Homura Sushi

Homura Sushi, a charming restaurant that serves “neo-Japanese cuisine,” manages to blend in well enough with its surroundings on the busy thoroughfare of Willis Avenue.  But once you enter, you’ll realize a great deal of attention has been paid to make Homura an inviting sushi establishment — bamboo wall coverings, a pebble waterfall feature, and Homura’s authentic sushi bar.

Homura serves a large variety of quality sushi, which can be previewed online, at standard market prices.  I ordered Steamed Shrimp Gyoza as an appetizer, and two rolls — a Spider Roll and Spicy Tuna Roll — as my main course. My total came to $18.  The food was served promptly, with all the necessary sauces and condiments, and chopsticks were already on the table.

I would definitely revisit Homura Sushi, as I found the food, service and aesthetics met my expectations for a moderately priced sushi restaurant.  One potential downside I noticed, although it did not apply to my meal, was that the restaurant has a credit card minimum of $15.  So keep that in mind if you plan to pay for a small order with plastic.

Rein
45 7th Street
Garden City, NY 11530
{Google Map | flickr}

Although visiting on Valentine’s weekend, we’re pretty sure that the normal dinner service at Rein is just as magical on any given night. I don’t want to place an emphasis on the specific specialized menu that we had ordered from since it was a one off and not representative of their usual offerings, but the one thing that I want you to take from this review is the attention to detail, perfect atmosphere and world class cuisine that Rein offers.

Located in the Garden City Hotel, a family owned resort (and a similar story line to the famed Breakers in Palm Beach) that has catered to almost every celebrity that has visited these parts, Rein is slammed in their front bar area almost every night.  Half of the diners could be visiting within the hotel and the other half locals.  There’s really no way of knowing.  What we do know is that it is worthy of a top spot on your list from now on and should be kept in your rotation of regular haunts.  With Posh Ultralounge having closed to the public and only open to private parties now, Rein is the way to go if you’re looking for a great bite to eat or a libation to settle that stomach before or after a meal.  The upscale restaurant is highlighted by artwork on the walls of those who have visited; present and past.  The Polo Room and Wine Room are quieter settings that make their appearances for special holiday meals and private parties.

The Executive Chef, Steven De Bruyn, oversees all of Rein and their entire catering operation.  It’s quite a large operation, so we were pretty confident in his abilities to present a favorable meal.  As noted before, since it was Valentine’s Day, we were presented with a long-stemmed rose and a special menu; choice of appetizer, entree and a dessert to share for two.  We wanted to order a variety and have a full tasting, so my wife and I each went our own separate ways with the menu and met in the middle, forks in hand.  I ordered the spicy ginger marinated grilled shrimp appetizer served with mango salsa, avocado cream and hearts of palm while my wife ordered the scallion pancakes, served with a trio of accompaniments (hoisin duck, mango and pickled vegetables.)  I can tell you that the salty-sweetness of the duck with the flavor of the mango and the crunch of the vegetables had me at the first bite.  If this was a full-time menu option, I could see myself at the bar every day after work enjoying this.  The shrimp were a great size, well seasoned and full of great ginger flavor.

Entrees worked out as well as our appetizers did.  I ordered the steak entree, a serving of braised short ribs and pan seared tournedos which was served with Great Hill Blue Bread Pudding while my wife ordered the salmon on top of a black truffle port-wine sauce.  Keeping our tradition alive, we swapped bites of each entree and enjoyed both.  The steaks were cooked perfectly to a medium-rare enabling it to still retain some moisture without sacrificing any flavor.  The salmon flaked apart just right and my wife loved it.

The dessert was the real star of the show this night.  With a portion for two on one plate, they concocted a strawberry-chocolate fondue with vanilla whipped cream, passion fruit milkshake with pineapple rum gelee and a hot chile chocolate cake that was to die for.  The milkshake, with two straws in the glass, had us really intimately sharing our dessert (haven’t you bumped noses on a milkshake before?) and enjoying the time that we had that night.  The fresh strawberries dipped in chocolate and then the vanilla whipped cream was the perfect sweetness with which to end the evening.

Rein’s a great staple to have in Garden City, and I don’t see it going anywhere any time soon.  It’s a restaurant that has history, class and a cuisine to match both.  Chef De Bruyn has the right idea and if he keeps staying on course, I believe that he’ll be regarded as one of the best that the area has seen.  Would we recommend Rein to our loyal audience?  Yes.  Yes, we would.  We hope that you will enjoy it as much as we did that evening.

Our server mixed the Spicy Pepper Jack fondue right at the table, asking for input on how much garlic to put in and how spicy we wanted it.  The result was nothing short of liquid heaven.  For dipping, we were brought a basket with a variety of pieces of bread, and a platter with an impressive array of fruits and vegetables, including apples, tomatoes, broccoli, carrots, cauliflower, pickles and olives.  Between the salad and the cheese course, I was already beginning to fill up.  And this was before I saw the main course, which featured a large platter of meats and potatoes to dip in the sangria broth.  There was beef tenderloin, chicken breast, jerk chicken, salmon, black tiger shrimp, and multiple types of potato wedges.  But more impressive was the selection of eight dipping sauces, including sweet and sour, horseradish, tarragon honey mustard, and yogurt.

The overall experience, while on the more expensive side, was perfect for Valentine’s Day.  I would recommend Simply Fondue for anyone looking for somewhere special for a romantic night out where sharing food in an intimate, cozy setting would be desired.

We wrote about Thyme last summer for their magnificent brunch (now at $18). Because of the love that we gave to the restaurant, we sheparded Rob Petrone, who we do Reservations with Rob with, back to get them some on camera exposure.

While other restaurants are increasingly being owned by big chains and corporations, Thyme is small scale ownership with big time flavor and cuisine. Perhaps the success of the restaurant is due to the micro management of the single ownership as it has been crafted and perfected over years of tinkering and fine tuning. Perfectly situated on Roslyn Pond (perhaps not so much of a winter treat as a summer treat when you can sit outside on the rear patio area of the restaurant), Thmye is located in Historic Roslyn with its landmarked building, clock tower in view and hundred year+ buildings all around.

Of the 8 dishes that we have tried at Thyme we have not been let down. We’ve tried everything from crab cake sandwiches at brunch to their lamb chops and lobster (*formal menu item names to follow). Leave room for dessert as all desserts are expertly crafted on premises. We’ll have a more in depth review coming soon on Thyme, but for now, head on over to their profile review on East of NYC (our sister site) to get the full brunch experience.

I know D’Cocco’s in Oceanside pretty well. My wife grew up just a few minutes away and now we have the pleasure of taking our toddler there as well. We’ve really come full circle. Since I’ve been there so often I was shocked that they had suddenly done a complete overhaul on the restaurant; completely transforming this interior from your typical neighborhood joint to a slightly nicer neighborhood joint.

There’s high tables and chairs, booths and the all important waitress service that’s offered. Dark woods, pendant lighting and nice interior touches round out the atmosphere. The pizza tastes the same; great variety and easy on the wallet.

If there’s ever a restaurant that excels in both cuisine and decor, Tellers Chophouse is that restaurant.  A storied past and a new lease on life highlights this awesome structure and beautiful restaurant.  The food is impeccable and is among the best that I have experienced in my travels across this great island.

Where to begin with Tellers is the question. There’s the building itself; a massive structure that was originally built in 1927 as a bank and has since gone through a transition to hosting this restaurant. Much of the building is still original, with the high ceilings and windows in place, bank President’s office upstairs preserved as a private dining room and the bank vault which now holds court to one of the five on-site wine vaults. The vault door has been completely restored and it is now securely bolted into the floor so as to not lock anyone in. If you like having your own collection on site, they can accommodate you as well, leasing you your very own locker in the vault.  They’ll even assist you in building up your collection with those hard to find vintages. The estimate given to us on our walkthrough of the restaurant was that at any time there is roughly $200,000 in wine on-site. They range from $40 per bottle all the way up to $2,100 per bottle (there are events throughout the year where all wine is half off).

As important as the physical structure is the back-bone of the organization. The Bohlsen Restaurant Group is now into its 4th generation of restaurateurs. They also own such prestigious restaurants on the island such as Prime in Huntington, H2O in Smithtown and the newly opened VERACE just next door to Tellers.  They’ve hit upon something right and the results can be seen in each of their restaurants.  Chef Cornelius Gallagher shines bright as the corporate chef for all of the restaurants and oversees and builds all of the menus.

Tellers is broken down into two very different areas.  There’s the Gold Bar, a throwback to the Mad Men era with it’s dark hues, soft lighting, comfortable lounge area and proper bartenders. It’s the perfect place to sit and wait for your table or to even enjoy dining at the bar.  Potato chips fried to a golden crisp will be served to you if you sit there long enough to enjoy them. Regulars from the area parade in and out through this entrance all day long and the recognition from the staff is what makes them feel at home. The other area of the restaurant is the main dining area and the wine vaults, open and airy for the enjoyment of the cuisine.

The cuisine (click here for their menu) is typical steakhouse fare. We went for the ribeye with the bone in (enough for two) which is a dry aged cut that is broiled at approximately 900 degrees and seasoned with only salt and pepper.  The high heat creates an amazing crust and carmelizes the exterior.  Letting it sit for about ten minutes after it comes out of the broiler, the juices spread out through the meat and the entire cut is moist. To finish out the meal we ordered a side of hash browns, which had a delectable crust that was great for picking at, creamed spinach and warm apple cobbler with a scoop of ice cream for dessert.

Dining in the main dining room was an experience unto itself with the huge windows. The sun was setting and that caused a great shifting in the atmosphere as we went along.  The perfect meal where ambiance, cuisine and company came together, I would give Tellers my highest marks.

Table 9
290 Glen Cove Rd.
East Hills, NY 11577
516-625-9099
{Google Map}

Among my favorite aspects of this job is the fact that I can walk into any restaurant or bar and get to know the men and women behind the fantastic creations that we all eat every night. This week is no different as we’re taking the fire to Joe Fuscaldo of Table 9 in East Hills. To meet the man behind the apron, keep on reading.

ELI: So, Table 9 has been getting great reviews from those who I know have been there. When did you open and how has business been?
JF: Business has been great- we have had an awesome first year! We have become the destination for a la carte dining and private parties.

ELI: Where did you grow up?
JF: Savannah, Georgia

ELI: Is this your first restaurant on Long Island?
JF: No, I was executive chef at Piccolo of Huntington for 15 years and Mill Pond House of Centerport for 5 years.

ELI: What made you want to become a chef?
JF: From childhood I always enjoyed the kitchen. I remember watching my mother cook and as I grew up, I realized that cooking would give me the opportunity to be creative while doing something that I love.

ELI: Where did you obtain your formal training?
JF: Culinary Institute of America

ELI: Have you had any informal training that would have you cooking “outside the box?”
JF: While working in a hotel in Florida, I was given the opportunity to fly to Puerto Rico for specialty holiday dinners to cook and experience a new kind of cuisine.

ELI: Long Island is a great destination for foodies with all of the local restaurants that are cooking with locally grown ingredients. Do you rely on anything particular that is local, and if you do, are you finding that the resources out here are sustainable to supply you with what you need in the long term?
JF: We use a variety of local suppliers for our produce. I find that the freshest ingredients will come locally and they are definitely enough to supply us in the long term.

ELI: With your location in East Hills, do you feel that you can go out on a limb and experiment with the menu, or do you feel that you should keep within a “comfort zone” of safe foods?
JF: With our location in particular, we find that we walk the line of experimental and safe. I can try out new recipes within our daily specials and keep our permanent dinner menu a mix of classic favorites developed from our sister restaurants Piccolo of Huntington and Mill Pond House of Centerport, which have over 29 years of experience in the restaurant industry.

ELI: Do you see a change in the level of sophistication on the LI dining scene lately?
JF: We have noticed as a result of the recession that people really appreciate value and service within their dining experience. To keep our customers, we try to give them the best meal for their dollar- we have instituted within all of our restaurants a $26.95 Three Course Price Fixe Meal.

ELI: We love the wineries on the East End (and don’t get to visit them enough). Do you carry a wide variety of local wines, or do you like to spread it out and have nationwide / worldwide?
JF: We feature an eclectic mix of wines from all over the world. While we do feature some LI vineyards, our focus is a global list of the best wines from each region.

ELI: What’s your favorite LI wine producer?
JF: My favorite LI wine producer is Wölffer Vineyards, located in the Hamptons. We feature their 2006 Reserve Merlot on our wine list.

ELI: What’s your vision for the wine list?
JF: My vision for the wine list is to combine mainstream wine producers with an esoteric touch throughout the list. The wine list mirrors our menu, you can get great value no matter what your palate. This year we have been awarded the Wine Spectator Award of Excellence for having one of the most outstanding wine lists in the world.

ELI: What’s your favorite restaurant on Long Island?
JF: West End Cafe

ELI: What’s your favorite cooking gadget?
JF: Pincer Tongs

ELI: What’s your favorite type of food?
JF: Pig Roast

ELI: If you knew your next meal would be your last, what would it be?
JF: Asian Braised Short Ribs with wasabi mashed potatoes and roasted carrots.

ELI: If you weren’t doing what you’re doing in life, what would you be?
JF: Traveling the world and enjoying different cultures with my wife.

ELI: What foods are you embarrassed to say that you love?
JF: Wiener Schnitzel with a side of Erdapfel Salat (a side dish made from potatoes), and for dessert Kaiserschmarrm (a shredded pancake stewed with fruit originally made for the Emperor Franz Joseph). My wife is Austrian and although I am Italian and work in an Italian restaurant I really do love the Austrian cuisine.

ELI: Is there any food that you won’t eat?
JF: No, I have an appreciation for all different types of food and there would be nothing I wouldn’t try.

ELI: What’s the craziest thing that you have eaten?
JF: I was once invited to a traditional Chinese wedding. My wife and I sat at a table and servers were bringing the courses over family style. Being an adventurous eater, I never turn away food. However, this was an extremely traditional Chinese wedding and some of the food was unrecognizable to me. For one course in particular, I asked the server what the dish was, and he stopped, thought a moment and then replied, “Seafood”. It was no seafood I have ever seen, smelled, tasted, heard of, or ever imagined.

ELI: What genre of food would you consider that Table 9 is offering?
JF: We are New Italian American.

ELI: What sets your restaurant apart from your competition?
JF: The biggest thing that sets us apart from the competition is consistency of food and service, and a hip, trendy ambience.

ELI: Is there a signature dish on your menu that you’re offering or a dish that you’re so proud of that you could never let it go.
JF: We feature signature dishes from all three of our restaurants. We feature the Piccolo Poached Pear Salad, the Scampi Piccolo, as well as the Millpond Sesame Seared Tuna. Table 9’s signature dish would be the Tender Marinated Skirt Steak, topped with a Peanut Soy Drizzle and grilled to perfection.

ELI: What was the inspiration for the restaurant?
JF: The restaurant was named for Table 9, a VIP table at our sister restaurant Piccolo of Huntington. Piccolo will be doing some renovations and will be eliminating that table from their floor setup. Our vision is that every table at Table 9 is a VIP table.