Located in the Polanco district of Mexico City and as of today, is the best taco I have ever had.
Read MoreEl Turix (Taquería El Turix) - Mexico City
in Eat Out, City Guide
Eat Out
NAVY BEACH MONTAUK, NY
in Eat Out
It’s that time of the year again; my families annual vacation to The End, also known as Montauk. Located at the very tip of Long Island, NY, lays this quaint surfer town that has somehow kept its traditions intact. It’s the site of the largest commercial and recreational fishing fleet in New York State and the first lighthouse in the state. The best part about Montauk is that town zoning regulations forbid hotel/food chains. This may be the perfect recipe for creating great restaurants. The locals are fortunate to eat here all year round, but for me, it needs to all get done in a week.
My family has it down to a science, we know exactly where we want to eat, what nights, with who and what time. We know the in’s and out’s of how to book a reservation, what time to call, who doesn’t take them and we’ve even gone as far as baking cookies for the hostess to get a table. I mean, its ridiculous, but we take food very seriously. I could skip the sun and beach and just eat here all day.
A delightful surprise for me was venturing to a newly opened up restaurant, Navy Beach. Please take note that it’s very rare for us to try a new Montauk restaurant in it’s infancy, we need to make sure to check with our local friends first, to see if they give it the thumbs up, its like taking a car for a test drive. My cousin Anna also read a good review about this place and booked it for us, so 9 people deep, we showed up to taste as much as we could and then decide if this would be a keeper.
The location is a little hard to find, but worth the adventure, just take find Second House Road and follow the signs. The restaurant is located on a 200 foot private beach and is full of lounge chairs and picnic tables, for people to eat and grab some drinks. Its a popular spot to come to watch the sunset.
The drinks are worth the trip alone. We had ordered the Madoff which changes frequently, so you’re really never sure what you’re going to get. The night I went, it was a mixture fresh raspberries, vodka, St. Germaine, and sweet vermouth.
The menu features everything from cebiches to fried buttermilk chicken. A few highlights I need to point out:
Truffle Mac & Cheese / Mexican Corn you need to order for the table to split, they’re so good
Seafood & Chips lightly battered and fried shrimp / cod / scallops
Pan Roasted Salmon “ w/ garlic noodles & tamarind glaze
Buttermilk Fried Chicken “ w/ cheddar jalapeno cornbread
Navy Burger – onion bacon marmalade / cabot cheddar / hand-cut fries / house pickles
The Burger was one of the best I have ever tasted and the fried chicken was incredible.
Surprising to say this in a town known for its seafood.
Restaurant Info:
Navy Beach
16 Navy Road
Montauk, NY 11954
(631) 668-6868
http://navybeach.com/restaurant/
RED HAT BISTRO IRVINGTON, NY
in Eat Out
Located on the Hudson River 30 minutes outside NYC, is the picturesque and nostalgic Red Hat Bistro.
The former location of the Lord and Burnham Company, a noted American green house manufacturer and builder of major public conservatories in the United States.
The factory has now been converted and the restaurant is housed in what used to be the boiler room. The smoke stack with the Lord & Burnham initials protrudes out of the building and the combination of glass and brick maintains the industrial feel.
The Red Hat offers patio dining which gives you views of the Tappan Zee bridge and all the way south to Manhattan. In the warmer months, you can enjoy the trendy/chic rooftop terrace which features a full service bar and teak lounge chairs.
The menu is bistro style and features local seasonal ingredients. Constantly updated with the seasons, the menu is perfectly paired with the atmosphere and signature cocktails.
Appetizers: Pictured above to the right is the Red Hat salad, with imported burratta cheese, haricots verts, cherry tomato confit, cerignola olives, toasted croutons in a sherry-basil vinaigrette. In the upper left corner is the House-made Gnocchi, made with sheeps milk ricotta, topped with shitake & cremini mushrooms and asparagus, finished off with toasted herb breadcrumbs.
Entrees: Pictured to the left is Grilled Atlantic Salmon, with asparagus and roasted fingerling potatoes, served on top of a pommery mustard-shallot vinaigrette. Grilled Swordfish pictured on the upper right with braised artichokes, spring vegetables in a lemon-saffron broth with pearl couscous.
The full menu can be found here: MENU
Restaurant Info:
Red Hat Bistro
1 Bridge Street
Irvington, NY 10533
(914) 591-5888
BIG GREEN TRUCK PIZZA NEW HAVEN, CT
in Eat Out
Who doesn’t love pizza? Who doesn’t love wood fired brick oven pizza? Who doesn’t love a travelling pizza truck that cooks on site? Ok so you get the idea. The Big Green Pizza Truck is located out of New Haven, CT and although their website says they don’t offer their services outside of CT, they catered an anniversary party in NY today (so call them to see if they will come to your area).
My former co-worker was celebrating 30 years of service and had an amazing party at one of PepsiCo's houses. Let’s just say the house is a small mansion and the grounds include a pool, tennis court and full basketball court.
Those weren’t as impressive as a 1946 Antique truck that has been fully restored and converted into a mobile kitchen fully equipped with; pull out wooden picnic tables, cappuccino machine, sink, refrigerator, generator, sound system, and most important, a wood fired brick oven.
The Menu included a fresh salad and of course, fresh pizza. They come with all their toppings and will cook custom pizza’s to order based on your preference. The pizza’s just keep coming.
A few of my favs were the traditional plain pizza, bacon with mashed potatoes & caramelized onions, white clam, and bruschetta pizza. If that wasn’t enough, they finish the meal off with fresh ice-cream and gelato.
They have 4 trucks and their website includes all the details for pricing and the specifics. Impress people the next time you’re having a party and consider calling the truck in for some pizza. It was an awesome experience and memorable.
For information you can check out their website:
http://www.biggreentruckpizza.com/
If your interested in booking:
Office hours are Tuesday – Saturday, 9am – 3pm
E-mail: doug@biggreentruckpizza.com or phone 203-752-9547
THE HARVEST ON FORT POND - MONTAUK NY
in Eat Out
This is a fitting first post as it has been a timeless staple for amazing food & atmosphere for anyone visiting Montauk, NY. For anyone who has ever been to the Harvest, their enormous family portions are hard to forget.
I would suggest making reservations a week in advance during the summer as the demand is insane. Good luck.
Immediately as you sit down a large loaf of fresh thick sliced Italian bread is place in front of you, accompanied by grated Parmesan cheese and extra virgin olive oil for dipping. Make sure not to fill up on the bread as I have been doing for the last several years.
If you’ve never been here, then I would ask the server to recommend how many appetizers/pastas & entrees you should order based on the number of people. The servers are well rounded in food and wine and can explain where each of the ingredients comes from and how everything is prepared.
You can’t go wrong with the menu. We have been coming for years and there are certain favorites that must be ordered every time we come or else we do not feel complete. I will mention a few notables:
Appetizers/Salads- Calamari Salad with Red Pepper Vinaigrette (it’s worth coming just for this)
Pastas- Farfalle with Sausage, Peas and Parmesan & Garlic Shrimp and Spaghetti
Entrees- Bruschetta with Mixed Seafood (Mussels, Clams, Scallops and Shrimp) & 32 oz. Porterhouse Steak with Green Peppercorns, Onions and Shallots
The specials change daily and always seem to work their way into our decision making.
Next time you’re at “The End,” make sure you make reservations early and check out the Harvest on Fort Pond and make sure to take a walk out on the dock to feed the ducks, they’re hungry too…
Restaurant Info: