0 Little Love at Love Lane Kitchen

     

This past Columbus Day my fiancé and I had our engagement pictures out on the North Fork. After a few hours we got hungry, and wasn't a surprise we ended up here. Love Lane Kitchen might be my favorite cafe on all of Long Island. The area it is in is beautiful, the food is fantastic, and the service is just top notch. I have never left disappointed, and I have NEVER left feeling like I didn't just have a great meal. 

It's small, quaint, and comfy cafe located in Mattituck on Love Lane. It sits about 60 people and also has a nice bar area as well. The decor has a small-town, rustic feel to it. 

The menu has many options on it, and a chalkboard full of specials that is always changing. Their drink selection is also very appealing.

For drink selection, I went with my all-time favorite, of a Sixpoint Sweet Action. However, I also went with the the 21st amendment brew free or die IPA. It was my first time trying to 21st amendment IPA, and was pleasantly surprised. Nice taste, good head, not an IPA that's going to blow you away with hops, but there's just enough to know you're drinking a quality brew.

We kicked the night off with the Truffle Fries, which are French fries covered in Parmesan and garlic. We had also asked for the Mac N' Cheese, but they were out of it, and I won't lie, I was a little bummed as I wanted to try that. The fries did not disappoint though. Between the mixture of the Parmesan and garlic, it was perfectly seasoned. My only suggestion for future reference, offer more dipping sauces other than Ketchup. Now, the fries alone were amazing, but I could have went for a little garlic aioli, or maybe some buffalo ranch. 

(Note picture was taken after digging right in, we were hungry)

Now, with many options to choose from, I've only ordered one thing from Love Lane. That is, oh so delicious, lobster roll. Seriously, this thing is massive, and will positively blow your mind. It comes with huge chunks of lobster, flavored with a mayo type dressing that has a real nice flavor, all stuffed into a hoagie roll, which has a little garlic spread on it. The lobster is cooked perfectly, very moist and very tender. On the side, it comes served with a generous amount of Parmesan fries. I walk in each time saying I'll try something new, but, I always end up getting this dish. It's really that good.

Love lane will always be my go to lunch/dinner spot when I am in the area. It is highly recommended if you happen to be out in Mattituck drinking wine, apple/pumpkin picking, or just enjoying a nice day out east. 

0 Corner Social...

Being from Harlem, I get extremely skeptical when new places that sell food just randomly pop up. I don't know why, but for some reason I went against my better judgement and decided to try out Corner Social.

So what's the problem with new restaurants in Harlem?
Technically...nothing. The issue I have with them is that there is usually sooooooo much hype that surrounds them. Then when you get around to trying it out you find that it's overpriced, overrated, and just a waste of time. But, like I mentioned before I went against my better judgement and decided to give it a try.

OK. Was it as bad as you envisioned it?
Not really. Nice ambiance, no crowd, decent music, service was pleasant. I must say that I had a really nice lunch outing.

2 questions in and you haven't mentioned anything about the food...guess it wasn't that good huh?
Uhh...so I figured I would take the healthier approach and get the fish tacos (I mean who doesn't love a nice fish taco right?) with an Angry Orchard beer. Sad to say that the beer turned out to be the highlight of my lunch. The tacos were small, bland, and falling apart as soon as I picked them up. Thought the little salsa that they give you would have done it some justice...WRONG! Definitely, wasn't a wise decision on my behalf.

Damn. That sucks. Why didn't try something else while you were there or send the food back?
As much as they try to get you to believe that nothing is done to the food of the customer that send his/her plate back...I'm not buying it! And I didn't buy something else because I'm not in the habit of buying multiple meals during one sitting (especially since I'm there solo). On top of that, why would I invest more money in a place that has already let me down? But yet somehow, the following day I managed to find myself there for dinner -_-

So disappointed with your encounter and yet you go back? Why?
Aside from the food, the place is actually very nice when it comes to social atmosphere. So my hunger and lack of wanting to be in the house is what drove me back over there. Needless to say, I DID NOT get the fish tacos!

How was the second time around?
MUCH BETTER! Was with a buddy of mine and we decided to start out with the chicken nachos which were...SLAMMING! Not necessarily the healthiest choice, but they were sooooo good! As an entree I got the turkey burger and salad. Not for nothing, this may have been one of, if not the best, turkey burger I've ever had. Huge patty, great flavor, the fix'ns weren't overbearing...everything was put together very nicely. Hell, even the salad was good! Experience overall was a complete upgrade from the day before.

Glad to hear your second experience was better then your first...anything else I should know about this place?
Keep in mind that this place is a lounge/bar. Don't go into it expecting to get the best meal you ever had. Also, understand that this place is still fairly new so I'm sure they're in the process of playing with items on the menu to see what works and what doesn't.

Recommendations?
Yeah....STAY AWAY FROM THE FISH TACOS! This place is nothing worth traveling far and wide for, but if you're in the area I'd say give it a try

 

Corner Social

321 Lenox Ave

New York, NY 10027

(212) 510-8552

1 My Top 5 BBQ Restaurants

I've been too some great BBQ restaurants over the years, and I really can't explain to you how amazing they have all been.  However, each one holds a special place in my heart, which prompted me to post my Top 5 BBQ Restaurants.  Now, if you also think they're awesome, or if you think they suck, or if you have any of your own you want me to tell me...feel free, I'm always open to new places. Well, I present to you my list.

1. Fette Sau (Brooklyn, NY)
2. Le Boucan (Montreal, QC)
3. Hill Country Chicken (New York, NY)
4. Blue Smoke (New York, NY and Citi Field)
5. Famous Daves (Westbury, LI)


If you haven't been to any of these places, I highly suggest you go...also I suggest you go with an empty stomach because you're going to eat A LOT!!!

2 Dinner at the Atlantica Restaurant

Friday night I was treated to a wonderful surprise from my lovely girlfriend with dinner at the Atlantica located inside the Allegria Hotel. The Allegria is an upscale hotel located right in the heart of Long Beach, NY. This was actually my first time down in Long Beach since Superstorm Sandy hit. It was quite startling not seeing the boardwalk, and seeing how much work they're doing to get it back up before the season opens. Much love to the city of Long Beach. 

The decor of the restaurant is beautiful, with an upscale environment, and the service was top notch. We were lucky enough to get seated next to the window, with a beautiful view of the ocean. 

The Menu is constructed of American cuisine with a nice twist on all of the dishes. . The menu has a reasonable amount of choices to it, from pasta to steak to fish. I made a solid choice for appetizer, main course, and Desert. 

The wine selection had many options to choose from including many local vineyards. We decided on the 2011 Paumanok Riesling, priced at $28 for the bottle, $7 for a glass. I'm not a big white wine drinker, but in my opinion, Long Island Rieslings are perfection. It had a nice crisp flavor to it. Enjoyed it throughout the night. 

Kicked off the meal with the Tuna Tartar. It was actually my first time ever having this dish so I wasn't quite sure what to expect. It was over guacamole, tortilla chips, pomegranate reduction, and chive oil. The tuna was very good, had a great texture to it, and you could tell it was very fresh. The guacamole on the bottom mixed very nicely, and you could barely tell you were eating Tuna. Mix this with the pomegranate reduction and chive oil on top, and it had a nice little kick to it. The chips were lightly salted, and for anyone who has had Tortilla chips knows that too much salt could ruin the flavor. All in all, It was a great start to the meal, and I would HIGHLY recommend it. Priced at $17 dollars.

Onto the main course! I went with the Marinated Beef Filet Tips With Avocado Aioli on French Baguette, covered with BBQ caramelized onions, pepperjack cheese, and sweet potato fries on the side. Let me start this by saying WOW what a huge and absolutely delicious sandwich this was. The beef was cooked to perfection. When you have a beef tip sandwich most of the time it falls off the bread and makes for a sloppy eating situation, not this one though. Between the pepperjack (which is my all-time favorite cheese), onions, and aioli, the beef stayed together, and made for a mouthwatering bite every single time. The flavors hit your taste buds at once, and all mixed wonderfully. The sweet potato fries were average, and nothing special. Again, HIGHLY recommended! Priced at $25 dollars, it was well worth it. Also, to mention, it was so big I didn't even finish it, and took it home with me. I enjoyed the other half today and was just as delicious cold as it was when I got it hot. 

               

Desert was a Brownie Ice Cream Sandwich with chocolate syrup glazed 

underneath it. I LOVE brownies which is why I chose this. It was an average desert, nothing crazy, Price I believe was $9 dollars. 

                                      

My overall experience at the Allegria was great! My meal was fantastic and if you're looking for a swanky night out, whether on a date, or with a group of friends I would absolutely recommend this restaurant. The views are beautiful as it is located right on the Long Beach Boardwalk and overlooks the Atlantic. If you time it right, you will be able see one of Long Island's always beautiful sunsets. 

Feel free to contact me for any questions you may have in regards to the post. I'm looking forward to sharing more experiences with you. 

You can find me on Twitter and Instagram at @NomInNY