JT's Corner Cafe

JT's Corner Cafe

204 Smithtown Blvd.

Nesconset, NY 11767

(631)265-5267

Breakfast is probably my favorite meal. The comfort, variety, and homeyness of it all are probably the reasons for being so. I like to cook breakfast a lot, but it never hurts to stop by a place and have someone do it for you. I've frequented JT's a few times, mostly out of convenience, because who wants to drive far when you just need some fast, good ol' grease in your tummy after an interesting night with friends?

JT's is a small place filled with locals where you are served by friendly staff. It's got quaint and quirky decor, kind of like a cross between 1910 stuff and tchotchkes. You can even call for take-out breaky!

They have a fairly large menu with lots of different takes on omelets and Benedict's. This time, I ordered the Extreme Benedict. It was surprising combination of poached eggs, sausage patties, English muffin, hollandaise, peppers, onions, jalapenos, and olives. I like that it was spicy from the peppers but at the same time, it lacked something to counteract the spiciness of it. Eventually, the spiciness turned into some kind of funky bitter/sour taste in my mouth.

Even though I did not end up liking this dish too much and I think the ham would have turned out tastier than the sausage, I still like going to JT's because they do have other nice dishes to eat! At this visit, the following pictures are Rich's and Fiona's orders; Dutch Apple French Toast with apple-filled syrup and the Cafe omelet with brie, apples, and bacon.

Happy Holidays! & Tai Show North

Tai Show (North)

316 Main Street

East Setauket, NY 11733

(631) 751-2848

Happy Holidays, everyone! Whether it is Hanukkah, Christmas, or Kwanzaa, or something else that you may celebrate! I hope everyone has a safe, loving, and joyous time with family and friends. I know I am lucky to have a wonderful family, boyfriend, and group of friends who I can count on to keep a smile on my face year round. Now, on to the food! I am not Italian, but in the spirit of things and to follow some sort of tradition known to many of my friends, Christmas Eve is the night of seven fish. So, my visit to Tai Show with Fiona and Rich is quite appropriate for this day! Enjoy!

Fiona is not only my lovely sister, but also a great go-to for decent restaurants. She had been to Tai Show with Julie, another anti-big chain restaurant girl (no offense, TGIFriday's) and they loved the atmosphere and raved about the sushi. Located in scenic north shore LI, Tai Show offers something for everyone, from hibachi to sushi, and other Japanese fare. Walking in, I was immediately excited. They have a separate room for hibachi, but in the main restaurant, you can request to sit in a room, where you are immediately transported to a Japanese room complete with authentic looking Shoji divider doors enclosing your party in your booth. Mucho points for atmosphere and interior design!

As for the food, I was so impressed by the variety's of sushi rolls they offered. I don't know why, I just was, but they had great flavor combinations and it was super fresh. I have found, throughout my sushi-trying years, that yes, sushi is definitely an acquired taste that has only increased with intensity, for me, at least. And a great way to try different fish is to order a roll with other fish that you've tried before and like. It's like taking baby steps. So far, it has been a no-fail way for me to try different sushi.

Another good way is just to sample what your friends order, which is precisely what Fiona, Rich, and I did. We started with the pork shumai appetizer. Although shumai always looks so pallid and rather boring to me, there's was still visually boring but tasted wonderful. Then again, I guess it's kind of hard to make pork dumplings look truly appealing. Anyway, it was perfectly cooked and the sweet and salty dipping sauce is a great paring. I also had miso soup, which I love and it was nice here, too. Rich ordered Shrimp Asparagus- rolled in panko and fried and served with an interesting dry salt-herb mixture. I thought it was a bit plain tasting, but the herbs added the saltiness which it needed.

Finally our rolls came and they were visually spectacular. It's one thing to plate something visually appealing, but I am always amazed by the way food is presented in some Japanese restaurants, such as this. They are truly works of art... literally edible art, and you can really appreciate the time that the sushi chef took to make the roll. I ordered the Diamond roll (tuna, yellowtail, cucumber, avocado with salmon on top), Fiona chose the Amy roll (tuna, salmon, yellow tail, spicy mayo, tempura flakes topped with avocado), and Rich got the Dynamite roll (tuna, fluke, scallion, caviar, cucumber with spicy scallop and tempura flakes). As for all of the rolls, I really enjoyed them all. I absolutely love the salmon sashimi on top, as it is one of my favorites and the crunchy cucumber with the soft fish and creamy avocado were wonderful with the wasabi dipping sauce, which I traditionally make a bit spicy. As for the most different, it was Rich's dynamite roll. His was partially cooked (the scallop top) and I'd never had it with sushi before. It was a bit ginormous to eat in one bite, but a big flavor roller coaster in your mouth!

Overall, the dinner was great. Here, I had the full sensory experience: Visually, olfactory, tasting, texturally, it was all appealing, which I believe takes a restaurant to a higher caliber/top-notch (change wording). And, it was not too expensive for a sushi night.

Pastis

9 Ninth Ave.

New York, NY 10014

(212) 929-4844

Pastis is set in the heart of possibly my favorite part of Manhattan- the Meatpacking District. It is like another world there, without the sardine can-like crowds and the cobblestone streets remind me of Europe and the old world. I love it and could spend a day in the little nook of the city people watching and staring at the lovely buildings and architecture. Anywho, Pastis, I feel is perfect for the area. The 1940's french themed bar and restaurant are precisely how I want to decorate my future kitchen! Fiona suggested that we go here- finally! We went with fellow foodie, Joe, and had a ball. It was very crowded and there was a wait, but nothing too complain about while we admired the decor. I was just excited that we were going to have brunch!

Coincidentally, the three of us wanted the same thing, so to change it up, I ordered the .... which are from the bakery, Balthazar owned by the same proprietors. I should have known it was a funny selection because of the waitress' questionable expression on her face and the fact that she said "you just want the pastry for brunch?" I thought nothing of it, of course, but then understood when my order came. My order consisted of a croissant, chocolate croissant, sticky bun, and orange brioche. For some reason when I ordered, I envisioned tiny bite-sized pastries, but no, it was an enormous bread basket, obviously made to share as a side dish. Either way, after I giggled at my order, I was very happy. Helloooo carbs! I was instantly transported to an outside boulangerie in Paris. Each pastry was sugary, sticky, flaky, and just as buttery as I'd hoped. I shared with Fiona and Joe and I think they had the same sentiments.

I also stole some of their Eggs a la Basquaise- the dish we all wanted originally (poached egg with polenta, peppers, onions, and prosciutto). We were all surprised by how small the serving was, when presented. However, it was lovely. The yolky egg and peppers were an excellent flavor combination. Very much like a breakfast-y sausage and peppers. But, towards the scraping of the plate at the end of the dish, the very obvious question came to be-- Where is the polenta?? I don't know if they were sleepy back there in the kitchen, but it certainly was not on the plate. Oh well!

To end, my sister and my dessert was poire au vin rouge or poached pears. Instantly, I thought of the winter holidays. Each bite of pear was very reminiscent of a mulled wine spiced with cloves. The pear was tender but not mushy and soaked in the flavorful wine. Quite yummy and a lovely light choice to end our brunch. Joe ate bananas foster, which was okay, but I'm not a big fan of bananas unless it is right out of its' peel. I will definitely go back here again as the other menus seem spectacular and it is a good excuse to go back to the meatpacking district... a pretty decent excuse, if you ask me!

The Odeon

145 West Broadway

New York, NY 10013

(212)233-0507

Going out for dinner is obviously very much a social event and The Odeon provided a great menu for my friends and I to dine on. Fiona, friend Joe, and I happened upon this place recently and determined that it would be the next spot for us to meet. So, with the three of us, Rich, Sal, and Kristin, we enjoyed a French Bistro-esque type meal. With all of us, we practically ordered half the dinner menu, and I felt very lucky to sample much of it! I think that's one of the great things about going out with larger groups- you get to taste a bunch of food. Sounds good to me!

I ordered the Country Frisee Salad, Angus Hangar Steak, and, if you've read my previous blogs, you won't be at all surprised to read that I ordered the Molten Chocolate Cake (I know, I know, I'll change my dessert choices, but I just love that gooey chocolate. Mmmmmm!).

The salad was simply seasoned with a vinaigrette and garnished with bacon lardons. It was absolutely delicious. The fatty bacon and lightly acidic dressing cut the tangy cheese so nicely and I wanted to lick up my plate. Except, I remembered that I should act like a lady and waited hungrily for the next course. Gladly, my friends came to the rescue and I was able to nosh on their appetizers which included a Warm Goat Cheese Salad, Baby Beet Salad, Spicy Chicken Dumplings, and Chicken liver mousse which was a special. They were all very tasty but if I chose a favorite of the three, it would be the beet salad.

Eventually, our entrees came and I was eager to dive in. My steak was cooked precisely as I'd ordered- medium and thinly cut into strips. I was admittedly taken aback by this presentation, as I was anticipating a whole cut of steak. However, that was soon forgotten because the combination of bearnaise sauce, fabulous confit potatoes and steak juices melded beautifully together. It was practically sublime and I did not have an ounce of regret with my choice. The only thing I was disappointed with was that I hoped for more. The portion was fair, but I definitely wanted a few more bites to savor.

Lastly, after good conversation and a few sly forkfuls of Rich's meal, the famously predicatable chocolate cake emerged. Now, I have to defend myself slightly because when we passed The Odeon, a couple weeks ago, there was an ice cream cart with a guy serving up some cones and we found out that they made their own ice cream. Therefore, even though I got the cake, I also was able to taste a very nice hazelnut ice cream served on the side. It was very smooth and creamy and had a nicely subtle hazelnut flavor which complimented the cake.

Overall, it was a very yummy experience and I also want to return to the area, which was littered with many restaurants I want to try. Another restaurant down, many more to visit!

Funchos

1166 West Main St.

Riverhead, NY 11901

(631) 369-7277

As soon as we pulled into the Funchos parking lot, I knew I would enjoy my meal. The tiny place (sits about 15 people inside and there are outside tables) was full in the middle of the afternoon and just the decor- orange, neon greens, and purples cover the walls- invited you to gorge on some messy, scrumptious food. Me and some girlfriends came here, famished after apple picking, at the request of my good friend Lianne; if she raves about a place, it must be worth it!! The menu is big, but trusty Lianne and sis, Fiona suggested 2 fantastic tacos for my meal...

I ordered the highly recommended Chili taco, Funchos style, and West Coast Fish taco with yellow rice and black beans. The first thing I noted before even tasting the food was the abundance of fresh vegetables on the tacos. No soupy salsa from a jar, but good old homemade chunky salsa. I ordered the Chili taco on a hard shell, Funchos style; in addition to lettuce, tomato, salsa, there is also sour cream, corn, olives, and jalapenos. That alone could make you feel good on a cold day. Eat 2 or 3 of them and you'd be satisfied. Eating it, a lovely mix of heat, spice, and coolness combined together for a nice lingering sensation on my taste buds.

I was also eagerly anticipating the West Coast fish taco, as my sister ate here once before and said it was the best one she's had outside of southern California. Those are some bold words and some big shoes to fill, so I ordered it with high expectations. If you've never had a fish taco, you are probably thinking, "Bite-Sized, you are one nutty person." But, fish tacos are actually an overwhelmingly popular fare in southern California and so amazingly tasty! They often come either fried or grilled. Looking at mine, it seemed like a standard white fish taco on a soft corn tortilla with the usual accouterments. However, the taste was far from ordinary or standard. The fish was not 'fishy' at all and was nicely fried, not oily, and stayed crunchy despite the jalapeno cream sauce on it. I think the corn tortilla brought it over the top. The flavors worked so well together and felt light at the same time, not too heavy where you are too stuffed from eating.

The last picture is one of my friend's burritos and she said it was delish! Overall, the meal was very satisfying and cheap! Now if I want a good fish taco, I know where to get it. There is also a relatively generous offering of drinks to quell the spice (Dos Equis, Coronitas) that came as a surprise, being such a small place. And there's a bonus! There just happens to be a great little ice cream place right next door, all homemade, and very creamy, with various unique and standard flavors. Many thanks to go to my friends who often suggest the places for my foodie adventures :O)

Happy Thanksgiving!

I want to wish everyone a blessed and happy Thanksgiving! Even when it's not the day, I am thankful always to be surrounded by loving family, friends, and given wonderful opportunities in life. Have a safe and fun day and I promise to put up a new post... I've been busy lately, but thanks to all who've been reading!

L&B Spumoni Gardens

2725 86th St.

Brooklyn, NY 11223

(718) 449-1230

Today I decided was the perfect time for me to post this blog because yesterday on "Man vs. Food" (Travel Channel), he was in Brooklyn and featured this wonderful eatery. It's fate-- who am I to mess with fate?

L&B is always full whether it's dinner time on Tuesday evening or you're hungry after a Saturday night out. There is outdoor seating for the pizzeria and indoor seating for the restaurant, which I intend on sampling from soon. I have been here many times, thanks to a certain someone, just for some pizza. When I first went to L&B a long long time ago, not even knowing the popularity of it all, I think I was actually just going, begrudgingly. I thought, 'what's so great about Sicilian pizza?' I never cared for it. I've always been a pepperoni and mushroom slice kinda girl. That is, until L&B!

The way they make their Sicilian, you'd want to hit yourself on the head-- it's so simple! It looks funny too, since the sauce is on top, but it's perfect: dough, layers of mozzarella, sauce made with San Marzano tomatoes, and a healthy dusting of Parmesan. To be honest though, if I attempted cooking it, I would still swear that L&B is better. I absolutely adore it and just thinking about it, even if I just polished off a whole pie to myself, would make me hungry for more. It is not overly doughy or chewy and has a nice amount of saltiness and tart from the tomato sauce, with yummy gooeyness from the cheese.

If you're ever in the Bensonhurst neighborhood of Brooklyn, make L&B a priority stop!