Is that my of the year – New York Restaurant Week is here. During this time budget conscious consumers can sample food from the finest restaurant all $35.
To see a listening of the restaurant participating visit here!
And, you can book your appointment via Open Table.
ENJOY.
Veranda invites to you celebrate official kitchen opening with a special happy hour on Wednesday 6/30, complete with a DJ and three compimentary Ketel One cocktails such as the “Verandalini” and “Mediterano” from 6-8pm. This will also mark the Kick-off of “Summers on the Veranda,” scheduled for every Wednesday.
Veranda Summer Happy Hour Menu
The Stone Turtle Restaurant in Island Park, Long Island is on it’s way to becoming the new hot spot that New Yorkers will actually leave the city to attend. Opened in May 2010, Executive Chef Gregory Baumel has assembled an eclectic and fun menu that adds a twist to everyday food in a friendly, chic, and lively atmosphere. I recently ventured out to Island Park to experience the new hotspot and of course sample the food.
The ambiance was friendly, welcoming, and an eclectic mix of classic rock and Motown oldies played in the background as I dined. The wall fountain I especially enjoyed as it created a calming trickling water sound. It was very soothing. The décor had a chic, down home feel to it. Plush leather armchairs and leather couch filled the lounge area and bookcase area (where I dined). Large, spacious booths filled the other half of the restaurant. An array of cookbooks lined the bookshelf, as did Trivial Pursuit games and books about the Beatles. It seems Chef Gregory is a Beatles lover. A beautiful marble table sat in the center of the lounge area. The sun beamed through the tall windows and lit up the beautiful artwork lining the walls. After enjoying the beautiful decor, I was ready to eat.
I started with a basket of peasant bread and freshly made pesto. This was the and heartiest pesto I have ever tasted so much so that I ended up ordering another basket! I just had a wonderful consistency. Then my drink came – a Mango Popsicle Martini. This was delicious! It’s a light, refreshing, and mildy sweet martini consisting of Cruzan Mango Rum, Bacardi Light Rum, fresh lime juice, cranberry juice, and a frozen mango lollipop. As the lollipop melts, it creates a smooth mango puree that adds a yummy mango kick. You can let it melt, or eat it as a popsicle! I did both!
For my main dish I had the Green Tea Poached Wild Alaskan Salmon. It was served with sesame grilled asparagus, wasabi cous cous, and Asian BBQ glaze. It was absolutely scrumptious! The plate presentation was so gorgeous I didn’t want to touch it, but hunger overrode beauty in this instance. The salmon was delectable! It was so juicy and tender it practically melted in my mouth. The Asian BBQ glaze poured on top simply popped on my taste-buds. The sesame grilled asparagus had the perfect tender yet crunchy texture and was seasoned beautifully. The cous cous was cooked just right with the mild wasabi flavor, without the bite, creeping up as I chewed. One of the surprising highlights of the dish was the garnish: pickled carrots and white onion. It was sweet and tangy and complemented every piece of the dish. The best garnish I’ve ever tasted! It was a hearty yet light and refreshing dish that left me feeling satisfied. But I didn’t stop there.
Next came the Chocolate Jack Daniels Pecan Pie with a cup of tea. It is a generous slice of pecan pie infused with a shot of Jack Daniels, a few pieces of Valrhona chocolate, and finished with whip cream on the side in an enclosed dish and a strawberry garnish in the shape of a rose. It was a lovely presentation. This dessert was so delightful and was one of the greatest pecan pie’s I have had. It was decadent, smooth, and not overwhelmingly sweet. A “Kick-Ass recipe”, as stated on the menu. The tea was a great finish to my lavish meal. I chose organic African Nectar tea from Mighty Leaf Tea. Each tea came in a handcrafted silken biodegradable pouch. It was light, exotic, and very flavorful. The honey, to sweeten the tea, was a piece of actual honeycomb! It came in a small dish with a spoon, and the best part, the honeycomb melts in your tea…completely dissolves! This was exciting to me.
The Stone Turtle is very accessible to public transportation. Just a 5 minute drive from the Island Park LIRR train stop, or you could walk. Chef Gregory Baumel has created a magnificent combination of elegance, fun, and eclectic food with The Stone Turtle. It’s an excellent mixture of flavors that leaves the taste-buds dancing in joy at the refreshing twists on the tastes of each dish. With friendly, attentive and knowledgeable staff, a chic and welcoming atmosphere all priced moderately, upscale dining hasn’t been so exciting. Check out The Stone Turtle and experience it for yourself.
Cheers,
From May 13-27, explore the wines of Rioja at 25 restaurants across New York. Each will be offering a $25 lunch or $35 dinner menu, including a glass of Rioja wine. See details below; click here for a neighborhood map; invite friends; then reserve a table!
*Rioja Restaurant Week menus are available Monday through Friday. Weekends are optional, please call the restaurant ahead to confirm.
Lorna and I, embarked on a delicious journey to a Little India to a restaurant called Bhojan Vegetarian which just opened on March 29th of this year; the restaurant is located at 102 Lexington Avenue at 27th St.
Bhojan Vegetarian offers a delightful experience on traditional Indian cuisine.
We started with an array of appetizers: Dholka (steamed lentil cakes with green chilies and mustard seeds), Khandvi (gram flour rolls with fresh coriander leaves), Samosa (pastries stuffed with potatoes and peas), and my two new favorites Sev Puri (mini puris stuffed with yogurt and served with tamarind and green chutney) and Samosa Chole Chaat (pastries stuffed with yellow peas topped with yogurt and served with two chutnies). For the main course, we dined on the lunch Thali, a meal for two in itself; its is an entire meal served in a platter arranged in small bowls and served all together. It includes one starter, one paneer, one chole, one daal, rice (either basmati or brown), three chapatis (whole wheat flattened bread), raita (a spicy pickle relish), chutney for dipping, and a delicious dessert custard made of yogurt with a touch of saffron and pistachio…..hmmmmmm delicious! The highlight of the lunch for me was the delectable yogurt drinks from the Lassi bar. I started with a Mango Lassi which was very light and refreshing and captured the essence of the flavorful mango. The Rose Lassi, however, stole my heart! It was a light, crisp, and refreshing yogurt drink that was flavored with actual rose petals! The taste was smooth and not overwhelming at all. You could actually taste hints of the rose petals through the creamy, light texture of the yogurt. This drink is a new staple in my arsenal of summer drinks. I can imagine walking along the streets of New York sipping the creamy coolness of the Rose Lassi.
Bhojan Vegetarian, serves fresh, healthy and satisfying meals. They highlight dishes from the North and West of India, namely Gujarat and Punjab, which are famous for their distinct vegetarian offerings. The ambiance of the restaurant was very relaxing as contemporary Bollywood music softly played in the background. Green wine bottles created the chandeliers that gave a soft light to the space, and Indian woks lined the ceiling for an added glow. It was a peaceful environment, give or take the chatter from content customers. If you are intrigued by the foods of India or your curiosity is sparked and you’re dying to know more, Nalina Mehta (a fellow dinner), offers a Saturday classes called “Route To India.” It is a culinary tour of the Little India’s of Manhattan and Jackson Heights which demystifies Indian cuisine from the foods used, to preparation, to kitchenware and everything else you’ve ever wanted to know about the traditions of India. All in all, it was a lovely experience, one that I would thoroughly enjoy repeating with friends who love food as much as I do.
Bhojan Vegetarian tantalizes your taste buds with it’s refreshing spin on Indian cuisine, and with their amazing prices, Little India has acquired the new go-to spot for New Yorkers. Check them out: 102 Lexington Avenue (at 27th St.), www.BHOJANNY.com, 212.213.9615, and also at fineindiandining.com. Enjoy folks!
Cheers,
Lori Richardson
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