TOON TIME: Fans of The Lockhorns have grown used to seeing familiar Huntington landmarks in the backgrounds of the internationally syndicated cartoon. The one that appears most is probably Canterbury Ales, the eatery still owned by Billy Hoest, the son of Lockhorns creator Bill Hoest. You can see some of ’em along with the work of a number of cartoonists at an exhibit, “Berndt Toast Gang and Friends,” at the Huntington Arts Council’s Artrium through Nov. 30. The gallery is located at 25 Melville Park Road, Melville. 631-271-8423.

BRING ON THE BAND: Mangiamo (15 New St., Huntington village 631-421-4600) will be rockin’ Thursday nights (except Thanksgiving, that is) when they host the rockin’, funkin’ horns of the band Uppercut. The nine-piece band is made up of studio and session musicians of Cold Spring Harbor-based Black Rose Productions. The concert begins at 9 p.m. every Thursday; dine downstairs beforehand and admission is free. Otherwise, a $10 cover charge goes to the band.

SALUD!: After a few months’ wait, La Bottega Gourmet (9 Wall St., Huntington village 631-271-3540) has secured its wine and beer license, which is great news if you want some vino with one of the dozens of panini or salads on the menu. We saw the staff at La Bottega serving a bottle of red this Friday, but no formal list has been established so far; considering the breadth of their food list, we’d expect the folks at La Bottega to go all out and create an impressive sampling of beer and wine indeed.

FRENCH TOAST: The tip from the bread experts at Panera Bread for French toast is to let the flavors soak in overnight. Overnight Eggnog French Toast. 6 - 8 servings. Ingredients: 3/4 stick butter; 6-8 slices cinnamon raisin white bread, 1 inch thick; 1 cup pecans, coarsely chopped; 1/2 cup light brown sugar; 2 tablespoons dark corn syrup; 4 large eggs; 1 teaspoon vanilla extract; 1-1/2 cups half-and-half; 1 cup whole milk; 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon; 1 dash ground nutmeg. Directions: Preheat oven to 350-degrees Fahrenheit. Generously butter a 13 by 9-inch baking pan. Butter both sides of bread and place in the baking pan, covering the bottom of the pan. In a small bowl, toss the pecans with the brown sugar and distribute over the bread. Drizzle corn syrup over pecans. In a medium bowl, whisk together eggs, vanilla extract, half-and-half, milk, cinnamon and nutmeg. Pour evenly over bread slices. Set aside for 15 to 30 minutes to allow the bread to absorb the liquid. Bake for 30 to 45 minutes, until brown. Invert on a serving tray, cut into squares and enjoy piping hot.
LAST CALL: After three years on Northport’s Main Street, Bistro 44 served its final meal last Saturday.

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