Gone to the dogs in Medford

Wednesday March 17, 2010 2:06 PM By Joan Reminick

A humongous wiener sits atop the sign for First National Franks in Medford. The resin sculpture, topped with a squiggle of yellow, calls out to hungry drivers passing by.

It called to me, recently, around lunch time. So I stopped in (deja vu: the place used to be Rainbow Cookie Cafe) and ordered up a Chicago dog: onions, relish, tomato, mustard, pepper and pickle. Big, fat, juicy and delicious, but one problem: the top-sliced partly scooped-out hoagie roll it was served on was way too big to bite. Fabulous bronze hand-cut fries were a lot easier.

As I learned later, the co-owner of this 31/2-month-old eatery is named Frank (how fitting is that?) Marinaro. Chef Jenn Morbillo formerly cooked at H2O in Smithtown. Along with burgers, chicken breast sandwiches and omelets, she specializes in quarter pound Boar’s Head dogs, first boiled and then grilled. There’s also one number that’s wrapped in bacon and deep-fried.

For dessert, there are deep-fried Twinkies, Ring Dings, Devil Dogs and Snickers’ Bars.

Quipped Marinaro: “You can also order insulin.”

First National Franks is at 3147 Rte. 112, Medford, 631-696-1900
 

Fixed-price menus highlight Hamptons Restaurant Week

Wednesday March 17, 2010 12:47 PM By Peter M. Gianotti

Hamptons Restaurant Week starts Sunday, with $19.95 and/or $24.95 fixed-price menus at some of the East End's top eateries.

The promotional event is from March 21 to March 28. Restaurants will have the specials menus every night, all night, except for Saturday, when they'll be available until 7 p.m.

It's the eighth annual restaurant week covering the North and South Forks. This year, there's a contest for the event's biggest "fan." For details, go to Dishing on Dining. The winner gets a $200 gift certificate for dinner at The 1770 House in East Hampton.

In addtiion to The 1770 House, the participating restaurants include:

1 North Steakhouse in Hampton Bays, A Mano in Mattituck, Almond in Bridgehampton, Amarelle in Wading River, Annona in Westhampton Beach, Blackwell's in Wading River, Boulder Creek Steakhouse, Casa Basso in Westhampton, Cittanuovain East Hampton, Cooperage Inn in Baiting Hollow, Dee Angelo's Cafe in Westhampton Beach, Dockers in East Quogue, East by Northeast in Montauk, Edgewater in Montauk, Elbow East  in Southold, Fresno in East Hampton, Gulf Coast Kitchen in Montauk, Sea Grille at Gurney's Inn in Montauk, The Harvest on Fort Pond in Montauk, Il Cappuccino in Sag Harbor;

Indian Cove in Hampton Bays, Jack & Diane's in Speonk, Jamesport Manor Inn in Jamesport, Joe's American Grill in Westhampton, La Plage in Wading River, Le Chef in Southampton, Legends in New Suffolk, Michaels Maidstone in East Hampton, Muse in Water Mill, Nick & Toni's in East Hampton, Noah's in Greenport, The North Fork Table & Inn in Southold, Oakland'sin Hampton Bays, Oasis in Sag Harbor, Original Michelangelo in Manorville, The Patio in Westhampton Beach, Pepi's in Southold, Phao in Sag Harbor, Pierre's in Southampton, red/bar brasserie in Southampton;

Shippy's Pumpernickel in Southampton, Southampton Publick House, Stone Creek Inn in East Quogue, Stonewalls in Riverhead, A Touch of Venice in Mattituck, Trata Estiatorio in Water Mill, Trumpets on the Bay in Eastport, Tuscan House in Southampton, Tutto Il Giorno in Sag Harbor, Tweeds in Riverhead, Villa Paul in Hampton Bays, Villa Tuscano in Hampton Bays and Vine Street Cafe on Shelter Island.

New chef at Montauk Yacht Club

Wednesday March 17, 2010 11:23 AM By Peter M. Gianotti

Robbin Haas, a veteran of Florida restaurants, is the new chef at the Montauk Yacht Club. He succeeds Michael Domitrovich, whose food last season earned the Club's Gulf Coast Kitchen two-and-one-half stars.

Domitrovich departed to pursue his writing career. Keeping some of Domitrovich's themes, Haas plans to emphasize seasonal fare and local ingredients in a New American menu. In 1994, he was among those named a "best new chef" by Food & Wine Magazine. His experience includes work with Turnberry Isle Resort, China Grill Management and Four Seasons.

Haas also will oversee the Club's more informal dining areas, including Hurricane Alley and  the Barracuda Bar & Turtle Lounge.

The Montauk Yacht Club is at 32 Star Island Rd., Montauk; 631-668-3100.

Robbin Haas. Montauk Yacht Club photo.

Pleasing pizza and pasta in Bellmore

Tuesday March 16, 2010 3:44 PM By Joan Reminick

It happens all the time in these parts: One Italian restaurant goes out; another is quick to take its place. Pasquale’s Pizza & Pasta Café is now plying pasta and pies in the former Bellmore digs of Brooklyn Pizza Café.

In classic LI Italian environs (checkered tablecloths, lots of brick), I enjoyed a thin crust Margherita “personal” pie. I liked that the freshly baked bread came straight from the pizza oven and that the linguine with clam sauce was al dente and garlicky.

Pasquale’s is at 505 Bedford Ave., Bellmore, 516-679-3661

Smithtown Mall: Old Man Burger

Tuesday March 16, 2010 1:10 PM By Erica Marcus

Bobby Flay’s Burger Palace just keeps rolling along. Last night my friends and I found the place pretty deserted—but that could have been the hideous weather or the normal Monday-night blues. The meal was very satisfying.

Usually a purist, I opted for this L.A. burger, with avocado relish, watercress, cheddar cheese and tomato, and I have to say that all those extraneous elements conspired to make a pretty delicious package although the burger itself, requested medium rare, was medium on its way to medium well.

My pal’s Dallas burger, thoroughly enjoyed, came medium rare as requested. The other pal eschews red meat but was happy with her Santa Fe turkey burger, except for the “queso sauce,” which struck an off note. I consulted the recipe in Flay’s cookbook “Burger’s Fries & Shakes” and discovered it was actually a classic white sauce enriched with Monterey Jack cheese.

French fries, sweet potato fries—both excellent. For dessert we split a chocolate malted three ways. Two ways too many for me, but I didn’t want to seem piggish.

Another good thing about Bobby's Burger Palace: A beer selection that includes Blue Point Toasted Lager, Sierra Nevada, Dundee Honey Brown and Ancho Steam plus very drinkable proprietary BBP red and white wines by the glass.

Bobby’s Burger Palace is at 355 Smith Haven Mall, Lake Grove, 631-382-9590.

Newsday photo / Erica Marcus

Blue Point: "SteakFest" at Blue

Tuesday March 16, 2010 11:58 AM By Peter M. Gianotti

Blue, the American restaurant in Blue Point, currently is offering a Wednesday-night  "SteakFest."

This $35 dinner includes unlimited portions of prime rib, filet mignon, smoked beef brisket and porchetta. The accompanying buffet, also unlimited, includes macaroni-and-cheese, penne alla vodka, roasted root vegetables, whipped potatoes, potatoes au gratin, creamed spinach and crisp onions, Greek and Caesar salads, fresh fruit, vegetable crudites, pastries and cakes, plus ice cream. Taxes and tips are extra.

Blue is situated at 7 Montauk Hwy., Blue Point; 631-363-6666.

East Hampton: St. Pat's, Rowdy-style

Tuesday March 16, 2010 11:37 AM By Peter M. Gianotti

Rowdy Hall, the pub-and-bistro combo, celebrates St. Patrick's Day with a $17 fixed-price menu and $5 pints of Guinness stout and Bass Ale. Half-pints: $3.

Tomorrow,  the eatery offers a two-course meal, starting with potato-and-leek soup, followed by either corned beef and cabbage, Irish sausages and mashed potatoes, or beef stew. From Thursday to Saturday, specials of corned beef and cabbage and a "Guinness float" with chocolate ice cream will be available for lunch and dinner. On Sunday, the $17 meal and discount pints will be offered to honor the Friends of Erin, Montauk, St. Patrick's Day parade.

Rowdy Hall is at 10 Main St., East Hampton; 631-324-8555.

Newsday / Jim Peppler

New Thai in Stony Brook

Tuesday March 16, 2010 11:20 AM By Joan Reminick

Q: What college prerequisite was Stony Brook University lacking until just last week?

A: Its very own Thai restaurant.

Now, at long last, the area is starting to look like a respectable college town.  That's because  Centara Thai Cuisine is serving up tom kha gai and massamun curry in the former digs of Cosmos.

You'd never know the space was once a dowdy gyro and pizza joint. Now, the floors are a beautiful polished wood; chairs have raffia backs; spring green walls are hung with rich art work.

As for the food, I can vouch for a green curry with chicken, its flowery notes balanced by an undercurrent of chili. Spicy noodles with shrimp presents another study in contrasts, the mellow noodles stir fried with egg, vegetables and shellfish in a chili-fired sauce.

The place is under the aegis of Arty Pattapong, who also owns Sarin Thai in Miller Place and Thai Gourmet in Port Jefferson. Now, it seems, he may have a trifecta.

Centara Thai Cuisine is at 1015 Rte. 25A, Stony Brook, 631-689-2135.
 

Hunger strikes at Walt Whitman Mall

Monday March 15, 2010 3:26 PM By Erica Marcus

Overcome by pangs of hunger at Walt Whitman Mall, I ducked into California Pizza Kitchen. On a Friday night at 7 p.m., it was mobbed, folks waiting outside for a table. I took a seat at the bar and ordered.

This salad, from the new “small cravings” menu—fresh arugula, asparagus and sun-dried tomatoes tossed in lemon-herb vinaigrette, topped with toasted almonds and shaved Parmesan cheese—was pretty good, but if there’s a next time I would ask them to leave off the sun-dried tomatoes. Candy-sweet, they threw off the balance.

My margherita pizza was just OK. From my view at the bar I could see that the pizzaoli di California do not stretch the dough by hand; they flatten it in a mechanical press. Perhaps this is what lent the crust a slightly dead texture. Neither the tomatoes nor the cheese really sang, but at least they weren’t deployed too heavily. I hate an overladen pizza.

California Pizza Kitchen is in the Macy’s end of the Walt Whitman Mall at 160 Rte. 110
Huntington Station, 631-423-7565.

California Pizza Kitchen photo