Just a quick post with some pictures from the annual Halloween boat burning at the Long Island Maritime Museum.
Live music all night long.
The burning boat is spectacular and keeps everyone warm.
This was a 40' sport fisherman.
Huge clouds of smoke filled the air.
Good food from the truck, and trinkets for sale under the gazebo.
A handsome rowing skiff is the raffle prize.
Kathleen Prokesch, director of special events, announces the lucky raffle winner.
Fellow writer and beer lover Michael Yohe has been visiting the Long Island breweries with stops at the BrickHouse Brewery, the Bluepoint Brewery, the Brooklyn Brewery and Black Forest Brew Haus.
8 beer sampler at Southampton Publick House.
All of these breweries produce excellent beer and some serve food as well. I’d be hard pressed to pick a favorite. From west to east here’s the lineup:
Brooklyn Brewery – Read Mike’s review of the Brooklyn Brewery here, and get some behind the scenes info with his interview with Brooklyn Brewery’s marketing manager Ben Hudson.
Black Forest Brew Haus – Excellent beer and German/American cusine. Read Mike’s review of the Black Forest Brew Haus here.
John Harvards Brewhouse – Ha! I beat Mike to the punch on this one. Here’s my review of John Harvard’s Brewhouse.
Blue Point Brewery – I love this place. Click here for Mike’s Blue Point Brewery review.
The BrickHouse Brewery – One of my favorites for great beer, food, and music. Read my review here, and Mike’s review of the BrickHouse Brewery here.
We’re not done yet. The are 2 more Long Island breweries we have to visit: Southampton Publick House and the Greenport Harbor Brewing Company. Stay tuned…
For a look at all the breweries on Long Island check out Long Island Beer, Breweries and Brewpubs.
After a long day slaving away at the computer I went out for some dinner at Kingston’s Clam Bar. It was very windy yesterday and along the way I encountered this dust blowing across a soccer field.
There was so much dust in the air my eyes were burning.
For dinner I had clams and oysters on the half shell followed by a plate of fried calamari, and all washed down with a couple of pints of Paulaner hefe-weizen, a summertime favorite beer. (Sorry no pictures of dinner.)
After dinner I noticed the planet Venus shining brilliantly in the western sky. The picture just doesn’t do the scene justice, but I hope you get the idea of how beautiful it was.
Venus is the very bright “star” in the picture above. You can see the yellow glow of Kingston’s dining room to the right.
Just when you thought the town of Greenport couldn’t get any cooler someone goes and starts a brewery.
I had heard about Greenport Harbor Brewing Company but didn’t think it was open yet. I drove by last weekend to see how things were coming and, well, see for yourself:
Right next to the jail behind Sweet Indulgences
The tasting room
In the tasting room you can taste beer, and buy pint glasses, tee shirts, bumper stickers…
First impressions: The beer (3 ales the day I was there) is excellent, and co-founder Richard Vandenburgh (in the doorway above) is an enthusiastic and gracious host. I expect good things to come.
Greenport Harbor Brewing Company
234 Carpenter Street
631-477-6681
Remember that vineyard I showed you last week? Well, bud break is in full swing there now. The leaves are small, but they’ll grow like mad until the vines flower and produce fruit.
The warm weather not only stirs activity in the vines, but in the vineyards as well. There’s work to be done from now until harvest and beyond.
This is also the time of year when people end their winter hibernation and start exploring Long Island wine country. If you’ve never been to a tasting room before and feel a little intimidated, no bother, just read this bit about Long Island wine tasting and relax. If you already know the drill, then consider taking a chauffer driven Long Island wine tour.
At this time of year there are a lot of people shopping in downtown Sayville. It’s a beautiful place and there are lots of cool little shops. One of my favorites is Down the Rabbit Hole Wine Boutique.
Because of its small size you can easily walk right by and never know you passed it, so keep you eyes peeled for the bright blue awning right next to the Sayville Chocolatier (I know you know where that is 🙂 ).
In this tiny little shop is a large selection of wines hand picked by proprietor Suzanne McDonald. Describe what you like and Suzanne will suggest a wine to fit the bill. Tell her what you’re cooking and she’ll suggest a pairing. It couldn’t be easier, or more fun. Suzanne is informative, unassuming, and smiles a lot.
I’ve seen a lot of people peek their heads in the door and then walk out scared because it’s a wine shop. I always encourage them to go in and talk to Suzanne. She’ll put you at ease and you’ll leave happy.
Just 2 weeks ago we Long Islanders were complaining about the end of summer. How it went so fast and there wasn’t enough time, blah, blah, blah. But cooler weather has its rewards (aside from not sticking to the sheets at night).
One of those rewards is my second favorite cookie of all time: Mallomars.
Fig Newtons are my #1 fav, but Mallomars are so close it’s practically a tie. Fig Newtons are available throughout the year, but on Long Island we can only get Mallomars in the cooler weather. They just melt too easily during the summer.
The limited availability exalts these cookies, and this might sound odd, but there’s a box of Mallomars in the cabinet for 2 days now and I just can’t bring myself to open it.
I’ve waited this long, they’re in the house, and rather than tear open the box before the rest of the groceries are put away, I’d like some quiet time to sit down and really savor the first Mallomar of the season.
Does that makes sense to anyone else or I am just nuts?
A quick post to let everyone know that I just finished a short guide to the Nautical Mile restaurants. All 18 restaurants, the Italian ice shop and the ice cream shop are covered. So get out there and eat!
During my, uh, “research” for the restaurant article I had the pleasure of running into Rocco Abbondola again. I’ve received some email from readers wondering if he was still alive. Well, not only is he alive, but he’s as rambunctious as ever. If you’d like to meet him yourself he’s usually at Otto’s on Saturday afternoon/evening.
Rocco Abbondola at Otto’s, August 2008
I found the coolest, if not the tiniest little wine boutique on Long Island, in downtown Sayville.
My girlfriend and I were just walking down the sidewalk and all of sudden this wine shop just sort of hopped out at us. We had never seen it before and we both said at the same time, “Where’d this come from?”
We stepped inside and met Suzanne, who told us that she had just started the business. Wine aficionado, figure skater, and artist, Suzanne has put her heart into this wine boutique and it shows.
She’s knowledgeable, stocks good wine, and offers it in a fun, and maybe a little quirky environment.
This is exactly the kind of place I like to see on Long Island. It’s different, offers something of value, and is completely genuine.
So needless to say, I’m a loyal customer. And, (you know me) I’ve been taking pictures and asking questions.
Here is my full review of Down the Rabbit Hole Wine Boutique.
I was in Patchogue last Saturday to see Ann Marie and Mike at the BrickHouse Brewery. The place was a bit more crowded than I had the patience for, so it was just a quick hello, then across the street to BobbiQue.
There, my daughter and I enjoyed a quiet lunch of ribs and salad. It was only our first visit, so this is not a full review, just my first impressions.
(You can read more detailed reviews of Long Island restaurants here .)
I like the place.
We were both happy with the food. There are a dozen good beers on tap, 60 in bottles, and a couple of cask conditioned ales as well. BobbiQue is home to a lively blues scene that I’d like to check out on a hopping Friday night.
The service is unusual. You place your order at a counter near the entrance, pick up a table marker, and then sit any where you want. Food is served in metal trays that match the industrial theme décor.
I’d go back.
The full slab of excellent ribs was too much for me to finish, but made a great midnight snack.
Open and airy with ample seating at the bar.
BOBBiQUE
70 W. Main Street
Patchogue, NY