Five Pennies Creamery

Summer might be taking its last few, humid gasps, but that doesn't mean ice cream season is anywhere close to ending! One random Sunday night, ABF and I dashed over to Rockville Centre's (Long Island) Five Pennies Creamery for a sweet treat.

Five Pennies gets its name from the song made famous by Louis Armstrong and Danny Kaye-- that song's a favorite of the store's owner, Danny Levine. The inside of the store looks like a step into the wayback machine-- it has an old-timey ice cream parlor feel.

So what did I order?? Yes, I spent far too long weighing my decision, but if you saw how many amazing, delectable options there are, you might not judge me so harshly. Danny has more than 100 different flavors on tap at Five Pennies. I had a few tiny tastes of different flavors before settling on an interesting combo: one scoop of banana pudding, one scoop of Boston Cream Pie.

I don't know how they did it, but the folks at FPC managed to take the flavors of both these classic desserts and turn them into cool, creamy, frozen form. There's no funny chemical taste or crazy ingredients. THIS is the essence of summer, childhood, and other happy memories.

ABF went with a classic sundae (can't remember his ice cream flavor) with chocolate syrup and peanuts-- his favorite way to eat ice cream. I have to admit, it's quite a good combo, but that night there was no order envy. I was quite happy with my choices.

The ice cream was top-notch, and the friendly staff made us feel welcome from the moment we walked in the door. I hear Five Pennies has recently done a remodel, which gives me the PERFECT excuse to go back and try more flavors- see the changes!

What's YOUR favorite ice cream flavor? Mine is usually black raspberry, but at Five Pennies, it's the Boston Cream Pie!

Five Pennies Creamery

11 N Park Ave

Rockville Centre, NY 11570

(516) 608-4344

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Birthday Dinner: Union Square Cafe

It's that time of year: my birthday! This year ABF took me to Union Square Café: a Danny Meyer joint we both had yet to visit.

We both ordered a Keynote peach, made with dark rum, orgeat (which I LOVE), Lillet, fresh peaches, ginger, and bitters. This came with damn near half a real peach in it, and it was LOVELY! Not too sweet, a lovely departure from my usual wine.

We got a table on the upstairs level, tucked away in the corner, perfect for us.

The breadbasket comes with several toppings: a dukkah dip (Egyptian spice/herb mixture with olive oil), luscious purple olives dusted with orange zest, and butter sprinkled lightly with salt. I can't wait to put orange zest on my next batch of olives!

My starter: heirloom tomato salad with goat cheese, red onions, & basil chiffonade. This was so quintessentially summer. Juicy, flavorful tomatoes, soft, creamy, tangy goat cheese, and strips of fresh basil in every bite.

In a rare moment, ABF (Awesome Boyfriend) actually had a little bit of order envy-- normally I'm coveting whatever HE ordered! This was a very generous serving, so I shared several bites with him.

ABF's starter was the scallop crudo-- raw scallops in a spicy cucumber broth with crunchy quinoa. The scallops were fishier than I expected-- while I love a good seared scallop, I don't think I care for them in crudo form.

My entrée: the pan-seared Berkshire pork chop with roasted peach & corn salsa and a few house-made onion rings on the side. Um, YES. This was a HUGE pork chop, brilliantly, perfectly cooked and juicy. The corn was so fresh and crunchy I'd swear they waited to take it off the cob until the very last second. And the onion rings? Best I've ever had-- and I've had quite a few in my lifetime! The breading was soft, chewy, and flavorful without overpowering the onions. I gave ABF quite a few bites of this.

Sweet, savory, crunchy, so so so so good. Birthday-dinner-worthy!

ABF's meal was the NY strip steak with chicory salad (sorry for the blurriness). The steak was also perfectly cooked (medium), but we both thought the chicory was too bitter for us. Nice balance to the rich steak, but too bitter for our pansy palates.

We also got two sides: a creamy polenta with gorgonzola cheese and walnuts, and a potato gratin with Gruyère (one of my favorite cheeses!). ABF loves polenta, I'm fairly lukewarm on it (I don't normally care for the texture). However, this polenta was so creamy that I actually liked it, and I think ABF would have preferred the mealier version.

The potato gratin was sublime, however. Perfectly creamy, tangy, and putting comfort food at an all new level. Had I been at home, I would have scraped every last morsel off the plate.

At this point, I ordered another cocktail-- the Mai Tai (sticking with the rum-based options). This was nice, but was much sweeter than the Keynote Peach. If I had it to do over again, I'd go for another Keynote Peach. Liquid summer!

We could have stopped there. We probably should have stopped there. But it was my birthday, dammit! And birthdays call for- nay-- demand-- dessert!

There were lots of intriguing options, but I finally settled on the blueberry pie with sour cream ice cream. ABF's not a fan of sour cream (what? I know!), but he shared the dish with me. The ice cream was very tart, but creamy. The crust was flawless and the berries were tasty, but there was a whole lotta lemon in this pie, a bit too much for me. I'm kind of a Maine blueberry pie purist. A hint of citrus is good, but more than that and you lose me. Don't get me wrong-- I still cleaned the plate, but if I go back, I'm going to try something different.

Service was refereshingly friendly, the food was top-notch, and there were so many other interesting items on the menu that we may not be able to wait for another birthday to return!

Union Square Café
21 E 16th St
New York, NY 10003
(212) 243-4020

Union Station Brewery (Providence, RI)

 

On our way up to Sara's (of NYCNomNom) wedding last month, ABF & I made a few stops along the way. The first one: rain-soaked (and I mean SOAKED) Providence. We found a great deal on Hotwire for the Omni hotel, which was steps from Union Station Brewery. That location was crucial, because it was pouring so hard that night we almost had to swim there.
Union Station is a pretty large place, just a few steps below the sidewalk. They brew their own beers and have an impressive list.

I'm not really a beer person, so I started with a cocktail-- The Downcity Love Affair (a watermelon martini of sorts). It was good-- not too sweet, a nice bit of tartness. (Downcity is a historic neighborhood in Providence, FYI!)

ABF, however, ordered the Vanilla Bean Porter. I had one sip and just about flipped. This was creamy, vanilla-y, and almost chocolatey, too. This is the most delicious beer I've ever had, and I instantly decided I'd get one too (after I finished my martini-- waste not, want not)!

I started with the house salad (mixed greens, carrots, cucumber and grape tomatoes) and blue cheese dressing-- I wanted something reasonably healthy before I went all-out on vacation. This was fine, fresh and crunchy, good dressing, but it wasn't mind-blowing-- I would probably try something else next time.

ABF started with the chowdah, which came in a generous serving. This was delicious-- I had 2, maybe 3, bites of this. 

Definitely trumped my salad (when wouldn't chowdah trump salad?)

My main dish was the Union's Trio burger ($12.99), topped with fried cherry peppers, capicola, chipotle aioli, and pepper jack cheese.

This was juicy and tasty, more "well-done" than my requested medium, but good flavors. It could have been spicier, and would have preferred the cherry peppers not be fried, but it was quite yummy.

 
ABF had a house specialty, the Fish & Chips ($13.99), which was ale-battered white fish, cole slaw, fries, and zingy tartar sauce. He's a fish & chips fiend, and he really liked this. The fish had a nice, crunchy coating, and juicy insides.

Instead of a dessert, I opted instead for my own glass of that Vanilla Bean Porter. It was like a liquid dessert without even really being that sweet.

Our meal was tasty, the location was perfect, and I'd swim through another monsoon and back for another taste of that Vanilla bean Porter!

Union Station Brewery
36 Exchange Terrace #2
Providence, RI 02903
(401) 274-2739

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Palace of Wong

Palace of Wong has been on the Long Island restaurant scene since 1969, and it's been on my 'List' for about 4 years, when ABF moved just around the block from it. It reminds me of the restaurant featured in that scene from "A Christmas Story" where the family goes out for Chinese food (after the neighbor's dogs ruin their Christmas turkey!)

ABF's mom told us it used to be a fancy spot, where couples would get dressed up and meet for cocktails-- fun!

It's a lot more casual now, but the fancy drinks are still there and the prices are still decent.

I ordered a Zombie, a nod to ABF's love of shows like 'The Walking Dead,' and my love for things that taste like candy.

This drink is no joke-- several types of rum, including 151, and just one drink will have you feeling a little loopy. Deliciously loopy.

ABF Ordered the egg roll for his appetizer, and gamely shared a bite with me. Egg rolls don't normally float my boat per se, but this is one of the tastiest ever had. So tasty in fact, I went back for second bite.

His entrée also came with wonton soup. I just can't get into the wonton soup. I don't know if it's the texture, flavors, not liking the pork filling, but this just isn't for me. I didn't even bother tasting it, but ABF was very happy with it.

Palace of Wong actually has a section of the menu labeled for 'Indecisive People.' Yes, thank you, that's me! I went with the Empress, which is filet mignon and white meat chicken with mixed veggies. 

The filet mignon was perfectly cooked, medium, and the veggies were good, but I wasn't a fan of the brown sauce which clumped up a bit.

ABF ordered the cashew chicken, which was tasty, but not spicy at all (despite the warning pepper logo on the menu). The rice, which I normally ignore, was perfectly sticky and tasty. I liked his dish MUCH better than mine.

At the end of our meal we got the requisite fortune cookies (with a 'fortune' perfectly picked for me, even after just 1 Zombie drink), and some delightfully crunchy almond cookies. Those cookies were great!

Excellent Advice

Palace of Wong may have underwhelmed me with the entrées (not bad, just not GREAT), but the apps and drinks alone are reason enough to pop in for a bite...and a sip!

Palace of Wong
348 Sunrise Highway
Rockville Centre, NY 11570
516-764-3240

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Zapoteca (Portland, ME)

I know what you're thinking-- I thought it, too! Mexican food in Maine? YES. I'm a risk-taker sometimes, and this time it paid off so, so deliciously.

ABF & I found parking on a drizzly, dark night in downtown Portland. You might almost miss Zapoteca--it's on the fringe of the busy downtown area, but it looked warm, welcoming, and took our walk-in immediately!

I ordered a margarita.. A habañero-watermelon margarita ($10), thankyouverymuch. It had habañero-infused tequila, watermelon purée, agave nectar, a splash of lime juice, and orange liqueur. It was smashing...without getting me smashed! I only had one, but oh, I could see having a few of these quite easily! Smooth, perfectly balanced, with the watermelon and the hot pepper both noticeable and not overpowering each other. Even ABF was impressed.

ABF ordered a pint of the Allagash White, a take on a Belgian wheat beer by Portland-based Allagash Brewing Company. ABF really, really liked this beer-- we picked some up the next day to bring home.

To start: deliciously decadent Queso Fundido Con Champiñones (melted cheese with mushrooms- $12). It was a creamy, stringy pan of local jack cheese, mushrooms, and dark Mexican beer-- wow. They melt it all up in the fire-roasted wood oven and we could not get enough of this.

My entrée, the Relleno de Puerco (roasted poblano pepper stuffed with pork- $16). This was shut-my-mouth good. A tender, fire-roasted poblano pepper bursting with chorizo, pork tinga, and queso fresco, and covered with a tomato-habañero sauce. Oh that sauce. I'd put it on cereal if I could. A nice, building, intense heat that complemented the flavors without obliterating them in heat.

It came with a simple arugula salad drizzled with a slightly hot gaujillo-chili dressing, and creamy refried black beans. Solid dish all around, and while I couldn't eat it all, I probably ate a few bites more than I should have because it just tasted so wonderful.

ABF went with his go-to dish (and one of my favorites): Enchiladas Suizas De Pollo (chicken enchiladas in a tomatillo sauce- $17). This had succulent chicken, the same cheese as in our queso fundido, with a fabulous tomatillo sauce--zomg. Wood oven roasted enchiladas filled with tender chicken breast & local artisan jack cheese. Creamy fire-roasted tomatilla sauce, black beans & a little bit of that guajillo arugula salad.

We loved just about EVERYTHING about this spot-- the amazing, perfectly-turned out food, the service, the low-key atmosphere, and the fact that we could HEAR each other across the table (no deafening sound system, their music was audible without drowning out our words), and of course, the pitch-perfect margarita! Sure, it could be lit a little better (the lighting is a bit shadowy at night and made menu reading a bit of a challenge at times), but that's a small mark compared to all the excellence. And OH the food! This will be one of our first stops when we return to Portland.

Zapoteca

505 Fore St

Portland, ME 04101

(207) 772-8242

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