TINY RESTAURANT, BIG
FLAVOR: Proprietors Maria and Mike Maroni, formerly
of Mirepoix in Glen Head, have given Northport’s smallest
restaurant their name. Known for their Asian/French/Italian
fusion fare and signature dishes, Maroni Cuisine (18 Woodbine
Avenue, Northport. 631-757-4500, maronicuisine.com) has created
a phenomenal foodie (or is it phoodie?) Tasting Menu that
includes samplings of: Mini Kobe Beef Cheeseburgers, Caviar,
Oysters, Sushi, Porcini Tortellini with Truffle Alfredo, Shrimp
Tempura, Chicken Cutlet Milanese, Grey Sole Oreganata, Rigatoni
Cognac Pomodoro, Goat Cheese Fondue, Memphis Style Ribs falling
off the bone, and lots more ($85/per, tax & gratuities
not included). The 24-seat dining mecca requires a reservation
plus a bit of luck to get a table. When begging for one —
way in advance — try telling them Gary Weiss sent you.
If that doesn’t work, they also offer their incredible
dishes to go.
ROCKIN’ AT ROCKFISH: We remember when
the Foodies first ventured into Rockfish, L.I. celebrity chef
Tom Schaudel’s undersea world adjoining Finley’s
of Green Street and launched this paper’s Foodie section
with their first of many restaurant reviews. And now, six
months later we’re sitting with their Prix Fixe menu
(Tuesday thru Friday and Sunday, 5-6:30 p.m.) and the $21.95
three-course dinner offers make us smack our lips. From the
Prix Fixe offerings, their Kung Pao Calamari is absolutely
the best and tastiest use of squid since God invented fried;
and we described the blackened catfish with Jambalya rice
and voodoo sauce as “delightfully spiced and bone free.”
Dessert-wise, the “key lime taco is a whimsical creation
with fresh banana and tangy key lime filling in a crisp ‘taco’.”
There is an incredible variety to choose from and a bargain
at the price. Tell them the Foodies sent you.
COLUMBUS! Celebrate the discovery of America
at Vittorio’s Restaurant and Wine Bar (184 Broadway,
Amityville). The Columbus Day Celebration Wine Dinner, $39.95,
Sunday through Tuesday, October 8-10 from 5 p.m., fetes the
Italian-explorer-in-service-to-Spain with an exciting and
diverse three-course menu offering cuisine and wine from Italy
and Spain including wines acknowledged by the restaurant’s
newly received Wine Spectator Award. Info and reservations:
631 264-3333.
COOKIES: Quintessential Cookies (256 Main
Street, Northport Village) is offering children’s workshops
for grades K-7. Fall- and winter-themed workshops to be held
every Sunday will give them a hands-on experience rolling
dough, coloring icing and using their creativity to decorate
cookies. Themed workshops include Fall, Halloween and Thanksgiving;
and for Winter, adult-and-child Gingerbread House Construction
and Holiday Cookie workshops. Their fresh, natural products
are baked right on the premises and are available at the store
9:30 a.m. – 6 p.m., Tuesday through Saturday, and Sundays,
10 a.m. – 5 p.m. Baskets for special occasions or Gingerbread
Houses can be ordered. Info: www.qcookies.com or 631-262-0633.
CHEESE & WINE 101: Max McCalman, maitre
fromager of Michelin-starred restaurant Picholine, provides
a roadmap for matching various cheese types with the wines
that best suit them. He introduces cheese basics, including
milk types, textures and flavors, as well as how to shop for,
care for, and serve fine cheeses. Then he guides you through
choosing wines that complement each cheese type. Sample and
discover marriages that suit your own personal taste. Single
session classes $75 per person with discounts if you register
with friends – held at Artisanal Premium Cheese Center,
500 West 37th Street on any of the following: Wednesdays,
October 11; Monday, October, 23; Wednesday, November 15; Tuesday,
November 28; Tuesday, December 12. Other courses are available.
Info: 877-797-1200 or www.artisanalcheese.com.
ORGANIC GOES ORGASMIC: The nation’s
farmers can’t keep pace with the growing demand for
organic food. Organic food is produced without the use of
artificial pesticides, synthetic fertilizers, hormones, or
antibiotics. Farms that grow organically, often do so in a
sustainable, environmentally sound, manner. The lure of good
health, environmental friendliness and a society currently
expressing a voracious appetite for both has caused sales
of this tiny food market segment – less than 3% —
to increase at seven times the rate of total food sales. Mainstream
supermarkets have joined the trend and are devoting entire
aisles to organic products to recapture some of the business
lost to specialty chains like Whole Foods. Local supermarket
giant King Kullen entered the fray with its “Wild By
Nature” chain, one of which is on Main Street in Huntington
Village. The government has also entered the business offering
a green organic seal for those foods meeting their organic
standards.
NEXT APPRENTICE? The Donald a Long Island
caterer? Sounds like it’s going to happen! The master
of all, with the jack of many, is partnering with Bethpage
caterer Steve Carl of Carlyle on the Green, to build “Trump
On The Ocean,” a mega-million dollar upscale catering
hall on the Jones Beach Boardwalk. The facility, able to accommodate
1,400 guests will also house a lounge-like club and restaurant.
Reserve your affair early for a projected opening in 2008.
FOOD FACT: Bakers trade bread recipes on
a knead to know basis.
Send news of
the food world to Foodie@LongIslandernews.com
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