friends and I decided to get typical crowd pleasers: the factory nachos and buffalo wings.

Conveniently located in the Walt Whitman mall, you and your friends can easily end a successful day of shopping or celebrate the beginning of the weekend by stopping to enjoy $5 drinks and half off appetizers at the Cheesecake factory! Besides the taste and the overall great quality of finger-picking food, you cannot beat the prices during the Cheesecake Factory Happy Hour. It will keep your stomach full and wallet happy! Please remember to drink responsibly!

-MC

Big Daddy's Restaurant in Massapequa

Big Daddy's brings New Orleans to Long Island. From the moment you walk in you are surrounded by the smell of the BBQ, the hot wings, the sweet potatoes, the tender ribs, and crawfish. The atmosphere is inspired by Mardi Gras. Colorful lights are draped along the ceiling, Mardi Gras masks decorates the wall. There is no seating area so once you walk in you are greeted by the bar where they can make their special Hurricane cocktail. Although the wait is a little long the food will make up for it. The service is fast and friendly. When you are seated everyone in your party gets beads. For an appetizer try the BBQ wings are sweet and spicy at the same time, the wings are coated with a thick layer of sauce and the meat falls right off the bone. For an entree try the pulled pork po'boy, the slow smoked pork is tender and the Carolina BBQ sauce gives the meat a sweet taste that blend together with the vinegar slaw. And for dessert try the Cub Scout Brownie Pie.

Big Daddy's is located at 1 Park Lane, Massapequa, NY 11758 phone: 516-799-8877 or visit their website at http://www.bigdaddysny.com/info.html

kb

Intro to Food Finds!

Hello Food Lovers!

Have you ever had a craving for a certain type of cuisine and did not know where to go? Let us help you decide! We will be traveling Long Island finding the best places to satisfy those cravings. The sky is limitless on the many different cuisines we are willing to try. However, we are students with budgets. The restaurants we will be trying will be affordable and delicious! Food that tastes good and is wallet friendly is what we are looking for. We guarantee that you will be spending less for the very best food on Long Island. If you have any suggestions, please let us know!

Buon Appetito!

Food Finds

KB & MC