BRAVO! AOL’s Cityguide Best Italian Restaurant
on Long Island voted #1 was Bravo Nader (9 Union Place —
between Huntington’s New York Ave and Wall St one block
north of Gerard St, 631 351-1200). “It seems to be the
personal touch of owner Nader Gebrin that nudged this tiny
trattoria to the top,” said the website’s results.
The cozy place has only 12 tables and the work of Nader
as owner and chef seems to be the biggest attraction of this
10-year old gem. Ever conscious of health, everything is prepared
fresh and nothing fried. He uses very little cream and prepares
the specials himself. We’re putting it on our must-go
list. If you want a real inexpensive way to try Bravo Nader,
the Early Bird Special is just $19.95 and includes appetizer,
soup or salad; entree; dessert & coffee — reservations
required. Tell Nader, the Foodies sent you.
RESTAURANT WEEK: The brainchild of Wordhampton
Public Relations Foodie Guru Steve Haweeli, the First ever
Long Island Restaurant Week with a special three-course $21.95
prix fixe dinner is almost upon us. The week-long promotion
will run Sunday, November 5 to Sunday, November 12 (except
Saturday when it will be offered only until 7 pm). Each restaurant
offers its own unique menu and an inexpensive way to try a
new place. Participating local eateries are: Blue Honu (421-6900);
Jonathan’s (549-0055); Mazzi (421-3390); Osteria Da
Nino (425-0820), Pomodoro (549-7074), Red (673-0304), Sitar
(271-8600), Wild Fin (549-5757), and Four (577-4444). Enjoy
and tell them the Foodies sent you!
MORE CASUAL, LOWER PRICES: Good news for
Huntington Foodies: local favorite “Indigo” at
70 Gerard St (631 424-7757) is undergoing changes –
and we hear it’s for the better. The fine kitchen and
warm hospitality of proprietor Gary Cicerello will stay the
same, but watch them tweak the place, making it a bit more
casual. Best of all, unlike anything we’ve seen before,
watch them beef up the menu with new items and pare down the
prices. Already a Foodie favorite, we anticipate the casual
transformation and the menu morph is beginning as we salivate.
NOVELLO: As the bright, fresh colors of summer
give way to the subdued golden tones of autumn, the changing
season signals something special. In Italy, it is the release
of Novello every year on November 6. Made from the first grapes
of the season, Novello, or “new wine,” is available
just two months following the harvest and is intended to be
enjoyed young. Distinguished by an unmistakably bright red
color and full-bodied fruitiness, it is the Italian counterpart
of the French Beaujolais Nouveau, released about two weeks
later. Beaujolais Nouveau is produced with one type of grape,
Gamay, grown only in the Beaujolais region of France. By contrast,
Novello is produced in regions throughout Italy, using the
most representative grape of the area. You only have
two months, so drink up!
COOL! Village regulars, get ready. Ice cream
lovers, rejoice. It may just happen. You’ve waited for
months; you’ve melted through the summer months in anticipation,
and now, as the cold winds begin to blow, they hang the sign.
Yes, what seems like a year-long project, may finally be ready
to open — just in time for winter. Watch for the new
Ben & Jerry’s on Main St.
IT’S A GAS! In what some might view
as a healthy food move, North American BioFuels Company (NABFC)
has formally opened in Suffolk the first facility in the northeast
US that converts restaurant grease into biofuel – really!
According to proud County Exec Steve Levy, “This facility
takes a costly problem – the disposal of waste grease
– and turns it into an energy solution by producing
a clean, renewable energy product which will reduce harmful
emissions into the atmosphere.” Converting restaurant
grease into biodiesel fuel for diesel cars and home heating
oil sounds like a win-win solution to a long-standing problem.
So let’s get this straight, deep frying creates lots
of restaurant grease. Restaurant grease is turned into eco-friendly
biofuel. So eating French Fries clearly is a sacrifice we
must all make for the environment.
FOOD FACT: The trouble with eating Italian
food is that five or six days later you’re hungry again.
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the food world to Foodie@LongIslandernews.com
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