LIWINEDAD

  Sometimes the best dinner is a simple home-cooked dinner; last night was one of those.  The seafood and other ingredients came from New Wave Seafood and Stew Leonards-East Meadow , as fresh ingredients are essential.   The Shrimp are six large ones mounted on 2 Rosemary infused Olive oil-coated bamboo skewers.   Then using the assembled   Shrimp, sprinkle them with a dash of Old Bay , spray with EVOO, and set them aside to rest in the fridge for several hours.   Using a fresh Zucchini and a Kitchen Aid Mixer Spiralizing attachment did quick work of producing a nice pile of Zoodles.   The Zoodles are laid out on paper towels to air dry for about an hour.   Starting with just a touch of rosemary-infused EVOO, sauté fresh chopped Garlic, then add a chunk of Irish butter.   When melted and sizzling, stir in the Zoodles, stirring constantly, then add grated Romano cheese to taste.   The Shrimp are seared on an inferred burner (Very hot 1800 ⁰ F) on the Bar-B-Que for about 1 minute per

  Sometimes the best wine is the wine slowly sipped and shared with one’s better half.  The wine is from an old friend Raphael Winery in Peconic ( Google Map ), and the handiwork of Anthony Napa (Fig 01).   The 2019 Primo reserve is a blend done in the old-world style of a Bordeaux.   The blend is from Petit Verdot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Malbec, Merlot.   The exact blend is unclear, but if the Cabernet Sauvignon leads, this should be close to a Left bank (M édoc) Bordeaux.  The color presents as a dark Garnet, bright fringe, and minimal legs.  The nose is rich with hints of cedar and black fruit.  The 2019 Primo is a young blend, the acid is bright, and cherry notes come screaming to the forefront.  The tannins are there but not overpowering, and a few more years in the cellar will smooth them out even more.  Into the finish come pepper notes as the wine lingers on the palate.  Raphael’s Primo Reserve is a fine sipping wine paired with a block of hard cheese and good f

  Given all the fine restaurants on Long Island, a revisit to Majors Steakhouse in East Meadow is long overdue ( Google Map ).   Majors Steakhouse is simply good steaks all the time.   The menu is clean, short, and to the point, a one-pager highlighting all the goodness to follow (Fig 01).   As there were four of us on this visit, we opted for two different starters that were more than enough for all of us.   The Caesar Salad, a steakhouse classic, was rich and creamy with lots of crisp romaine lettuce (Fig 02).   The Seafood platter for two was replete with clams, shrimp, ½ lobster, and lump crab meat; more than enough for three (Fig 03).   The Entrees were the Steakhouse mainstays.   First, the Filet-N-Tail combines an 8oz Petite Filet Mignon and a 6 oz South African Lobster tail plated with mashed potatoes (Fig 04).   Next was a fine marinated Skirt Steak plated on a bed of caramelized onions and mushrooms (Fig 05).   Then, as our son was with us, we went to the Porterhouse for two

  The write-up is a bit late, but Vincent’s Steakhouse is worth the wait.  Vincent’s Steakhouse is relatively new and located in a strip mall along Wantagh Ave in Wantagh ( Google Map ), just south of New Wave Seafood .   Bright open, and airy the dining room greets you with generous spacing between the tables (Fig 01).   The opening round of drinks was excellent, and the house wine selection was robust and suitable (Fig 02).   The menu is surprisingly long for a Steakhouse but well worth the extra time to contemplate the meal ahead (Fig 10,11).   For starters, Jo had the Caesar Salad bright fresh Romaine, good Croutons, and just the right amount of dressing (Fig 03).   The Roast Oysters Tapenade with a unique take on Roasted Oysters with just a hint of olive and is very enjoyable (Fig 04).   The Entrées are NY Strip and a Petite Filet Mignon.   With the NY Strip, the sides were Roasted Brussel Sprouts and Sautéed Mushrooms & Onions (Fig 05).   The Dry aged NY strip was ordered “Bl

  Starting off July, the best way is with two wines from Channing Daughters Winery .   Channing Daughters is one of only a few wineries on the South Fork in Bridgehampton ( Google Map ) just before you reach W ö lffer Estate .   Channing Daughters is unique for several reasons, including their commitment to Sustainable Winegrowing and the uncommon grape varietals.    The July selection reflects these unique attributes (Fig 01) and includes a 2017 Chardonnay and a 2019 Dornfelder - Blaufr ä nskisch blend (Fig 02).   The 2017 L’Enfant Sauvage Chardonnay is a rich open barrel fermented Chardonnay that is crisp, smooth, and long finishing.   While being a confirmed red wine person, this Chardonnay could entice me to savor White wines.   The tasting note below includes all the details from Channing about the Chardonnay (Fig 3).   The 2019 Dorn & Blau is one of my favorite varietals.   The Blaufr ä nskisch and its blends are fruit-rich and smooth, with light structured tannins that

We are at EV& EM Vineyard again this year as the last time we were here while open, EV & EM Vineyards was still a work in progress, and EV&EM were waiting on their furniture to arrive.   Now they are open and entirely up to speed.   The entrance has been refreshed, and an upper deck added (Fig 01).   The view of the vines remains as expansive as ever (Fig 02).   The tasting room has been thoroughly reworked and refreshed and is open, airy, and inviting (Fig 03).   The Tasting room leads to an open-air deck with sweeping views of the vineyard (Fig 04).   We settled in and reviewed the tasting menu (Fig 05).   Two flights are offered, and both tasting flights are mixed, with the first consisting of whites and a Ros é .   The second is a mix of whites and reds, which all look intriguing.   As my preference tends to be reds, the second flight was ordered (Fig 06).  The flight opened with an ev&em2 Chardonnay 2020 that is bright gold with floral notes on the nose.  The fl

  We finally connected with Lieb Cellars on Oregon Road for our June club pick-up.  We picked up four wines, eight bottles in total, four from Lieb and four from Bridge Lane (Fig 01).  The Bridge Lane wine included a 2021 Chardonnay and a 2021 Ros é .  The 2021 Bridge Lane Chardonnay is a clean, unoaked, bright, with orchard fruit notes that should pair well with Blue Point Oysters or Steamers.  The 2021 Bridge Lane Ros é is Cabernet Franc based, perfect for sipping at a cocktail party on a deck overlooking the sound as the sun goes down.   Switching to the Lieb Cellars family of wines, the June club included two 2020 Lieb Estate Sparkling Rosé , which in history is a delicate bright, dry sparkling wine.   Lastly were two bottles of the Lieb Estate 2020 Cabernet Franc .   Traditionally the Franc is nicely oaked, with good tannins and a peppery finish.   The Cabernet Franc will pair well with a prime 28-day dry age Rib Eye.   Lieb provided some short tasting notes (Fig 02), an

  We are again on the #northforkwinetrail, doing a tasting at EV & EM Vineyards and a drive-by pick-up at Lieb Cellars .   We usually stop for lunch before doing a tasting, so we have a large food buffer before enjoying wine.   Today we went to Braun Seafood Company for the first time, which was an excellent choice.   Braun is first and foremost a wholesale/retail fish market similar to New Wave Seafood.   Braun expanded just as New Wave Seafood added cooked food services.   Braun is located on NY-25, halfway between Suhru Wines and Peconic Bay Vineyards ( Google Map ) in Cutchogue.     The Braun Kitchen is in a separate building from the fish market but shares a common parking lot (Fig 01). Parked in front of the buildings is a classic early 1900s delivery truck (Fig 02), adding to the charm of this place.   To the north of the Kitchen is a large, tented picnic area for outside dining (Fig 03).   Inside is a kitchen with a few seats for indoor dining and a large counter to o