FOODIE

Covering All The Bases At Rookies
By Tricia & Luann/ foodie@longislandernews.com

It’s been a good year for New York sports. The Giants took the Super Bowl, the Rangers made a run in the playoffs, and hey, the Mets are even in first place – for the moment, anyway. Luckily for Huntington sports fans looking to watch their favorite teams go at it, Rookies Sports Club has stepped up to the plate.

Offering well above average bar food and a wide range of daily specials, Rookies is where sporty meets sophisticated. Sports jerseys and black and white photos hang against vibrant deep red walls with black trim and high ceilings create an airy, open atmosphere. Black booths, each with its own personal TV screen that allows the diner to pick the channel, and tables surround a horseshoe shaped bar in the heart of the restaurant.

With eight big screen TVs and two projector screens, Rookies is the kind of place you feel comfortable drinking a martini from a classy glass and chowing down on onion rings at the same time – which we did, happily.

Owners and childhood friends Luigi Aloe, who also owns Black & Blue, and Michelle Baldi opened Rookies’ doors to Huntington village in November of 2007. The magic happens on Gerard Street, across the street from the post office.

We were bopping our heads to the 80s classic song “I Wear My Sunglasses At Night” when our waitress, dressed in a stylish referee’s outfit, brought us Michelle’s drink suggestions. A Now And Later Martini ($10) with watermelon vodka, sour apple and grenadine brought back memories of the everlasting candy, while the Tropical Margarita ($11) with Malibu rum and splashes of pineapple and strawberry, refreshed us from the hot, humid day. Over eight different tap beers, which come in temperature sensitive, color changing glasses, and over 15 bottled varieties are also available.
We had to start with Rookies signature wings (24 for $18.99, 12 for $9.99, 6 for $5.99), of which there are six flavors. Classic Buffalo wings are the most popular and come drenched in a spicy wing sauce with chunky bleu cheese dressing, but we couldn’t get enough of the Honey Thai wings. Crispy and meaty, those babies come with a sweet honey mandarin sauce. We can’t wait to go back and try the Chipotle BBQ, Jamaican Jerk, Pan Asian, and Hell Fire flavors.

The onion ring tower ($9.95) is quite a sight at about a foot tall, with onion rings piled high, one on top of the other, around a metal rod in the center. Three dipping sauces, a chipotle ketchup with a spice that rises only at the very end, a tasty honey mustard that is more honey than mustard, and a ranch with a kick accompany the battered, crispy rings.

“Lil Macs” may look small, but don’t underestimate this platter of three mini burgers ($8.99). Thick all-beef patties on a trio of buns are served with special sauce, lettuce, cheese and pickles. Chicken quesadillas ($7.99) come low on grease and high on cheddar and jack cheeses.

Jumbo lump crab cake ($8.95) is soft and well-seasoned, served alongside corn salsa and drizzled with chipotle aioli. It is one of many tasty treats that will grace Rookies new menu, set to come out in the next week or two.

The Philly Cheesesteak ($12.95) is another new menu item, with tender slices of beef smothered with American and provolone cheeses, mushrooms, roasted red peppers and onions served on garlic bread with fries. Not overly cheesy, as is the case with many Philly cheesteaks outside of Philly, this version is abundant in peppers and is served with seasoned fries that leave you wanting more.

The rest of the new menu will have more burger variations, new sandwiches and wraps, as well as more varieties of flatbread pizzas in a move toward a more “American menu,” Michelle said, with entrees ranging from rack of ribs to macaroni and cheese.

The weekly specials seem never ending. Enjoy half priced drinks an appetizer specials Mon.-Fri. from 4-7 p.m, or wing night on Mon. from 8-10 p.m. and Wed. from 9-11 p.m. - $13 gets you all you can eat Buffalo wings and Bud Light or Coors Light pitchers. Rookies is family friendly as well, especially on Wed. where patrons get a free kid’s meal with each adult entrée from noon to 10 p.m.

They say Rookies is a major league experience, and we can’t disagree. With good food on first, a fair drink selection on second, a friendly staff on third and overall fun at the plate, Rookies hits a grand slam in our book as far as sports bars go.

Rookies Sports Club
70 Gerard Street
Huntington village
631-923-0424
www.rookiesny.com

Cuisine: Sizable appetizers, burgers and sandwiches
Atmosphere: High end sports bar
Price Range: Inexpensive - moderate
Hours: Monday – Wednesday, 11:30 a.m. to midnight for food,
to 1 a.m. for the bar;
Thursday – Saturday, 11:30 a.m.
to 2 a.m. for bar and food;
Sunday 11:30 a.m. – 10 p.m.
for food, midnight for bar

Main Menu