East of NYC - Long Island Restaurants, Food News, Shopping, Events and Real Estate

Signature Drink: “Garden Lady” at Mitch & Toni’s in Albertson [Video]

East of NYC Staff — Wed, 16 May 2012 21:55:04 +0000

Having top rated restaurants at our fingertips is a nice little bonus for those of us who live on Long Island. Not enough attention, though, is always given to the bar area, which should be a focal point in any establishment. We’re trying to change that one restaurant at a time and this most recent addition to our “Signature Drink” series comes from Mitch & Toni’s American Bistro in Albertson, on Nassau County’s north shore.

Mitch & Toni’s is co-owner Mitch SuDock’s latest foray into the LI restaurant world. Barely a year old at this time, Mitch & Toni’s is a powerhouse in the local area and their seasonal cuisine is causing quite the stir. Bar Manager Heidi Gaertner takes us through the paces of her signature drink, Garden Lady, a wonderful concoction of strawberries, lemon, simple syrup and of course, alcohol. Play the above for a sneak peek. We hope that you’ll use this as a springboard to head on over for not only this, but for their wonderful cuisine as well. If Happy Hours and burgers are your thing, they’ve got both covered. Weekday Happy Hour is from 5pm – 7pm and Burger Night is Tuesday nights, ensuring an affordable night out for all.

Mitch & Toni’s
875 Willis Avenue
Albertson, NY 11507
516-741-7940

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Five Pennies Creamery in Rockville Centre

East of NYC Staff — Mon, 14 May 2012 14:05:43 +0000

Five Pennies is our new favorite dessert spot on Long Island. It’s got everything that we want from an ice cream shop; fresh ice cream, frozen custard, incredible ices and an owner whose sole purpose is to keep making them better (and more delectable).

Open for less than two years, Five Pennies is the brainchild of Daniel Levine, a Brooklyn native. He’s at the store seven days per week and we can consider him the mad scientist behind the huge selection of flavors. On any given day you can walk in and try out a new batch that he had just concocted off the top of his head.

Image Copyright Mark Brandon Photography

Bringing you back to those simpler times when it was all about sweet treats and good feelings (maybe also to when a cone cost “Five Pennies”), the shop delivers in taking us out of the ordinary pace of life as soon as you step inside. The kids and kids at heart in the neighborhood all love it and indulging in these great desserts may not be for every day, but when you’re there, your cares will melt away.

Image Copyright Mark Brandon Photography

With more than just desserts, Five Pennies also has a healthy lineup of live music to help keep those hungry mouths in the store. You can keep up with their facebook page to keep track of both live music acts that are playing weekly and the ever-changing flavors roster.

Image Copyright Mark Brandon Photography

*Editors Note – We forgot our Lactaid when we visited and were bummed that we couldn’t indluge. But Five Pennies came through and pulled a Costco-sized Lactaid container from behind the counter and voila!, we were able to stuff our faces without fear of getting sick. Bonus points go to Five Pennies!

Image Copyright Mark Brandon Photography

Five Pennies Creamery
11 N. Park Avenue
Rockville Centre, NY 11570
516-608-4344

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Food News: South Edison in Montauk is Open for 2012 Season

East of NYC Staff — Fri, 11 May 2012 20:04:25 +0000

We know that summer is arriving and things are kicking into high gear because South Edison, located way out east in Montauk, just off Montauk Highway, is now officially open for the 2012 season.

Throwing their doors open last night, the restaurant, which has become a favorite for the past two seasons out on the East End, focuses on a seafood heavy menu with a side of inventive flavors from Chef Todd Mitgang, a culinary heavyweight. The playful interior is a welcome complement to the great food coming out of the kitchen.

Look out for their live music and bar specials, all within 2-blocks from the ocean. Maybe you’ll even find us there one of these nights as well. We can hope.

Image Courtesy of South Edison

South Edison
17 South Edison Street
Montauk, NY 11954
631-668-4200

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[via Long Island Restaurant News]

Signature Drink: Bistro 72 in Riverhead [Video]

East of NYC Staff — Tue, 08 May 2012 21:17:20 +0000

We spent some time recently at Bistro 72, located within the Hotel Indigo out in Riverhead. We spent a full night taking in the sounds of the live music, the bartenders at the bar and the food coming out of the kitchen. This first video features their signature drink, The Long Island Lighthouse.

To check this out, along with their other popular libation, the Black and Blue Martini, head on out to the Bistro. They also feature live music and special events on specific nights, so make sure to also check out their website for more information.

We’ll be putting together more videos on our night at Hotel Indigo, so make sure to keep checking back.

Bistro 72
1830 West Main Street
Riverhead, NY 11901
631-369-3325

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Food News: First National Franks in Medford Closed, Hot Diggity Dogs Steps In

East of NYC Staff — Sat, 05 May 2012 16:48:15 +0000

Throughout our recent travels in Medford, we were surprised to see that the very popular First National Franks, on 112, had changed to a new hot dog spot, Hot Diggity Dogs.

Image Copyright Mark Brandon Photography

With the transaction having taken place just a few weeks ago and the First National website going down just today, the change is swift. There’s no telling yet if the new owner is going to keep the operation the same (quality, freshness and variety), and if not, it may be tough to keep the up the huge fan base that First National had.

Image Copyright Mark Brandon Photography

3147 New York 112
Medford, NY 11763
631-696-1900

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Food News: Bottomz Up Bar And Grill To Open In Carle Place

East of NYC Staff — Fri, 04 May 2012 16:33:35 +0000

Where the pet store Safari Stan’s once sat on Old Country Road, a new hotspot is getting ready to open. Now under construction and hiring waitresses and bartenders, Bottomz Up will likely be aligning themselves with the other nearby restaurants and bars that rely heavily on scantily clad servers (CANZaciti Roadhosue and Hooters, namely). Where they hope to step in front of their competition is the quality of their cuisine.

The East of NYC offices are in the same commercial real estate complex, so you can be rest assured that we’ll be trying them out for size once they throw open their doors (for research. Really.) Based on the looks, the restaurant will be a haven for the sports fan, boasting 50+ flat screens, a bar and sushi. We just might have to move in.

Image Copyright Mark Brandon Photography

Bottomz Up
377 Old Country Rd.
Carle Place, NY 11514
516-478-4777

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Love Lane Market in Mattituck (With Video)

East of NYC Staff — Tue, 01 May 2012 01:39:56 +0000

If you love Love Lane Kitchen in Mattituck, you’ll be glad to know that a few months ago, in 2011, the owners set up shop just next door with their organic and local-centric market, Love Lane Market. The market is a great spot to capture a lot of the overflow from the Kitchen, known for its exceptional food and its long waits (especially on weekends).

Click Above For The East of NYC Feature Video

Image Copyright Mark Brandon Photography

On a recent outing out to Mattituck, we stopped by to check out the local scene on Love Lane (more on that at a later time). As noted above, the Market is located just next door to the Kitchen, so when we were told that we would have to wait upwards of 30 minutes, we decided that we could do better with a made-to-order meal at the Market.

What we like about this market is the clean environment and their obvious inventory of organic, fresh and mostly local ingredients. The pizza, freshly made to order in the wood burning oven features homemade Mozzarella cheese and coming in at $12 (+$1 per topping), this isn’t a budget buster.

Image Copyright Mark Brandon Photography

You can take home pasta, steak, lamb chops, chicken or any of the prepared goods. We’d prefer to stay in and have a seat at any of the high counter stools and enjoy our freshly made meal on-site. If you’re heading to the wineries, this may be a great spot to stop and stock up before heading out. Perfect ingredients for a wonderful picnic surrounded by the vines.

Image Copyright Mark Brandon Photography

Love Lane Market
170 Love Lane
Mattituck, NY
631-298-8989

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In Photos: NY Cupcakery in Bellmore

East of NYC Staff — Thu, 26 Apr 2012 14:22:52 +0000

NY Cupcakery is a small cupcake shop located on Merrick Road in Bellmore. Since 2010 they’ve been baking wonderful cupcakes, cake pops and cakes not only for the general public, but also for private events and parties. The imagination of the bakers on site is endless and some of the crafted baked goodness coming out of this shop rivals any of the best across the country.

We’ve stopped by recently to check them out and see what they have on display in the front of the house. We were treated to some great local sports-themed cupcakes, cartoon characters and other kid-frnendly designs and some old standards.

Image Copyright Mark Brandon Photography

NY Cupcakery
2544 Merrick Rd.
Bellmore, NY 11710
516-409-8866

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Food News: The Patio In Freeport To Open For The Season On Thursday, April 12, 2012

East of NYC Staff — Mon, 09 Apr 2012 16:36:39 +0000

The Patio, which burst onto the scene last year and catered to those Long Islanders who love to eat and drink on the water, is reopening for the season this Thursday, April 12th. Located in the Freeport Inn and Marine, the restaurant and bar features an outdoor lounge area, a bar that opens its doors to the outside and a great food menu that will be sure to be even more popular this year as more people learn about it.

Image Copyright Mark Brandon Photography

We’ve been to the restaurant and bar a few times over the past year and were instantly drawn to the nighttime atmosphere. The boats docked in the marina, the calm waters and the gentle wind are the perfect remedy for a long day in the summer sun.

Image Copyright Mark Brandon Photography

The Patio
445 South Main Street
Freeport, NY 11520
516-623-9100

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In Photos: PASSIONE in Carle Place

East of NYC Staff — Sun, 08 Apr 2012 15:05:17 +0000

PASSIONE is new to the Carle Place dining scene. It sits in the same shopping center as the now defunct 6th Avenue Electronics store and is just a few doors down from one of the area’s favorite restaurants, LL Dent. During the construction period they had big signs up that they were coming soon, but we didn’t know what to expect at all. We ventured inside recently to scope out the space and we were genuinely surprised at what was lying inside.

Image Copyright Mark Brandon Photography

A mixture of take-out counter service and beautiful dining rooms await once you make your way past the lovely bar area. The restaurant can handle any type of customer, from those looking for a quick in and out to those looking for a nice restaurant to dine in on a Friday night out with the family, or with friends. The space is separated with a few different dining rooms, each with its own character and comfortable dining spaces.

Image Copyright Mark Brandon Photography

Because we were just looking to scope out the restaurant, we didn’t have a chance to order anything off of the menu and photo them, but we hope to in the near future. Until then, we can check out the photos and think about when we’ll be making our reservations.

Image Copyright Mark Brandon Photography

PASSIONE
231 Old Country Rd.
Carle Place, NY 11514
516-741-4800

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