The Burger Spot

Another eatery located on Garden City's 7th Street is the recently opened Burger Spot. The Burger Spot, benefiting from a cozy end location on the row of stores and a shady, tree filled exterior, it is a new edition for Garden City that tries to find its place in the new craze of expensive, gourmet burgers that not from fast food places.

The family running the place stems from a family of restaurant owners in California, who wish to extend the tradition of quality in a casual setting here in Nassau County. The beef is grass-fed, which I enjoy, but the price tag is something I don't. Burgers without adding anything extra on can run you about 9 dollars. That's the price you'll pay however if you want a burger without antibiotics on Long Island, and if you justify the fact that you will pay 9 dollars for a club sandwich at any given diner, it's OK once in a while.

The Burger Spot offers a veggie burger option, which is very tasty for a vegetarian offering, but too expensive for a sandwich with no meat in it. It utilized portabella mushrooms as the main meat replacement which is smart, instead of some odd fried veggie concoction. There's an Alaskan Crab option, as well as an Italian themed burger called The Sicilian.

My favorite burger however, was just the standard burger, as I enjoyed the home sauce and just tasting the meat of the burger. I enjoy the brioche bun as the standard bread, as it brings a different flavor to the burger than the regular white bread sesame many other burgers universally use.

The fries were tasty, thin and very crispy. They tasted like you got them at a carnival and not from a fast food fryer.

Overall, I'm not too crazy about The Burger Spot. It is a nice option for 7th Street, and has a nice exterior and a friendly interior. However, this new burger craze seemingly sparked by Five Guys is a bit much for me, and most gourmet burger places are overrated and really expensive. Taking your family of 5 out for burgers at The Burger Spot will run you 50 dollars at least, which is insane.  There aren't too many options, so I assume burger aficionados will likely not be too impressed, as they are the ones who would be excited about such a place. If money is not an issue, there shouldn't be too many complaints. It's a nice looking place in a nice area, family owned and operated. For a good, solid, grass-fed burger, The Burger Spot is a cool new place to try once or twice.

150 7th Street

Garden City, NY 

Monday-Sunday: 11:00am-10:00pm

(516) 746-6100
Cash and Cards Accepted 

The Burger Spot Website

Frosty's Ice Cream Club & Coffee Bar

Forget what you get the man who has everything. What do you get from a place that has everything? And I mean everything. Frosty's Ice Cream Club & Coffee Bar, tucked away and almost hidden on a busy Hempstead Turnpike row of businesses, is possibly the coolest place on Long Island. It could be Long Island's best kept secret for those who do not live in the general area of Franklin Square.

I can't stress enough that Frosty's has everything. Any flavor you could think of is available for use in a plethora of Frosty's offerings, including a large selection of actual ice cream, shakes, smoothies, frozen hot chocolates, and a slew of coffee and tea options to name a few.

You will have to look at the menu below for a full range of options, of which all I couldn't possibly name, but I will highlight some of my personal favorite appetizing oddities.

Frosty's prides itself on its Frozen Hot Chocolates, calling it "Franklin Squares best oxymoron", a smooth, creamy, frosted version of a hot chocolate in any flavor you could think of. You can ask for a coconut Frozen Hot Chocolate from a delicious drink that tastes like a Mounds bar in liquid form, or any other of the extremely tasty combos like Raspberry, Banana, Marshmallow, and any combination you could possibly think of. However, the one specialty that sets Frosty's even further apart from the pack is the ridiculously unique Bacon Frozen Hot Chocolate. Yes, bacon and chocolate. How could you go wrong? If you are brave enough to ask for it in public you will be rewarded with a savory, bacony treat that is something bacon or chocolate lovers should try at least once.

Another item that stands out from the pack is the Red Velvet Shake,  which is exactly what is sounds like. This creamy red treat is like drinking a red velvet shake right from the cup, a must for shake and cake lovers alike. Along with the Bacon Frozen Hot Chocolate, this is my favorite item on the menu.

While I would never waste my time at Frosty's getting standard varieties of ice cream (although many do, either too intimidated by change or don't bother reading the menu), Frosty's does have a nice variety of flavors. But the real winner when it comes to the ice cream is Frosty's two special cone options that differ from the standard waffle and wafer cones: The Cookie Cone and The Pretzel Cone. They both are made completely of cookie and pretzel, respectively, shaped into the standard cone shape, making way for a variety of great combo ideas to take the every day ice cream cone up a notch. Creative, 6 layer "Avalanche" Sundae varieties are also offered.

Frosty's coffee and tea selection is great as well, offering many more options than even Starbucks could dream of. Seasonal latte's are awesome, like Pumpkin Pie, Caramel Apple, and Almond Joy Lattes during Halloween, and Gingerbread and Christmas Cookie Lattes for Christmastime.

Another personal. hard-to-find flavor favorite of mine is a White Chocolate Lavender Latte, which you have to ask for by name and is not on the menu. Lavender syrup is a special offering that gives a oddly sweet and floral kick to a creamy cup of Joe.They even give out cute stickers to use to cover up the drinking hole on your cup to keep your coffee warm.

The tea flavors, especially the Iced Teas, are pretty off-the-wall, with options including Desert Pear, Chipotle Pineapple, and Habenero Lime.

Frosty's is run by an artist, who decorates the place to the nines during seasonal holidays. They just had an amazing display up for Halloween, with a creepy decor capped off by lights and sound effects. Christmastime is just as extreme, with it being Frosty's trademark time of year. It's a great atmosphere for families and all ages alike, and compliments the personality of the menu.

Frosty's is a great community business as well, selling custom, fun, creativity crafted cupcakes, cakes, and mini cakes for all sorts of events. They run food related learning classes and childrens event year round as well.

I can't really stress going to Frosty's enough. It may very well be the coolest place on Long Island as far as menu variety and decor go. It's in a very busy area and is easy to pass buy, but if you do, look for the lights and stop in to try something you've never had before. It's a treat in every sense of the word. They are constantly updating the menu and adding new items, like the recent addition of ganache lava cake.

Frosty's Ice Cream Club & Coffee Bar is nestled at:
916 Hempstead Turnpike,
Franklin Square, NY
Monday: 2:00pm - 10:00pm
Tuesday - Thursday:11:30am - 10:00pm
Friday & Saturday: 11:30am - 11:00pm
Sunday: 11:30am - 9:00pm
(516) 216-1700 
Cash and Cards Accepted
Frosty's Website

Podcast: Why I Write This Blog

This is a brief podcast I made where I discuss my philosophy and thoughts on seeking out and enjoying good, unique food, and therefor, what this blog is really about.

The End

There is something to be said about making a long trip for food. Few things make long trips worthwhile for human beings like food, an instant sensory satisfier. If I wasn't covering independent places I would stress the fact that every Long Islander should make a pilgrimage to the upstate New York Sonic Burger in Wappingers Falls, NY.

Montauk is literally about as far as you can go on Long Island, hence its nickname being "The End." That doesn't mean however, that it is the end of options.

I honestly don't know enough about Montauk to discuss its food history. I'm sure it has a lot to do with seafood. However my favorite item there is not.

Down aways from the Montauk Lighthouse, in the general main area of town is an independent grocery store called Ronnie's Grocery. It isn't fancy or flashy, and is exactly the type of places I love, somewhere you never expect to have something mind blowing.



Inside the grocery store is a small deli. The sandwhich and star attraction of this post? The Turkey Berry hero.

The Turkey Berry hero is an amazing combination of fresh carved turkey, bacon, lettuce, red onion, mayo, and of course, fresh cranberry sauce. It's like a Thanksgiving sandwich kicked up a notch by the surprising addition of bacon and red onion which absolutely blow it out of the water. It's just the perfect hero. It's one of those deli combos that seem simple, but you wouldn't combine them on purpose.

If you find yourself, for whatever reason, on the end of this fine Island, do yourself a favor and find this place as well. It will make all the traffic you hit passing through the Hamptons worth it. Also, the Lighthouse is cool too.

Cherry Valley Deli

Cherry Valley Deli is another unique take on a Long Island standard, the deli. Cherry Valley breaks the mold in a few ways, all mostly working to its success.

Cherry Valley Deli in West Hempstead, NY is actually the second store in the franchise, the first being a great success in Whitestone, Queens.

The deli is open 24 hours, blowing away the accessibility of other area delis by about 12 hours. Much like its down-the-turnpike neighbor A&S, Cherry Valley's all day access leads it to thrive at night, when it is most packed. You will get a seedier crowd at Cherry Valley than at other all-night offerings, but the food is worth it. Worth it, that is, when your starving at night, and want something insanely delicious that is also pretty awful

 for your long-term health.

The Deli boasts over 150 different heroes and sandwiches. Some of them are standard options you have seen before, or could have thought of yourself, but a few of them are so ridiculous and bad for you that you have to take notice. These are the sandwhiches that make Cherry Valley a special place.

I enjoy options, from standard to insane, and I equally enjoy selecting what I think are the best of the litter. Many favorites at Cherry Valley include the addition of fries, waffle fries, onions rings, and brown gravy, not great if you want to live to be 100, but absolutely delicious.

The best sandwich for my money (and a reasonable price at that), is The Beast, a hero which includes fried chicken cutlet, bacon, melted swiss, onion rings, and a river of brown gravy. I know, it sounds illegal. But it's real. It's the definition of a guilty pleasure. It's extremely pleasing, but just ordering it seems irresponsible. Brown gravy is the special ingredient for the entire place, it seems. The over the topness of the options are part of the fun and allure of the deli.

Other great options include The Coyote, a sandwich utilizing waffle fries and ranch dressing, and the too-spicy-for-me-to-handle Gambler, which has pepperjack cheese, hot sauce, hot peppers, and chicken cutlet. Buffalo Chicken sandwiches, Italian meat selections, Hamburgers on heroes, and anything else you can think of or ask for is at your disposal. Breakfast is also served all day, a great option that even A&S Bagels doesn't offer.

The deli's also offers great rare and random treats you would find more frequently in a city bodega than a Nassau suburb, like plantain chips and hard to find flavors of popular brands such as Arizona Iced Tea.

Cherry Valley is a great deli that creates its own niche thanks to a variety of options, it's 24 hour window, and reasonable price. It is the definition of a greasy, awesome, late night snack.

Cherry Valley Deli resides at:
168 Hempstead Turnpike
West Hempstead, NY 
Open 24 Hours, 7 Days a Week
Cash and Cards Accepted
(718) 767-1937
Cherry Valley Deli Website

Upper Crust Cafe

My blog, to me, is much more about finding that special item of food than about the actual place it came from. I like to give a little info of the places themselves because they do factor in, and do give birth to the food, but mostly I like to spotlight things worth making the trip for because we are so saturated in sameness. The Upper Crust Cafe is a great example of this.

Located in Garden City, The Upper Crust Cafe is pricey like other GC eateries, fancying themselves a "Progressive American Cafe." But don't let the name intimidate you. Even though it is in the heart of Garden City's banking district, and literally has "Upper Crust" in its name, despite its priceyness it isn't a suit and tie kind of place. It has a nice, cozy ambiance, a bit of an Italian winery feel, and a very small actual dining area. Couples and families frequent the place, and while they are mostly from Garden City, there is no snobby feeling to the atmosphere, especially not from the staff.

There are a few cool items on their dessert menu, like Creme Brulee Rice Pudding, Stuffed French Toast, and Grilled Pound Cake. But the real star on the menu is in the dinner section under burgers. It's called "The Package."

I'm not a huge burger guy, but this presents the whole thing right. Instead of a bun, the 8oz patty is pressed into a crispy, grilled flour tortilla, allowing you to taste everything inside the sandwich. Joining the burger are sweet caramelized onions, Virginia ham, melted cheddar, and a BBQ mayonnaise. Everything melds together beautiful inside the crunch of the thin tortilla, and it's the juiciest, drippiest burger I've ever eaten. It goes everywhere and it's awesome. It's complimented by house-made chips taking the place of usual fries.

Upper Crust Cafe resides at:
931 Franklin Avenue
Garden City, NY
Lunch
Monday - Friday
11:00a.m. - 3:00p.m.
Brunch:
Saturday - Sunday 
10:30a.m. - 3:00p.m.
Dinner: 
Monday - Thursday
5:00p.m. -9:00p.m
Friday - Saturday
5:00p.m. - 10:00p.m.
Sunday
5:00p.m. - 9:00 p.m. 
http://www.uppercrustgc.com

The Snack Hour

http://ia700202.us.archive.org/14/items/SnackHour/SnackHour.m4a

Garden City Bistro

Amidst the busy suburb of Garden City, a one block oasis of cobblestone and eateries called 7th Street lays in the center of town. 7th Street is a quaint little area were the sidewalks are done up in cobblestone, and business men, housewives, and school children flock to the various interest points that range from popular franchises such as Dunkin Donuts and Starbucks to independent food stops that more so catch my eye.

Tucked away in the back parking lot for 7th Street is Garden City Bistro, a small gourmet shop that offers soups, salads, and paninis but specializes in their wraps.

Back Entrance From Parking Lot

At the food peaks of the day, especially lunch time, the narrow but long Bistro is filled with a long single line of businessfolk, teens, and everyone in between.  The employees behind the counter make everything right in front of you, stirring ingredients for the wraps in large salad bowls to integrate the flavors, and throw chicken, steak, and other favorites right on the griddle. Their bacon is like a steak in itself, thick and chopped up fresh, and may be the best actual bacon I've had out in terms of its flavor and consistency- not crumbly, but juicy.

There are a ton of wrap places on Long Island, but what makes GC Bistro stand out isnt just its quality, gourmet ingredients. The size and shape of the wraps make them their own unique entity, and two meals in one. The wraps arent the usual flat, food roll-ups I'm used too. They are big, bulky, burrito-esque torpedos of flaver.

The wraps come in Regular, Whole Wheat, Tomato-Basil, and Spinach

While there are plenty of great options that range from spicy, to savory, to sweet, such as the Buffalo Chicken Wrap and the Steak Wrap, my personal favorite is rooted in simplicity, which further celebrates Bistro as a simple concept that has something special about it. The BLT Wrap is the best item on the menu, taking the standard concept of bacon, lettuce, and tomato, and turning it into a flavorful, juicy treat. Besides the bacon, which Ive already praised, the key ingredient to the wrap (and maybe to the whole place) is a Basil-Aioli dressing, which takes the place of mayo in the creation, which takes everything to a whole new level. I'm a huge fan of special dressing or sauce- it can make or break an entire meal, concept, or restaurant- and this particular one has it down. I always ask for a little extra, and sometimes I'm out of luck because they run out quick.

The wraps are a bit pricey, which isn't a surprise given that they live in Garden City, but considering how expensive crappy wraps are, it's worth it in my book.

Bistro is located on:
662 Franklin Ave. (Or enter through 7th Street Parking Lot)
Garden City, NY
Mon-Sat: 8:00am-6:00pm
CLOSED Sunday
(516) 747-3696
Major Cards Accepted
GC Bistro

Harbes Family Farm

It's important to remember that Long Island is just that, a long island, and that food experiences don't have to end in central L.I. Although it's a trip, venturing toward the end of the island can not only make for a wonderful fall trip, but it can expose you to some of the great, fresh, simple fare that Long Island's farm and wine country have to offer.

Harbes Family Farm is just one of these examples. Harbes sports three farms, but the one with the good food is located in Jamesport, in the heart of the North Fork's wine pulse. It has great Fall activities to offer, including pumpkin patches, corn mazes, and wine, something for the whole family.

The best thing offered however, is simply the roasted corn. Good corn in a luxury that goes unappreciated on L.I. Sure, you can get it absolutely anywhere, but people who haven't had good corn are really missing out, and people who have had it are spoiled forever.

If you find yourself out on the Island, farm fresh roasted corn and fresh apple cider should be a must for you. Harbes offers these items along with others. The roasted corn is just amazing, crunchy, and fresh. On a nice Fall day you really can't beat the whole experience being far out on L.I.

Harbes also offers some unique items that I also really enjoyed, that also complimented the corn, and was all made from the farm as well. Harbes' apples were used to make delicious Apple Cider, even better and rarer Apple Cider Slushies, and even warm Apple Cider Donuts.


Harbes is out there at:
1223 Main Road
Jamesport, NY
Open Daily (Jul.-Nov.1) 9:00am-6:00pm
(631) 722-2022
FREE PARKING
http://www.harbesfamilyfarm.com/

Thomas's Ham 'n' Eggery

In an island full of diners, eaterys need to have some extra special items in order to make themselves stand out. Thomas's Ham 'n' Eggery, perhaps my favoritely named diner, does just this.

The glowing retro sign that sticks out on Old Country Road acts as a giant arrow that leads one to a world of wonderful breakfast food. The sign itself has a funny story. Even though one of the owner's names is Thomas, the sign and storefront was actually established back 1946 by the original Tom. After a series of sales and purchase trade-offs of the diner, it eventually ended up in the hands of the current Thomas and his brother, who conveniently saved a lot of money on sign replacement.

While Thomas's features many of the breakfast-diner standards, their French Toast stands out above the rest. Their special STUFFED French Toast, to be specific.

Thomas's features an array of insanely good French toasts, stuffed with a variety of flavored fillings, made fresh. Some of the best stuffed options include Cranberry, Banana Cream, Raspberry, Nutella, and Lemon Ricotta. They even have a Strawberry topped French Toast made with croissant bread instead of the standard, very crunchy and sweet. The french toast itself is quite good, but it's what's on the inside that counts. The stuffed ingredients are creamy and fresh, a mixture of cream cheeses, spreads, and fruit. It's well made too, and not a mess, as if it's inside of a pocket instead of two pieces of bread. And you get two "sandwiches" with your order, stuffed with your flavor of choice. That's four pieces of french toast all together. You barely need syrup.

Cranberry Stuffed French Toast, topped with Craisins. 

Another fun part of Thomas's is that their omelets and frittata, both delicious, creamy, and just the right amount of crisp, come served right in the skillet they were born in. Fresh from the stove or the oven, they come sizzling hot in the pan to the table, big enough to reasonably feed four people, especially the fritata, which i prefer over the omelet. Some of the frittata options include Bacon & Gorgonzola, Leek & Chicken Sausage, and Pancettta & Fontina.

Bacon & Gorgonzola Frittata, fresh out of the skillet- zingy, crispy, fluffy, baconey.

Thomas's is a refreshing option in a sea of Long Island diners that serve that standard eggs, toast, and bacon dishes. Prices run relatively cheap here too, even for the featured items. 5-9 Dollars would be the range per item, which is a good buy considering most diners change 10 bucks for a club sandwich or a hamburger. It would be a waste to get French Toast without stuffing, eggs without a skillet, or any of the other items like Corned Beef Hash, Pigs in a Blanket, and Heuvos Rancheros if you came to eat here without knowing the menu. I've seen it happen. It's sad. 

You can find Thomas's at:
325 Old Country Road
Carle Place, NY
Mon-Sat: 6:00am-10:00pm
Sun: 6:00am-4:00pm
(516) ED3-3060
CASH ONLY!
More Info: http://www.exploreli.com/venues/thomas-s-ham-eggery-diner-1.854003

A&S Bagels

For a Long Island food blog, a first post about bagels seems appropriate. However, just because we are in New York does not mean that all bagels here are created equally. I've been to some pretty horrid bagel joints that would make you feel that you  were miles out of the Tri-State area.

A&S Bagels is a special place. Located in Franklin Square, A&S has been around for over 15 years, serving fresh bagels both wholesale and retail. The fact that they make their own bagels for wholesale is where part of the magic lies. While some delis, diners, and even other bagel places are getting their bagel stock shipped to them in the morning, A&S is making them fresh. You can still see into the back today, and watch the little strands of dough become miraculous grown-up bagels.

When I was little, A&S was mainly only wholesale, and they decided to open up a small counter to sell fresh bagels retail. The customers loved it, and it has evolved today into an incredibly popular stop for people all over the island, with more options, an extended counter and larger standing room. The fact that the place is 24/7 does not hurt at all either. 

The French Toast Bagel

This place is so popular that when it set on fire last year, I had already heard about it while living out in California before many Long Islanders did. People gathered to watch their beloved bagel mecca burn, and while it was sad, everyone agreed that it was the most heavenly smelling building fire they ever smelt. And in a world of relicencing and inspection delays for getting buildings repaired and functioning, the whole place was back and running in about two weeks. They must know people.

Every bagel is delicious at A&S, and they have a great menu of sandwiches made with Boar's Head cold cuts that that can be put on any of the multiple types of bagels, but my aim is not to shed light on the obvious. I'd rather talk about one of A&S's more unique items, The French Toast Bagel, pictured above.

The French Toast Bagel, served with butter and maple syrup, is everything good and holy about breakfast foods. Dusted with a little powdered sugar, the crispiness of the bagel, with the doughy inside, along with the buttery and maple syrupy goodness oozing out of it mimics the best features of french toast in every way. Breakfast food is always in fashion, and with A&S's 24 hour window to get it, you really can't lose.

Some other greats at A&S include The Famous Adonis Sandwich, a delicious deli combo drenched in Russian dressing on a bagel of your choice, and the Egg Everything bagel, which is never listed anywhere and can be rare. You can spot it because it has a more orangey hue to it than the regular Everythings. If you get there at the right time, and spot it, ask for it.

A&S Bagels is located at:
761 Hempstead Turnpike
Franklin Square, NY 11010
(516) 326-9288
Open 24 Hours, 7 Days a Week
CASH ONLY!
http://www.aandsbagels.com/

This Blog Bites

In trying to do a "Diners, Drive Ins, and Dives" type blog about Long Island, one might think it could only be "Diners, Diners, and Diners." The truth is that there are a lot of great places right here on Long Island that aren't just diners, and there is a lot of fun, unique, weird, and special items that are worth making the trip for. Right here in Nassau and Suffolk County exists some great treats that can rival anything you can get in the city. This blog will seek out these items and bring them to light, and maybe eventually, bring them into your tasting path.