Desserts

So Mr. Guido has been difficult about wanting to give a whole category to places that we have just gone to for dessert, namely Toast in Port Jefferson, though Friendly's in Lake Grove falls under this category as well (among other ice cream and ices shops that do not serve food so cannot be included on this site in good faith). Well, I'm obsessed with Chocolate Fondue, so I'll give my review regardless of what he says. It's come to my attention that Toast no longer serves the fondue at night, with the excuse being that they were in the process of moving to a larger location. Well, it's been months since I've seen that sign, and Toast is still there, so who knows. We tried Toast last spring, and just missed having a ridiculously long wait. Although during the day it's a quaint breakfast nook and luncheonette, in the evening it turns into a decadent wine and fondue bar. I say decadent because it's expensive, and usually, wasteful. The chocolate fondue is more than you can possibly eat in one sitting, and given the nature of the item, cannot be taken home in a doggie bag. In other words, if you don't eat it all, it goes to waste. And at $25/couple, plus $10 per additional person sharing, it's a pricey gamble. The wines were also fairly expensive, with a standard white zinfandel being around $7 a glass, and a raspberry dessert wine being around $10. It's a great once in a while type place to go, but certainly not an everyday destination. Great for anniversaries or romantic nights out.

Quick Take: Coronet- Greenport, NY/ Overall Rating 3.75 Out of 4 Stars

Mr. Guido Says: ****

Mrs. Guido Says: ***1/2

Quick Take: Stars- Shelter Island, NY/ Overall Rating 4 Out of 5 Stars

Mr. Guido Says: ****

Mrs. Guido Says: ****

Quick Take: Harbor Front Deli- Greenport, NY/ Overall Rating 3 Out of 5 Stars

Mr. Guido Says: ***

Mrs. Guido Says: ***

Quick Take: Olympic Diner- Deer Park, NY/ Overall Rating 3 Out of 5 Stars

Mr. Guido Says: ***

Mrs. Guido Says: ***

Quick Take: Lake Grove Diner- Lake Grove, NY/ Overall Rating 3.5 Out of 5 Stars

Mr. Guido Says: ***1/2

Mrs. Guido Says: ***1/2

Quick Take: Maureen's Kitchen- Smithtown, NY/ Overall Rating 4.5 Out of 5 Stars

Mr. Guido Says: ****1/2

Mrs. Guido Says: ****1/2

Quick Take: Ludlow Bistro- Deer Park, NY/ Overall Rating 4 Out of 5 Stars

Mr. Guido Says: ****

Mrs. Guido Says: ****

Quick Take: Cafe 27- Shelter Island, NY/ Overall Rating 3.25 Out of 5 Stars

Mr. Guido Says: ***

Mrs. Guido Says: ***1/2

Quick Take: Bliss- East Setauket, NY/ Overall Rating 5 Out of 5 Stars

Mr. Guido Says: *****

Mrs. Guido Says: *****

Quick Take: Eldorado Southern BBQ- Port Jeff Station, NY/ Overall Rating 3.5 Out of 5 Stars

Mr. Guido Says: ***1/2

Mrs. Guido Says: ***1/2

Quick Take: TGI Friday's- Lake Grove, NY/ Overall Rating 2.75 Out of 5 Stars

Mr. Guido Says: ***

Mrs. Guido Says: **1/2

Quick Take: The Village Way- Port Jefferson, NY/ Overall Rating 2.75 Out of 5 Stars

Mr. Guido Says: ***

Mrs. Guido Says: **1/2

Quick Take: Applebee's- Lake Grove/Huntington/ Overall Rating 3 Out of 5 Stars

Mr. Guido Says: ***

Mrs. Guido Says: ***

Quick Take: The Driver's Seat- Southampton, NY/ Overall Rating 3 Out of 5 Stars

Mr. Guido Says: ***

Mrs. Guido Says: ***

Quick Take: Uno Chicago Grill- Nesconset, NY/ Overall Rating 3.25 Out of 5 Stars

Mr. Guido Says: ***1/2

Mrs. Guido Says: ***

Quick Take: Library Cafe- Farmingdale, NY/ Overall Rating 3.25 Out of 5 Stars

Mr. Guido Says: ***1/2

Mrs. Guido Says: ***

Quick Take: Famous Dave's BBQ- Smithtown, NY/ Overall Rating 3.75 Out of 5 Stars

Mr. Guido Says: ***1/2

Mrs. Guido Says: ****

Quick Take: John Harvard's Brew House- Lake Grove, NY/ Overall Rating 3.75 Out of 5 Stars

Mr. Guido Says: ****

Mrs. Guido Says: ***1/2

Quick Take: Houlihans- Lake Grove, NY/ Overall Rating 3.75 Out of 5 Stars

Mr. Guido Says: ***1/2

Mrs. Guido Says: ****

***The Guido Gourmet's Best Picks List***

These restaurants are our overall best picks - places we can wholeheartedly recommend paying a visit to. Sadly, some of them are now closed, but we are keeping them on this list because they deserve the recognition :)

• Piccola Bussola - Italian - Huntington, NY

• Aegean II - Italian - Smithtown, NY

• Mario's - Italian - Setauket, NY (Closed, but reopening under different management)

• Alexandros - Greek - Miller Place, NY (Closed for personal reasons, rumored to be relocating/reopening)

• Hellenic Snack Bar - Greek - East Marion, NY

• Akropolis - Greek - Nesconsent, NY

• Maria's - Spanish/Mexican - Nesconset, NY

• Bliss - New American - Setauket, NY

• Babylon Carriage House - New American - Babylon Village, NY Click here to read about Carriage House debacle.

• O'Mally's - American - Southold, NY

Quick Take: Rhumbline- Greenport, NY/ Overall Rating 3.5 Out of 4 Stars

Mr. Guido Says: ***1/2

Mrs. Guido Says: ***1/2

Quick Take: The Cheesecake Factory- Westbury/Lake Grove, NY/ Overall Rating 4 Out of 4 Stars

Mr. Guido Says: ****

Mrs. Guido Says: ****

Quick Take: Zorba the Greek - Stony Brook, NY/ Overall Rating: 2.5 out of 5 Stars

Mr. Guido Says: **1/2

Mrs. Guido Says: **1/2

Quick Take: Aegean Cafe - Sayville, NY/ Overall Rating: 3.5 out of 5 Stars

Mr. Guido Says: ***1/2

Mrs. Guido Says: ***1/2

Quick Take: Olives & Oregano - Commack, NY/ Overall Rating: 4 out of 5 Stars

Mr. Guido Says: ****

Mrs. Guido Says: ****

Quick Take: Skorpios - Huntington Village, NY /Overall Rating : 1.75 out of 5 Stars

Mr. Guido Says: **1/2

Mrs. Guido Says: *

Quick Take: Pizzaola's- North Babylon, NY/ Overall Rating 4 Out of 5 Stars

Mr. Guido Says: ****

Mrs. Guido Says: ****

Quick Take: Mykonos - Smithtown, NY/Overall Rating: 2.75 out of 5 Stars

Mr. Guido Says: ***

Mrs. Guido Says **1/2

Quick Take: Rocco's- Saint James, NY/ Overall Rating 3.25 Out of 5 Stars

Mr. Guido Says: ***

Mrs. Guido Says: *** 1/2

Quick Take: Manucci's- Montauk, NY/ Overall Rating 3.25 Out of 5 Stars

Mr. Guido Says: *** 1/2

Mrs. Guido Says: ***

Quick Take: Akropolis - Nesconset, NY/ Overall Rating: 4 out of 5 Stars

Mr. Guido Says: ****

Mrs. Guido Says: ****

Check back soon for a more detailed review!

Quick Take: Sweet Tomatoes- Shelter Island, NY/ Overall Rating 3.75 Out of 5 Stars

Mr. Guido Says: ****

Mrs. Guido Says: *** 1/2

Quick Take: Pomodorino- Huntington, NY/ Overall Rating 3.75 Out of 5 Stars

Mr. Guido Says: ****

Mrs. Guido Says: *** 1/2

Quick Take: Opa Grille -Bethpage, NY / Overall Rating: 3.75/5 Stars

Mr Guido Says: ****

Food: Skordalia, Hummus, Kopanisto (spicy feta dip), Saganaki, Tiropitas, Avgolemono Soup, Chicken Souvlaki over Greek salad, Pastitsio. I eat at this place regularly for work, in addition to my visit with Mrs. Guido, so I have sampled quite a bit of the menu. Skordalia, the garlicky mashed potato dip is moderately potent, although I detect a bit too much of a vinegar taste to really truly say it's great. The hummus is done well. The Spicy Feta Dip is excellent, I wonder why I haven't seen this at any other Greek restaurants. It's a mix of feta cheese, roasted red peppers, hot sauce, and spices. All of the flavors come together perfectly and it goes very well with their warm, seasoned pitas, which are among the best I have had anywhere. The saganaki was served breaded and devoid of any olive oil or lemon juice. I prefer it when it is served metled in a pan with the olive oil and lemon juice it was grilled in. The tiropitas are interesting - they are traditional phillo dough triangles filled with greek cheeses - only here at Opa, they get deep fried. I have never seen them prepared this way before. More than 2 or 3 of them, and you will feel stomached and lethargic. The Avgolemno soup is good overall, but I have found it to be a little inconsistent from visit to visit. Chicken Souvlaki over Greek salad is a great dish, and I highly recommend it as a lunch special. The chicken is very well marinated and extremely tender, while the salad is fresh and the feta cheese is of a high quality. The Pastitsio is the most fresh of any of I have ever sampled anywhere. I don't know how they do it, but every time the Pastitsio seems as if it was just made, not simply reheated. The bechemel sauce is always creamy, and there are never any crunchy edges on the pasta. They give you a generous portion too. The restaurant was recently expanded, and the decor is much improved. I highly reccomend a visit - a few items on them menu disappoint, but there are also some great choices.

Mrs. Guido Says: ***1/2

Quick Take: Baja Grill- Smithtown, NY/ Overall Rating 3.75 Out of 5 Stars

Mr. Guido Says: ***1/2

Mrs. Guido Says: ****

Mrs. Guido's 2 Cents:

The Baja Grill in Smithtown is an old standby for the high school crowd. Mr. Guido and myself have only had their takeout together, but I have been going there for dinner with my family for years. For hot food, the classic chicken fajita wrap can't be beat, with its onions, peppers, saffron rice, and grilled chicken. The steak and mushroom quesadilla is massive, and more than enough for an entree. The Smokin' Chicken wrap is light and refreshing, with its mango salsa and cilantro dressing. However, it isn't as "smokin'" as the name implies. Skip the corona battered calamari, chicken caesar wrap and greek salad; this place gets its own cuisine right but falls short on its version of other ethnic foods.

Quick Take: La Panchita- Smithtown, NY/ Overall Rating 3.25 Out of 5 Stars

Mr. Guido Says: ***1/2

Mrs. Guido Says: ***

Mrs. Guido's 2 Cents:

La Panchita is your typical Mexican restaurant in every sense of the word. From it's dingy stucco facade to its dark interior with pinatas and mariachi attired waiters, the restaurant did nothing to diminish the stereotype. The restaurant was fairly busy, and is very popular with the locals. It was our first visit to the restaurant, and I believe that we decided to try it because we had a coupon and had heard good things from friends. The food was average, but nothing spectacular. I had my usual for a restaurant of this nature, the Carne a la Tampiquena. The steak was a little dry, and the enchilada was average and had more hot sauce than cheese. We had plenty of chips and salsa as well as bread, so we did not get an appetizer, or drinks, even though I kept looking longingly at the drink menu. Overall, the restaurant seemed to rely more on beating you over the head with the stereotype than relying on food quality, unlike Maria's, which I feel is the vastly superior Spanish/Mexican restaurant in the area. The owner (I would imagine) was a friendly blond woman, who after running our credit card and seeing our name, said thank you and "yia'sou" as we left. So much for authentic spanish dining.

Quick Take: Bella Cucina- Saint James, NY/ Overall Rating 2.75 Out of 5 Stars (CLOSED)

Mr. Guido Says: ***

Mrs. Guido Says: **1/2

Mrs. Guido's 2 Cents:

A few years back, Bella Vita built a humongous, beautiful, rumored $3 million building in the parking lot just next to their restaurant in the Colonial Shopping Center in St. James. We were extremely curious to see what it would be, as from the outside it appeared to be a beautiful 2 story Italian Restaurant. When it finally opened and we decided to try it, we were shocked at what it was inside. To our right was a tiny bar area. To our left was a gourmet italian market and bakery. Down the middle corridor to the back of the restaurant was a pizza counter. On a tiny elevated platform on the right was the "dining room", which had no more than 10 tables at best. What from the outside looked to be a beautiful restaurant, was on the inside a very confused establishment that did not know what it wanted to be. We were seated in the dining room and looked through the menu, which was limited at best. It also had a "sharring" charge printed on the menu, and the linguist in me cringed. We ordered a fried calamari appetizer, which was average, if not a bit crusty. For the main entree I ordered the chicken francese, which came with a side of pasta. I asked for penne, and if they could put the same francese sauce on it. The waitress curtly said no. Not skipping a beat, I then asked if they could put the chicken over the penne then. Once again, the waitress told me no. I asked why, and she said the cook would not do it. Frankly, this pissed me off. It was more the "because i said so" attitude than the actual answer. The francese sauce was sub par, with no lemon taste. I was horribly disappointed with the restaurant, and was sure I would not be back. Oh, but Mr. Guido received a gift certificate for Christmas later that year. We put off going back, but had the certificate, so figured might as well. That time we got mozzarella sticks, which were average, it's pretty hard to screw that up. I ordered the Chicken Bella Cucina, which had fresh mozzarella and tomato. It was better than the francese, but average compared to other local restaurants. The restaurant I found to be expensive, considering that it was ala carte, and we had to kick in extra besides the certificate. It's a good thing though that we went when we did; a few weeks later Bella Cucina, as I predicted, closed, and we would have lost out on the certificate. It remained vacant for about a year, and has now reopened as "Cambria", a more streamlined version of the restaurant. Cambria is an Italian Market, deli, and pizza counter, with no restaurant and bar, though it maintained it's slight air of confusion by adding a sushi chef station. I'm not sure if they've learned their lesson.

Quick Take: Ciao Baby- Commack, NY/ Overall Rating 3 Out of 5 Stars

Mr. Guido Says: ***

Mrs. Guido Says: ***

Mrs. Guido's 2 Cents:

Let me start out by saying that this was the most ridiculous dining experience of my life. Words cannot truly describe what this restaurant is like, but I'll try my best. We decided to try Ciao Baby because I had heard very good things about it from work colleagues, friends, and family, so I figured that they couldn't all steer us wrong. Oh, but alas. Upon arrival, we had a long wait for a table, which gave us plenty of time to soak in our surroundings. Besides being surrounded by typical Commack women, the atmosphere was enough to make me go into a fit. The dark, crowded interior, was stuffed to the gills with stereotypical Italian memorabilia. We had the yankees playing on one TV, the Godfather on another, Sinatra blasting through the speakers, and a Martini Bar straight out of a Vegas Rat Pack show. Maronne a mia. I mean, I'm Mrs. Guido for pete's sake, and I went into sensory overload. When we finally were seated, it was at a tiny two-top that was literally on top of the table next to us. The dining room is absolutely crammed, and you find yourself basically sitting on the lap of the person at the table next to you. When our waiter arrived, I knew we were doomed. Johnny Goumba, at your service. Now, I don't know if this guy was for real, or if he was getting into character a little too much, but either way, ridiculous. "What can I do yas for" is not, i repeat NOT, an acceptable way to introduce yourself to a table. Nor is it to constantly be crouching near my lap, or putting your arm around the back of my chair, or to be in my personal space at all. Shudder. We were under the impression that Ciao Baby was a family style restaurant, which is why we went in the first place. Apparently, this is not the case. The portions are large enough to share, we were told, but there is a sharing charge. Either we were misinformed, or this recently came into practice, either way, we were upset to find that out, because the menu is very expensive. We started out with the fresh mozzarella appetizer, which was very large, I'll give it that much. Since we were splitting a meal, we had to concur on the choice. we opted for the chicken scarpariello, which is not something I would have entertained on my own, but decided why not. Since it did not come with pasta and we were unsure of what to expect, we also ordered a bowl of pasta in garlic and oil. When the food arrived, it was massive, but I'm fairly sure they charged us for 2 sharing charges since we were sharing 2 meals, as opposed to counting it as we were each eating 1 dish per person. rip off. Johnny Goumba asked us if we needed any grated cheese, and we said no thank you, to which he got very defensive, jumped back, threw up his arms, and said "just askin, just askin." At this point, my patience was wearing extremely thin with him, the restaurant, and anything that would get in my way. The food was edible, I'll give it that. It wasn't great, especially considering the price, but it was still passable. We decided against dessert, mainly because we just wanted to get out of there as soon as possible. This certainly was an experience, comical at best, traumatizing at worst. I would never go back for dinner, but maybe if I'm in particularly rare form I'll go for lunch with my girlfriends to just sit back and laugh.

Full Review: Hellenic Snack Bar - East Marion, NY/ Overall Rating: 4 out of 5 stars.

Mr. Guido Says: ****

The Hellenic Snack Bar has become almost a North Fork landmark. Almost everyone knows about "that Greek place on the North Fork". Despite the name, it is actually a fairly large restaurant, with multiple rooms inside, and a large covered outdoor tile patio. I highly recommend eating outside if the weather permits - Greek food is best enjoyed outside...this type of Greek food anyway. It isn't the fanciest take on Greek food, but rather simple, fresh (maybe a bit crude) versions of all of the Greek classics. For appetizers, the Skordalia was appropriately garlicy, and served over eggplant. Saganaki, fried Greek Kefalograviera cheese was the best I've had at a restaurant, and very similar to my own version. Many restaurants now serve the melted cheese breaded in flour, and barely melted. Hellenic snack bar serves it right in the pan it was fried in, all melted and soaked in olive oil and lemony goodness. For the main meal, Chicken Souvlaki, served as an open faced pita with grilled tomatoes and onion was above average, but nothing extra special. Pastitsio was also standard. I highly recommend trying the fresh squeezed lemonade, something this place is famous for. For dessert, I felt the Baklava was subpar (but even subpar baklava is pretty good). The walnuts were a little large for my taste, I prefer when they are ground up smaller. Also, the waitress should be better informed regarding the menu. Most of them do not seem to be Greek, but they should still know about all of the Greek stuff on the menu. The waitress seemed puzzled when Mrs. Guido ordered a Samos, the super-sweet golden nectar-like Greek dessert wine. All in all, the Hellenic Snack Bar serves slightly above average Greek food, with a few great offerings (Saganaki!), along with a nice atmosphere if you chose to eat outside. Sipping Samos on the marble tiled patio, one can forget that they are on route 25 in East Marion, and for a moment imagine they are on a Greek Island somewhere.

Mrs. Guido Says: ****

The Hellenic Snack Bar is something that I would definitely call a "summer restaurant". Sure, it's open in the winter as well, and has more than adequate indoor seating, but the location, atmosphere, and type of cuisine is best enjoyed on a sunny summer's evening. We've gone there now 3 times over the past 2 and a half years, with the first time being the most ideal. I was a young, newly-Mrs. Guido thing, and it was a beautiful summer evening. We had just taken a stroll around nearby Greenport, and had planned to come for dinner afterwards. We had to wait for a table on the outdoor patio to become available, but i'm glad we did. The atmosphere was absolutely charming; fragrant hanging baskets of brightly colored flowers, beautiful granite and marble tiles, and the chatter of neighboring tables. For the first visit, we started with the skordalia, which was super garlicky, but of a thin consistency. Making up for that was the fried eggplant it was served over, which I got to eat all myself because Mr. Guido is finicky. I think I poached half of Mr. Guido's lemonade, I opted for water because I felt guilty that something as menial as lemonade cost so much. The avgolemono soup I was dissappointed in, more avgo than lemeno, and no spices. the chicken souvlaki pita was tasty, with big chunks of chicken and stewed onions and tomatos. The tzaziki was tasty as well. The perfect evening was topped off with a nice glass of Samos; this is one of the only places that serves you a full glass of the super sweet, super strong dessert wine. 1 glass will make you happy, and since i also had half of Mr. Guido's as well, those granite tiles became hazardous. Our second visit was in the fall, over a year from our first visit. This time we obviously had to sit inside, but it just wasn't the same. We started with the saganaki, which is melted cheesy lemony goodness. I tried the falafel pita with a side of sweet potato fries. The falafel was good; not great, not bad, but good. The sweet potato fries were very good, but I would have preferred to put my own salt on them, as they were a bit too salty for my taste. We finally just got back from our latest excursion. Since I had a relatively large lunch before we headed out east, I wasn't super hungry for dinner. I opted for the fried calamari dinner as a result, which came with skordalia for dipping, and a soup or salad. i got the avgolemeno, because it had been almost 2 years since i had it last, and i had forgot that it was nothing special. In hindsight, I should have opted for the salad. the calamari was tender and had a nice breading, but there were a lot of leggy bits that went uneaten. For the price, it wasn't a lot of food, and had i been more hungry i would have been very disappointed. but for that day, it was the right amount of food. we finally got to try dessert, yay! i didn't think the baklava was that bad, nuts don't bother me, but I see what Mr. Guido means. It could have been a bit sweeter maybe. And yes, a nice glass of Samos to wash it down. Overall, there are more pros than cons, I just wish it was a little closer so we could enjoy it more often.

Quick Take: Aegean II- Smithtown, NY/ Overall Rating 4 Out of 5 Stars

Mr. Guido Says: ****

Mrs. Guido Says: ****

Mrs. Guido's 2 Cents:

Aegean II has quickly become our go to Italian restaurant in the wake of Mario's drawn out rennovation/changing hands process. The small, cozy establishment is friendly and gives you that neighborhood restaurant feel, despite being in a large shopping center on a busy road. The food, while in the beginning was average, quickly rose in quality, and atmosphere and friendliness kept us coming back. The chicken parm/eggplant rollentini combo was the first meal I tried there, which was a special of the night. The chicken was a real breaded cutlet, not a tyson chicken patty covered in sauce which some restaurants that shall remain nameless try to pawn off as parmigiana. The chicken ceasar salad is massive, but the sauteed spinach was a little salty. The chicken sorrentino is excellent, and the chicken and broccoli rabe special is the perfect amount. The chicken francese is nice and lemony, and the eggplant rollentini by itself is very good and is an adequate substitute for my favorite Mario's version. The entrees are served with a salad, which comes in their house greek dressing, a vinagrette with chunks of feta. To celebrate their status of one of the top 10 pizzarias on the Island, they gave us a complimentary glass of sangria, which I wish was available all the time because it was very tasty. We don't get dessert to often, but we tried a chocolate fudgy raspberry brownie concoction with vanilla ice cream which satisfied both mine and Mr. Guido's dessert needs (berries for me, warm brownie/cold ice cream for him). The prices are moderate and you get plenty of food. A great dining experience.

Quick Take: Buona Sera- Smithtown, NY/ Overall Rating 4 Out of 5 Stars

Mr. Guido Says: ****

Mrs. Guido Says: ****

Mrs. Guido's 2 Cents:

Buona Sera is brought to you by the same people as O Sole Mio, La Scala, Olio, Cafe Amici, Emilio's, Branchinelli's, soon to be Mario's, but shhh....we're not supposed to have figured that one out. For those not in the know, Buona Sera appears to be a bustling family owned Italian restaurant on busy Main Street Smithtown, but to crafty individuals such as myself it is a mini chain restaurant with a corporate-ish menu, just slightly less conspicuous than an Olive Garden or a Carraba's. That being said, Buona Sera is a great choice if you're not in the mood for Corporate Italian, but you're sick of going to your local neighborhood mom and pop shop. I prefer Buona Sera for dining, while I prefer O Sole Mio for pizza takeout, though Mr. Guido has slight distaste for both. Although Buona Sera does not get the noisy movie theater crowd that O Sole Mio does, it is still a busy, noisy atmosphere, which is why we don't go there that often. The chicken capriciosa is my favorite dish on the menu, breaded chicken cutlets with fresh mozzarella, fresh tomatos, served over mesclun greens in a balsamic vinegar dressing. It comes with a side of pasta or vegetable, and I always opt for the sauteed spinach. This is one of the few places that do not charge extra for vegetable, though they do charge extra for a different sauce on your side pasta. A way to circumvent this is to order the meal over pasta, or with the same sauce. The pasta purses are also a great dish, but it is a very heavy meal. On pasta nights, you can order this with a salad or soup, glass of house wine, and dessert, but the atmosphere is very hectic so be prepared. The eggplant rolletini is very well prepared, breaded but not crunchy. The chicken and broccoli rabe was a huge portion and very flavorful. The service was fast paced, and are accomodating in terms of hair in food mishaps, no questions asked new dish. Buona Sera is great for a quick fix Italian meal, but you have to be in the mood for this kind of dining experience otherwise you will leave feeling frantic.

Quick Take: La Famiglia- Smithtown, NY/ Overall Rating 4 Out of 5 Stars

Mr. Guido Says: ****

Mrs. Guido Says: ****

Mrs. Guido's 2 Cents:

Surprisingly enough, We have not been back to La Famiglia, despite its 4 Star rating and great food. Perhaps this is because it's family style, and we would have to concur on a meal choice, and when we do do family style it is usually at Piccola Bussola. Regardless, La Famiglia is a great local alternative. We had tried to go there once before, but the restaurant was randomly closed for a vacation and we were forced to go to our first miserable experience at Bella Cucina instead. When we finally did go, it was a Saturday night, and it was packed. Mr. Guido wasn't thrilled with the notion of valet parking, but lets face it, when is he. The interior design is very stark; muted white walls, no frills, no fuss, no muss. The bar area was slammed, the bartenders must make a killing. We went for a fairly standard meal, fried calamari appetizer, chicken francese over penne. The calamari was delicious, tender, with a great marinara. The chicken was tender as well, the pasta al dente, and the sauce perfectly lemony; in this respect it surpassed Piccola Bussola's, which has more white wine than lemon. For dessert, to appease Mr. Guido, we went with some sort of an Apple crumb pie thing. It had a slight refrigerator taste to it, as if it didn't move too quickly. I wouldn't imagine so, being an Italian restaurant, and Mr. Guido admitted afterwards this probably wasn't the best choice. Regardless, the food was still way above average, and I hope to go back again sometime soon.

Quick Take: Cafe Joelle-Sayville, NY/ Overall Rating 4 Out Of 5 Stars

Mr. Guido Says: ****

Mrs. Guido Says: ****

Mrs. Guido's 2 cents:

We tried this place last year in late spring/early summer because we had heard it was owned by the same people who own Pasta Pasta in Port Jeff, and had a more varied menu. Plus, its Sayville location made for a nice summer evening stroll as well. Overall the dining experience was pleasant. We received a table right away, a cute little table for 2 hidden in a nook by the bar. The menu has a wide variety of appetizers, salads, burgers, chicken, pasta, seafood, and meat dishes to choose from. We opted to start out with mozzarella sticks, which were tasty but standard. The menu did not state that entrees come with salad, so we were surprised when the waitresse asked what dressing we wanted. Had we known, we would not have ordered the appetizer, because we didn't end up having room for dessert. This was disappointing, because there was a Chocolate Chambord Truffle I was looking forward to all week. For my entree, I chose the Chicken Balsamic, which was sauteed chicken breasts served over spinach with mushrooms and sundried tomatos in a balsamic glaze. It was tasty, but the stewed tomatos left a tart aftertaste and made the tangy place just below your ears start acting up. To wash down the dinner, I had a Pama Martini, which was featured on the drink special menu. Beware of drink menus with no prices; there is usually good reason for this. Luckily, the drink was served in a large glass, which made the hefty price tag a little more palatable. Poor Mr. Guido. In a nutshll, Cafe Joelle is a cute place with good food, and must do very well with the locals. It is fairly expensive for what it is, and I don't know if we would actively go out of our way to go there again as our main destination. However, summer is approaching, so if we feel like a walk in a new town, we may be back for that truffle.

Full Review: Printer's Devil - Port Jefferson, NY/ Overall Rating 3.25 Out of 5 Stars (CLOSED)

Mrs. Guido Says: ***1/2

Food: Bleu cheese salad, farfalle in pink cream sauce with fresh mozzarella and chicken pieces, apple pecan dessert. After traipsing through half of the residential quarter of port jeff, we finally found the well hidden printer's devil. The atmosphere was relaxed and had a nice pub like charm to it, without being too dark and dingy. Was given a tiny table near the back, which had a rocking problem, and had to be resourceful to fix it. The waitress seemed to leave us to our own devices for a considerable amount of time before taking our order, bringing out the salads, etc. bleu cheese salad was standard, although the dressing was the sort of bleu cheese that tasted more like ranch with only the tiniest pieces of cheese. The farfalle was a huge portion, and the sauce had an almost ala vodka like taste to it. The mozzarella was rather bland though, as was the chicken pieces. While was just ok at the restaurant, tasted much better the second day. The dessert that came with it, an apple pecan compote, was slightly mushy, but had a nice caramel nutty taste to it. Probably would not have ordered this particular dessert given the choice, but am not about to turn down free dessert. As said before, service was slightly disengaged, and we were seated away from most of the activity, but still overall a good casual dining experience, perfect for when you want a menu with some variety in a good locale

Mr. Guido Says: ***

Food: Garden Burger (Lenten Meal) and fries. Restaurant is (was) in Port Jefferson, though a bit hidden from the main town (we got lost trying to find it, and ended up walking through the residential areas-Mrs. Guido was none too pleased) and therefore doesn't have all the charm of most Port Jefferson restaurants. Garden burger was run of the mill, though can't really fault them on this as a garden burger is a garden burger. Atmosphere is cozy, basically you're standard pub type atmosphere.

Full Review: Jani- Huntington, NY/ Overall Rating 3.25 Out of 5 Stars

Mrs. Guido Says: ***

Food: Pork lomein. Restaurant was bustling on a Saturday evening, and had a 15 minute wait, surprisingly. The wait staff is very rushed, and consequently, tries to rush you to order, eat, and leave. One of the last places that still serves the thick greasy noodles, not the thin bland ones. Also enjoy the tea pot on each table. Pork lomein was not as good as I remembered it there as a child, but still by no means bad. However, enjoyed my local take-out's version more. This was a last resort choice as couldn't think of any other restaurants in the area and applebee's had a ridiculously long wait, and thought it would be nice to branch out. Don't particularly enjoy going out for asian food, so maybe am slightly biased, but I would much rather be eating this kind of food curled up in front of the tv than dressed in my nice evening attire.

Mr. Guido*** 1/2

Food: Chicken Lo Mein. Upon sitting down, I was not skeeved out-so that's always a good sign for a chinese restaurant. Chicken lo mein was above average, and well prepared. Service was very prompt, although we felt a bit rushed (though this is pretty much standard for most asian places). While I'm far from a connisseur of asian food, this is probably my favorite asian place on the island- though I prefer it for takeout.

Full Review: Wild Fig- Lake Grove, NY/ Overall Rating 1.75 Out of 5 Stars (CLOSED)

Mrs. Guido Says: *1/2

Food: hummus appetizer, greek salad, eggplant rolls with rice pilaf. Hummus appetizer, which was only ordered because we had a free coupon, immediately let it be known why it was free. The texture was grainy and liquidy, and after about two bites, it was pushed to the edge of the table. The greek salad was standard, but nothing special. The entrée itself was a big disappointment. There were only three eggplant rolls given, but a mound of rice. Basically, it was a platter of rice. Eggplant was not breaded and still had the skin on it, and was wrapped around a filling of spinach and feta. There was no sauce, and it was extremely dry. All the vegetables had a metallic taste to it, and the pile of rice went untouched. The most off-putting part of the night was the rotten fish smell coming from the table next to us, who had to send back their meal. Although this did not directly affect our food, the smell made us lose our appetites, good thing we had already ate. The atmosphere was quiet, as the restaurant had just opened and not well known yet. The waitress was friendly and seemed embarrassed about the rotten fish and apologetic. Overall, they tried to disguise their small portions by hiding them in the mountain of rice, but this isn't fooling no one. Expect this restaurant to go out of business fast.

Mr. Guido Says: **

Food: Tiropita, Spanokopita, Souzouki (greek meat rolls) combo platter, hummus appetizer. This place is more of a turkish place with some greek stuff too. All three of the greek fillo rolls were bland and dry, with not enough filling. Tasted almost like non-authentic frozen versions that one may find at a supermarket. Mrs. Guido already mentioned the rotting fish debacle above- at least it was after we had already ate. The Glen Cove location has gotten good reviews by Great Restaurants of Long Island Magazine. Maybe that location is actually much better than the Lake Grove location that we ate in.

Full Review: Apollo Cafe- Saint James, NY/ Overall Rating 3.25 Out of 5 Stars (CLOSED)

Mrs. Guido Says: ***

Food: skordalia, greek salad, falafel. Skordalia was prepared as a mini salad, with tomatoes, peppers, olives, onions, and lettuce surrounding it. The skordalia itself was extremely garlicky and flavorful, as I've heard it's supposed to be. The greek salad, "small", was insanely large. Chunks of feta were huge, and the tomatoes were red and fresh. By the end of just appetizer and salad, we had to take a breather before continuing to the main course. Falafel is excellently prepared, and the tzaziki sauce has plenty of seasoning to offset the cucumber. Did not try the rice pilaf as do not like rice, though am sure it would be good as well. For a take-out café, the food is surprisingly good and well prepared. Perfect for a quick fix for a greek craving. Well, almost perfect…

Mr. Guido Says: *** 1/2

Food: Chicken Souvlaki with "Small" Greek Salad, Skordalia. Small little takeout joint in St. James. Food was surprisingly good. Skordalia was very fresh, and very garlicky. Chicken souvlaki was a massive portion of nice, small, tender, well-seasoned grilled chicken. The small greek salad was massive, and had large chunks of feta (feta was the really good stuff rather than the more bland variety). Place is nothing fancy, but everything is very fresh, well-prepared, and served in large portions. (Now out of business-Mrs. Guido is in mourning)

Full Review: Carraba's- Smithtown, NY/ Overall Rating 2 out of 5 Stars

Mr. Guido Says: **1/2

Food: Minestrone soup, Chicken Parmigiana with side of spaghetti. Minestrone was pretty good, with plenty of vegetables. Chicken was grilled, which is not the traditional preparation. Chicken Parm was competent but seemed to remind me that I was eating at a chain as opposed to my grandma's house. Service was pushy, and the staff seemed rather corporate. Atmosphere was also very corporate, with Italian writing all over the walls - trying too hard. Overall the food was ok, however I would not consider it to be an authentic Italian dining experience.

Mrs. Guido Says: *1/2

Caesar salad, chicken marsala, side of spaghetti. Salad was decent, but not memorable. Chicken marsala was prepared grilled, and had a somewhat gel-like coating and consistency and sauce was too thick. Spaghetti was thick and slimy. Service was atrocious. Never make the mistake of saying you have never been there before, or else the waitress will walk you through the entire menu, including when the grapes were harvested. Also they do not seem to care about age restriction on drinking, and would not take no for an answer for declining a glass of wine or cocktail. Wanted to punch waitress in face as she would not stop putting her hand on back of Mr. Guido's chair. Stated the obvious, such as what to do with the dish of oil. Atmosphere was over the top and trying too hard, but still failed miserably. Instructional Italian lessons playing over the bathroom speakers was not only creepy, but completely unnecessary. Overall horrible dining experience, and left feeling slightly violent

Full Review: Venezia- Saint James, NY/ Overal Rating 2.75 out of 5 Stars

Mr. Guido Says: **1/2

Food: Minestrone soup, cheese tortellini in pink cream sauce. Minestrone soup was pretty much standard, though not quite as good as others I've had. Tortellini was a bit overcooked, and therefore a little too soft. Sauce was very tasty. Portion was very large. Service was adequate, though nothing special. Atmosphere was a little unpolished. Probably a good place if you have a family with small rambunctious children, as the atmosphere seems well suited for that.

Mrs. Guido Says: ***

Food: Bleu cheese salad, chicken venezia (white wine sauce, roasted red peppers, fresh mozzarella, bread crumb topping. Bleu cheese salad started off good, but finished up watery. Dressing also had more of a ranch taste than bleu. Chicken venezia prepared grilled, with melted mozzarella and red peppers on top, served over spinach in a white wine/oil sauce. The chicken was thick, and prepared grilled. The bread crumbs were a bit salty, and the spinach was whole leaves and stems, not chopped, so it had a slightly metallic taste. Very large portions, but made you thirsty halfway through due to the salt. Service was decent, but not particularly friendly or attentive.

Full Review: The Olive Garden- Centereach, NY/ Overall Rating 3.5 out of 5

Mr. Guido Says: ***1/2

Food: minestrone soup, fettucine alfredo, berry crostada with French vanilla ice cream. Minestrone soup was nothing extraordinary but good enough. Fettucine alfredo was good, prepared as it should be. This was my first time at an Olive Garden, and I was surprised - the food was good considering it was a "chain". Service was very attentive and friendly. Atmosphere lacked intimacy, but was nice and relaxed. Dessert was delicious though it seemed a bit corporate.

Mrs. Guido Says: ***1/2
House salad, stuffed chicken marsala with side of garlic mashed potatos, berry crostada with French vanilla ice cream. Though not usually a fan of vinaigrette dressings, and was not usually a fan of the olive garden's in particular, the recipe seems to have improved over the years. Breadsticks are also warm and soft. Stuffed chicken marsala was a large portion, in a light creamy sauce with creamy filling. However, was not too hot and could have standed to been cooked longer, probably due to the stuffing. Garlic mashed potatoes, while an unusual compliment, were extremely tasty. Berry crostada by far one of favorite desserts at any restaurant. Service was friendly, and although it was busy the actual dining room did not seem too crowded. Although corportate, still maintains some identity and realistic qualities, while not trying too hard. Hear that Carraba's?

Full Review: Caliguiri's Patio Pizza- Saint James, NY/ Overall Rating 3 out of 5 Stars

Mr Guido Says: ***

Food: tortellini soup, chicken francese, spaghetti in same sauce, tartuffo. Chicken was prepared well and the francese sauce was nice and lemony. The soup was good, basically the standard tortellini soup you'd get at any Italian restaurant on long island. Service was very attentive, however, this may have been due to the fact that I was with Mrs. Guido, who happens to work there. Tartuffo was excellent, and was loaded with whipped cream and fudge. The atmosphere was simple and relaxed. We received a substantial discount, however normal prices were pretty much standard for this type of restaurant.

Mrs Guido Says: ***

Bleu cheese salad, chicken francese, fettuccine alfredo, tartuffo. Slightly biased review, as it is my place of employ. Bleu cheese dressing is the epitome of what bleu cheese dressing should be, being creamy and loaded with huge chunks of cheese. Garlic knots are also the best of any sampled, as they are saturated throughout with oil and garlic, taste especially good covered in aforementioned bleu cheese dressing. Chicken francese is very good in terms of a nice lemony sauce, although the chicken isn't as tender as it could be. Fettuccine also has a nice creamy consistency. Mammoth tartuffo with all the fixins. Service was excellent, as I was not working that night, says Mr. Guido. Atmosphere is casual, although the fellow waitresses always seem to be a bit frazzled. But whatever, point of visit was solely to show off Mr. Guido anyway.

Quick Take: The Brook House- Stony Brook Village, NY/ Overall Rating 3.25 out of 5 Stars

Mr. Guido Says: ***1/2

Mrs. Guido Says: ***

Mrs. Guido's 2 cents:

There's a little game I like to play when going to The Brook House; It's called "Spot the Coach Bag". Situated in the Stony Brook Village Center, in picturesque Stony Brook Village, a colonial style town, The Brook House is a throw back to good old fashioned Americana. Upon entering, there is a miniature scoop shop, seperating the two halves of the dining area. The dining room is always busy, whether you come for lunch and dinner. If you get a seat in the front dining room, you can watch the locals going in and out of the quaint boutiques neighboring the restaurant, which is where I like to play my game. The demographics seem to be desperate housewives and wealthy retirees; I guess I'm in training for the former. Food wise, the menu is limited, serving basically sandwiches, burgers, and salads. Having gone for both lunch and dinner, I would recommend visiting for lunch; the menu is much more suited for this meal. I have sampled the Grilled Portabella sandwich, both with a side salad and with sweet potato fries, and a Wheat pita pizza salad that was on special. The Portabella could have standed to be marinated in balsamic a tad longer, and therefore was bordering on bland. The salad was standard, but small. The sweet potato fries are always nice. The pita special was a surprise treat; a whole wheat pita topped with chopped black olives, sundried tomatos, and melted mozzarella cut into 6 triangles, served around a massive romaine lettuce salad with shaved romano, grilled artichoke hearts, more black olives, in a balsamic glaze dressing. The salad was much bigger than expected, and tasty, although the artichoke hearts could have been left out. The sundried tomatos complimented the whole wheat pita very nicely. Overall, the service is pleasant if not a bit rushed. On the dinner trip, we were asked to leave after paying the bill because someone was waiting for the table. I found that to be rude, being in the food service industry myself. I thought this would deter me from coming back, but we needed to find a local lunch spot in a pinch, so we decided to give it another shot. The Brook House is a nice looking place in a nice looking area, however, I feel that it relies too much on ambiance and conveneince than its actual food.

Full Review: The Good Steer- Lake Grove, NY/ Overall Rating 4 out of 5 Stars

Mrs. Guido Says: ****

Food: Cheese Dream Burger, fries, onion rings. Quaint 50's style burger joint, but not the chromed-out diner 50's burger joint, rather a dark cozy family restaurant. Always busy, and has been around for close to 50 years, so obviously they're doing something right. The menu, while slightly limited in variety, offers a wide array of burgers and steak. The burger was cooked well done, but still juicy, and dripping in the creamy cheese dream sauce. It was so big, I had to cut it into pieces to eat it without making a huge mess of myself. The fries and onion rings were also of a nice consistency and well seasoned. This is definitely the place to go when you're in the mood for a nice juicy burger, but if you're not craving red meat, this isn't the place for you.

Mr. Guido Says: ****
Food: Cheese Dream Burger, fries, onions rings. The Good Steer has a very nostalgic feel. The sign looks like it's straight from the 50's (that's because it is, dumbass-Mrs. Guido) and apparently it is widely known around the area. Atmosphere inside seems just as nostalgic if a bit dusty. Burger was thick and well done-maybe a bit dry, but that all depends on what kind of burger you're in the mood for. Burger was a bit pricy for just the burger, considering you have to pay extra for the fries. Mrs. Guido wants the cute plush "good steer" doll they are now selling, and because I am a good, dutiful boyfriend I will buy it for her the next time we go there. (This is Mrs. Guido typing again.) (We'll see - Mr. Guido) I can't comment on the steaks and other various types of steer body parts that are prepared here, but the burger was good-better than most places-but still not the best i've had.

Full Review: O Sole Mio- Stonybrook, NY/ Overall Rating 3.5 out of 5 Stars

Mr. Guido Says: ***1/2

Food: linguine in pesto sauce. Pesto sauce was ok but seemed to be a bit watery; the oil separated from the pesto. Portions were huge. Pasta was cooked fairly well, though not as al dente as it could be. All in all, everything was competent, but nothing stood out as extra special. Atmosphere was casual and a bit busy/noisy due to proximity to the front pizza area. Prices were average for a standard long island Italian restaurant.

Mrs. Guido Says: ***1/2

Chicken in light white wine marinara sauce with fresh tomatoes and fresh mozzarella with side of fettuccine alfredo. Garlic knots were sub-par due to light coating of garlic on top and no saturation throughout the knot. Major complaint is that there is an extra charge for alfredo. Chicken was well prepared and tomatoes maintained some crispness although cooked. Fettuccine sauce separated as night went on and did not keep overnight well. Main drawback of a Friday night visit is that the pizza section also doubles as an extension of the dining room when it gets too busy, so an abundance of brats from the movie theater next door were running amok. Waiter kept ignoring my empty water glass, even though I sat there choking and dying. Overall your standard Long Island Italian restaurant.

Full Review: Skipper's Pub - Northport/ Overal Rating 3.25 out of 5 stars

Mrs. Guido Says: ***

Food: mushroom and swiss burger. Burger was a bit well done, but still juicy, as compared to a similar burger had at applebee's. plenty of mushrooms, but not as much cheese. Fries were pretty standard. Menu was pretty limited to pub type faire, burgers, chicken sandwiches, etc. Overall, this was just a quick bite to eat, and nothing too memorable. The atmosphere was quaint, like a nautical pub, and the surrounding village is cute, having the seaside charm of port jeff without so much of the activity. More of a place to go for the atmosphere, than the food.

Mr. Guido Says: *** 1/2

Food: Bacon Cheeseburger and French Onion Soup. Restaurant is located on a corner right by the water in picturesque Northport Village (some of you may know that the restaurant was featured in the motion picture "In & Out" featuring Kevin Kline.) Restaurant has a very quaint nautical feel to it. Burger was above average, as was the french onion soup. Overall, above average, though not exceptional food, combined with quaint seaside charm.

Quick Take: Maria's - Nesconset/ Overall Rating 5 out of 5 stars

Mr. Guido Says: *****

Mrs. Guido Says: *****

Mrs. Guido's 2 cents:

The freshest Spanish cuisine and most attentive staff. Try the "Carne a la Tampiquena"- a marinated skirt steak/cheese enchilada combo served with guacamole, lettuce, pico de gallo, and a side of saffron rice and beans. The steak is always juicy, and the enchilada has a sweet aftertaste. On occasion there is a special sangria- white zinfandel based with strawberries, kiwis, and I believe mangos as well. If it's available, try it, if not, the red, white, or Maria's Special (the sangria version of a Long Island Iced Tea) will do just fine. For dessert, try the cappucino-made with creme de cacao and served with a cinnamon stick.

Full Review: Z-Pita - Port Jefferson/ Overall Rating 3.5 out of 5 stars

Mrs. Guido Says: ***1/2

Food: falafel wrap, greek salad, eggplant parmigiana over penne. Falafel was your standard falafel, not particularly memorable, but still very well prepared. Tzaziki sauce was good without being too spicy. Greek salad was standard, feta wasn't too strong, and vinaigrette was more oil than vinegar. Eggplant parm over penne was a huge portion, and consequently got 3 meals out of it. The menu offers a wide variety of choices, from greek to Italian to American. Given the port jeff locale, it is a busy atmosphere, but you can tell they're trying to please everyone rather than just sticking to greek cuisine. In both visits together, we were given the same table. It's nice to have your "own table" at a restaurant.

Mr. Guido Says: *** 1/2

Food: Pastitsio, Chicken Souvlaki, Avgolemono soup. Avgolemono soup was served in a huge bowl, and was very lemony and frothy. Pastitsio was a massive serving- was good, but a little heavy on the bechemel sauce. Chicken souvlaki was also a massive serving, and was pretty good, though about average compared to others I've had. Restaurant is very very busy, and also serves a variety of american and italian dishes, instead of serving an extensive list of purely greek food. A competent restaurant overall, although not the best choice on the island (see our other reviews) if you're looking for authentic greek food.

Full Review: Mario's - East Setauket/ Overall Rating 4.25 out of 5 stars

Mr. Guido Says: ****

Food: (Multiple Visits) Chicken Francese, Chicken Marsala, Chicken Piccata, Pasta Vesuvio Usually we arrive here early and manage to get the "early bird" special, which includes soup, salad, entree, side dish, dessert, and coffee or tea. Onion soup is usually quite tasty and potent. Salad is fresh and the bleu cheese dressing is quite good with chunks of bleu cheese-I typically find myself dipping the garlic bread in it after I finish my salad. Chicken francese is very good. Sauce is quite lemony, though not as lemony as Mama Lombardi's. Chicken is tender, but not quite as tender as the best I've had. Chicken Marsala was excellent, sauce was very tasty, and it may have surpassed Piccola Bussola's as my favorite Marsala sauce. Chicken Piccata was above average. While not the absolute best Italian restaurant we've been to, I would consider it to be in the upper tier. Early bird special presents an excellent value, with a lot of food for the money.

Mrs. Guido Says: ****1/2

Food: (Multiple Visits) Eggplant Rollentini, Chicken Francese, Chicken Marsala, Chicken with spinach and prosciutto. At this point, it almost seems like it's impossible to write a review for Mario's, since we have been there upwards of 10 times at least since our first visit last summer. As we are an "old" couple, apparently, we have to take advantage of the wonderful early bird menu that the restaurant offers. For a reasonable price, you can get from soup to nuts, and all of the standard italian fare is included in the choices. The onion soup is nearly always spicy and has a dark, rich broth. Occasionaly they offer the option of upgrading to french onion, but generally it is served plain. The bleu cheese dressing for the salads is one of the best I've sampled; the dressing is creamy but not overpoweringly so, and the cheese is chunky and delicious. It tastes wonderful spread over the garlic bread that is served with the meals. Sometimes there is an upcharge for the dressing, but only once has the waitress actually warned us so. My usual entree is the eggplant rollentini, which is fail safe. The eggplant is served in two large, breaded rolls, with a light consistency chunky tomato sauce and a flavorful riccota filling, all topped with a melted mozzarella. I usually get a side of fries with all my meals instead of a pasta, and the fries are lightly battered and tasty. By the time I'm done with the soup, salad, garlic bread, and one rollentini, I'm completely satisfied, and take the remaining rollentini and fries home for a nice lunch the next day. Of the chicken dishes I've sampled, the Marsala was probably of the best quality, with its dark, rich sauce and flavorful mushrooms. The francese was of an above average nature; lemony, not bland, yet not spectacular. I must admit on our first visit over a year ago at this point, I decided to be adventurous and try a chicken dish in a white wine sauce, that had spinach, prosciutto, and melted cheese. The sauce was slightly oily and had no real flavor to it. The menu description neglected to say that the prosciutto was whole pieces, so I found the flavor to be too overpowering for my taste. The type of cheese used also did not satisfy my tastes. However, I'm glad I did not let this experience deter me from trying the restaurant again, since every time since has been enjoyable, once we got past our paranoia that the owner did not like us and purposely sat us at tables that were not manned by any of the waitstaff or stuffed in a corner somewhere.

Full Review: Emilio's - Commack/ Overall Rating 2.75 out of 5 stars

Mr. Guido Says: ***1/2 Food: chicken francese, side of spaghetti. Chicken was prepared well and the sauce was good enough, but nothing to write home about. Pasta was served with red sauce, the waiter never asked if I wanted the pasta in the same francese sauce. Atmosphere was a bit noisy, as the tables were very close together. I must admit, I was entertained when a group of typical middle aged long island women sat next to us, bickered amongst themselves about the "draft" before finally asking for a new table. Prices were standard. Mrs. Guido Says: ** Food: fettucine alfredo with chicken. Alfredo sauce had a funny after taste, and was not very creamy. Had a yellow color to it, which was unnerving. Also did not like the pieces of bacon in the sauce, if there is to be a pork product in my Italian food, it damn well better be prosciutto. Menu was ala carte, so given that fact I found the prices to be a bit high. Service was disengaged, and had a reasonably long wait for a table. Very busy atmosphere, though don't quite understand why. Comic relief was provided by typical Commack women. Overall was not impressed.

Quick Take: O'Mally's - Southold/Overall Rating: 4.25 out of 5 stars

Mr. Guido Says: ****1/2

Mrs. Guido Says: ****

Mrs. Guido's 2 cents:

This place is known for their burgers, and there's plenty of varieties to choose from. Try the Bleu Cheese, Buffalo, and Horseradish, but pass on the Appleknocker. The house White Zinfandel is also different than the usual restaurant variety, very fruity and tasty.

Full Review: Babylon Carriage House - Babylon Village/ Overall Rating 0 out of 5 stars. THATS RIGHT, ZERO.

Mr. and Mrs. Guido both say: 0 stars. That's right, zero, nada, zilch, absolutely no stars. Not even 1/2 a star or 1/10 of a star. We'd give it negative stars, but we decided that defies some law of physics or something.

It started out unassuming enough. After a day of shopping, and seeing our first choice of restaurant having a line out the door, we decided to come to one of our old standbys, the Carriage House. We arrived at 8:00, and saw a fairly empty lobby and bar, yet was told there was a 20 minute wait. Fair enough, there was enough people waiting for that to seem legit. So we sat down and started to wait. Now as the minutes were passing, we noticed a booth being cleared right near the lobby, get set, and lay fallow. More and more people continued to come in, and now it was a half hour. THEN THOSE PEOPLE WERE SAT BEFORE US. Confused, we thought perhaps they met others that were hidden in the bar, but that was not the case. Finally this happened enough times that it was not possible that all of those parties had at least one member lurking at the bar. Now, at 8:45, we asked the hostess how much longer we would be. She claimed we were next, yet another table was sat before our buzzer went off. FINALLY at 8:50, we buzzed, and were brought to...the table that had been vacant since 8:05. We questioned the hostess why we weren't sat there 50 minutes prior, and she just laughed and said sorry. After repeating, it was open for 50 minutes, she still just laughed, so we told her to forget it and walked out. Now here's the kicker: every table that was sat before us yet arrived after upheld the nouveau yuppie metro guido look, whereas we were casually dressed. Now tell us that was just a cooincidence.



Mrs. Guido Says: *****

Food: penne ala vodka with chicken, dark chocolate fudge tart, French martini. We got leid upon walking in the front door, so immediately I started to get a bit alarmed as I saw the masses of yuppies at the bar and a happy hour buffet. However, once we were brought to the upstairs portion of the dining room, any alarm melted away as I saw the the fireplace, the dimmed lights and candles, and the bar chock full of goodies, including my beloved Chambord. The menu itself offered a lot of seafood choices, which didn't do us any good, but had enough other pasta and salad dishes that I found a few options that I wouldn't mind. Plus they all had the choice of adding chicken to the pastas or salads, making it even better for me, who will not touch fish and rarely orders steak out. Finally decided on penne ala vodka with chicken, although was a bit nervous because I rarely find an ala vodka sauce that I enjoy out. Was pleasantly surprised to find that it was creamy, and not merely tomato sauce with a piece of prosciutto here or there. Huge dish of pasta, but as I was starving, finished every last bite. Had a French martini with dinner, had to take advantage of the chambord situation. Made sure to request lime instead of pineapple to avoid the piccola bussola debacle, and the result was refreshing and lightened my mood. We decided to get dessert for a change, and had a dark chocolate fudgy cookie bottom syrupy thing with vanilla ice cream. Absolutely amazing and rich, but definitely pushed us over the edge and we waddled back to the car. Considering we had a flight of stairs to go down, maybe slightly dangerous as well. Overall the atmosphere was charming, upscale without seeming too pretentious, and definitely a place I can't wait to try again. And not just for the booze.

Mr. Guido Says: *****

Food: Penne ala Vodka with chicken, Bass Ale, Dark chocolate fudge tart with ice cream. Restaurant is set in a historic building in Babylon Village. The place has a great vibe going. On a Friday night, the bar was pretty hopping. But, the restaurant itself is not loud. Upstairs, where we sat, was quiet, and quite beautiful. From the fireplace, to the very interesting light fixtures, to the well stocked bar, and the good view overlooking downstairs (not to mention the good view of Mrs. Guido, I must say she looked especially beautiful that night), it definitely felt like we were somewhere special. Probably the nicest atmosphere and vibe of any Long Island restaurant I've been to. Penne Ala Vodka was a huge portion. Penne was from the local Italian Food store in the village, Gemelli's. Sauce was good, and I was surprised, since this isn't an Italian place. Chicken was tender, and cut into small pieces, making it more appetizing. Some other items on the menu were more adventurous, and more expensive, but I had a feeling that they'd be smaller portions, and more "nouveau". The chocolate brownie tart fudge "thing" was amazing. Served warm, it was very rich, but this was perfectly offset by the vanilla ice cream it was served with. Overall one of my favorite dining experiences on Long Island so far.

Full Review: Mama Lombardi's - Holbrook/Overall rating 5 out of 5 stars

Mr. Guido Says: *****

Calamari was excellent- tender,nicely floured, along with tasty marinara sauce. The chicken francese was one of the best I've had. The chicken was super tender and the sauce was extremely lemony, not bland like some places. Atmosphere was very old fashioned Italian, with a lot of brick work inside and tuxedoed waiters. Service was attentive and polite. Definitely among the top Italian restaurants we've been to on Long Island.

Mrs. Guido Says: *****

Food: Fried Calamari appetizer, chicken francese with house salad, canolli, glass white zinfandel. As my 21st birthday finally approached, it was decided that we would splurge and go out to a decently fancy restaurant of my choice. Naturally, I chose Mama Lombardi’s, as I remembered it being one of the best restaurants I’ve been to in my youth. We started off the evening with my first (legal) drink, which was of the standard Sutter Home restaurant variety. The inner feminist in me had to look past the fact that women are not allowed to work in the dining room, and are relegated to bar maids or hostesses. This just added to the old school guido charm of the place. We started off the dinner with a fried calamari appetizer, which was probably the best I’ve ever tasted, knocking Piccola Bussola and La Famiglia down a few notches on the totem pole. It was lightly floured and tender; not too crispy, but not too chewy either. The marinara was also very good, but I must admit that Piccola still reigns supreme on that front. Next our salads came out, which came with our entree This establishment only gives the choice of salad or pasta with the meal, which I never really am a fan of. The salad was good, with only two minor complaints: the dressing, and the amount of pepper. There is no choice of dressing, just your standard Italian vinaigrette, which was tasty, but I always like to have an option. There was way too much pepper on the salad though, and me and Mr. Guido kept inhaling flakes and choking throughout the meal. Then…the platter-o-chicken came out. I don’t even remember how many pieces of chicken there was, but it was enough to make me not mind about not getting pasta. The sauce was lemony to the extreme, just as it should be. I also didn’t need to use a knife to cut my chicken, it was that tender. I topped off the meal with a canolli, which unfortunately I wasn’t entirely thrilled with. The shell was a little too hard, and the cream was rather bland, not spiced with mint or chocolate chips like I like. Overall though, I wouldn’t let this minor detail ruin what was otherwise the best birthday dinner I could ask for.

Full Review: Alexandros - Miller Place/Overall Rating 5 out of 5 stars (CLOSED)

Mrs. Guido Says: *****

Food: skordalia, moussaka. Skordalia was prepared well and tasted good on the warm pitas. However, wasn't too flavorful. Moussaka was absolutely amazing. Prepared in a somewhat untraditional style with a light layer of tomato sauce on top, but this offset the lightly breaded eggplant and spicy meat very well. Very large portion, which is necessary for an ala carte restaurant. Coffee was strong but naturally sweet, which was perfect for me, cuz i love strong, sweet greek things. Prices were reasonable for what they gave you. Staff was friendly and accommodating, offering to give us wine on the house for causing a "disturbance" by moving a table near us. Atmosphere was dark and romantic, with candles on each table. Menu was slightly limited, but had all the staples. Overall probably the best greek dining experience you'd get on long island.

Mr. Guido Says: *****

I'll start right off and say this - Alexandros is the best Greek restaurant I've been to on Long Island, by far (and I should know). Gyro joints are a dime a dozen around here, but this place is a real Greek restaurant. Its basically a hidden treasure, because from the front, it looks like one of the afformentioned gyro joints. Once inside, the front does have gyros and the typical Greek "fast food", but you can tell, even the gyros would be excellent. In back is a very quaint dining room, dark, with candles on the tables, and proper Greek folk music playing. Food: skordalia, pastitsio, greek coffee (medium). Skordalia was very good, pretty garlicky, and tasted great with the warm pitas. The Tsaziki dip was also just as it should be. The Pastitsio was excellent. I was served with some red sauce on top, which is not usual, but really complemented the other flavors, and I actually preferred it this way. The portion was huge, too. Greek coffee was delicious, and was brought out with an old fashioned, traditional Greek serving tray. Overall, this was a great dining experience. The atmosphere was romantic, the service was very good, and the food was well prepared, fresh, and came in large portions - just how a Greek restaurant should be. I can't wait to go back.

Full Review: Piccola Bussola - Huntington /Overall Rating 5 out of 5 Stars

Mr. Guido Says: *****

Food: Chicken Marsala over penne, fried calamari appetizer. Food is served family style, very large portions - and that is what's important at an Italian restaurant, this is not some nouveau place, its honest, good food. Chicken marsala was well prepared. Chicken was tender, the sauce was of a nice consistency. The pasta was al dente, as it should be, but most places get this wrong, and overcook the pasta, making it too soft. Fried Calamari was very tender and the marinara, which came out in this antique looking pan, was the best I've had. The chef at Piccola Bussola has been here since the restaurant opened 20 years ago, and it shows. You can tell he truly cares about the food he makes. Service was excellent and professional. Atmosphere is casual and relaxed, yet upscale at the same time - it doesn't try to hard. Prices are reasonable for the amount of food served. Definitely one of the best restauarants, Italian or otherwise, on Long Island. I do think Mrs. Guido is nitpicking a bit with her French Martini issue ;).

Mrs. Guido Says: *****

First visit had chicken marsala over penne with a fried calamari appetizer. Fried calamari was the most tender of any places I have sampled from. Marinara was flavorful without being too garlicky. Marsala sauce was filled with mushrooms and of a nice consistency, and the chicken was so tender you could cut it with a fork. Penne was also al dente. Chicken Francese was also well prepared but the sauce could have had more of a lemon flavor to it. The atmosphere was relaxed and semi-casual but still maintained a sense of class. They need to invest in Chambord so when people order a French martini, they can well prepare it rather than serve a cheap knock-off. Good for business: keep cute little old Italian men by the door to compliment female patrons.