On the Docks, Aquebogue
Eric got the beef cheek and mashed potatoes with a local Paumanok rose and I got 6 oysters and the mussels appetizer with a California pinot noir. For dessert we each had a cocktail, the espresso martini for Eric and the Brandy Alexander for me. Mine was a bit watery. Eric’s parents didn’t love the carrot cake but we thought it was fine – more like a bread than cake. The parking lot was completely full but plenty of tables were available inside.
Trumpets on the Bay, Eastport
This was memorable for all the wrong reasons. Our large group arrived for our reservation at 6:30pm and were sat inside. From the start, service was very slow, and we finally received our drink orders by 7:15pm. Even then, our bottle of sparkling wine was simply dropped off at the table unopened. After several minutes we had to flag someone down to ask for the bottle to be opened, which they did but didn’t even pour it, just walked away. We also weren’t given ice bucket until we also asked. Several cocktail orders on the other side of the table were also wrong or ridiculously delayed.
Everyone was quite hungry by the time the entrees were delivered at 8:10pm. Food was OK, generally the main protein (pork, filet mignon, salmon) was tasty and well prepared, but many of the sides were rather bland (i.e sweet potato, broccoli, potato gratin) and both the crab cakes and stuffed clams were mostly breadcrumbs. The dining room was quite loud as well. It was difficult to get anyone’s attention to fix some of the issues, or to order an additional drink. Overall, our experience was quite disappointing and we will be avoiding this place in the future.
Turkuaz Grill, Riverhead
One of Eric’s parent’s favorite places, we usually try and make it here once when we come up. This time we had dinner with Uncle Ziggy and Aunt Pam. Eric had the falafel platter with a Turkish chardonnay/narince blend from Severin, and I had the kebab and doner platter with a Syrah. Everything was tasty as usual, including the baklava for dessert.
Cornell Oysters, Laurel
For the last few years, I have walked over to this Laurel Lane roadside stand to pick up a dozen oysters for $15. We ate the first nine over a couple days and for the last three, I tried the 5-6 minute steaming method and found the texture still pleasant and WAY easier than shucking the obstinate ones.
Black Sheep Bagels, Jamesport
Although Eric’s parents generally prefer Goldberg’s for bagels, Eric really likes the breakfast sandwiches at Black Sheep, so we got those one morning. I got the smoked salmon, tomato and cream cheese and Eric went classic with an egg, bacon, and cheese.
Jan’s Chinese Food, Mattituck
Chinese takeaway for dinner. This time I stuck with the cold sesame noodles (which took me 2 days to eat) and a hot and sour soup that had good texture but not much added ingredients. Eric stuck with his tried and true sweet & sour chicken with white rice.
The Watershed Kitchen and Inn, South Jamesport
Another expensive ‘fancy’ place that disappointed us this summer. It started out rocky when they were out of the only LI white (on a Friday!) and the rest of the short wine list was weak. The noise inside was “like being in a roadside bar” according to Dad. Service was fairly slow and confused with multiple people delivering food. One server just came out with two plates and stood there mute while we figured what the plates even were.
Foodwise, the short rib empanadas we split were pretty good, as were my mussels. Eric’s arugula salad was disappointing, especially with the amount of fixings (small number of almonds, extremely thin apple slices, etc). I wouldn’t rush back here, the price is not worth the experience.
