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