Just Lovin' the Traditional Burger, Ice Cream & Personality at Sip 'n Soda in Southampton, L.I. New York

Whether it's food places or places of fun and good times while growing up, one has a tendency to yearn for the nostalgic and what was familiar to you as you as a kid while growing up. I grew up in Great Neck, NY and remember the venerable eating establishments on Middle Neck Road 'in town' like Hamburger Express, with the little choo choo train that whistled around the train tracks and delivered your burger to you. I remember Kreigel's ice cream, cherry Coke, egg creams and its creaky wood floors.
There aren't many of those old-time restaurants around anymore...and especially one that evokes that old time feeling. There is, however,  one we have been going to for many years during the summer season and is situated in town on Hampton Road in Southampton, L.I., New York. It's Sip'n Soda.

A little bit about Sip 'n Soda. There's a long Parash family history that goes all the way back to the Oyster Bay Candy Kitchen in 1918. The Southampton location, however,  was opened in 1958 and is now run by the third generation family member Mark Parash and his Uncle Jim.

Besides their ice cream, they became famous for their lime Rickey, a drink made of freshly squeezed lime, cherry syrup, a homemade lemon-lime syrup and seltzer.

Years ago this refreshing drink was referred to by some as "air-conditioning in a glass"!

Recently, while out visiting my customers to make sure they are all set for the season, Sandy and I stopped in for lunch. I was fortunate enough to have left my wallet

at the restaurant and had to drive back the next day. How can that be fortunate you ask? Simple. If I hadn't, we would not be reading this story right now.
                                     

 Yup...that's Mark with his Sip 'n  Soda Burger!

My Burger...the old-fashioned way!

As the proprietor with personality Mark Parash put it, "lucky for us both". I got back my wallet and you folks  get to read about a worthy destination.
Why? Let me tell you!
The excellent homemade ice cream is what this place is all about. Don't get me wrong. As Newsday says, Sip 'n Soda also serves "consistently good renditions of luncheonette fare".
In particular, I love their $3.75 hamburger with a slice or raw onion and ketchup.
They make a double size burger for $5.75, however there's something about this burger that draws us back over the years.
When I returned to pick up my wallet, I was greeted by Hannah and Delaney. Hannah was nicely folding some of the Sip 'n Soda shirts when I asked her to show me one and to please make it look good for this entry.

Hannah

She was gracious enough to accommodate as was Hannah when I asked her for a smile while filling up an ice cream cone with a double scoop for a customer.

Delaney

It just seemed everyone was in good spirits and the timing was perfetto (Italian for perfect) for this new story.
While I was having my hamburger for lunch, I found out that Hannah's family operates a new Mexican Grill by the name of Sabrosa. New to the area, it was quite coincidental that the day before Sandy and I had the choice of eating at their new Water Mill location (we spotted something new on the way into Southampton) or continuing on to Sip 'n Soda. Sip 'n Soda won out. We can assure you, Hannah, we will make it there in the near future.

Hats or T-Shirts...bought a blue hat!

Okay folks...it's Memorial Day weekend...the official beginning of summer. Get out there...enjoy the fabulous ice cream and say hello to Mark, Hannah & Delaney and tell 'em Chef Bert the blogger sent ya!

Current menu

Older pic.Cones are a bit more today

Wanna take out order? The only phone line into Sip' n Soda is in this phone booth

                                                   Bye Delaney and Hannah. See you next time! 

                                                                   Mangia Baby!
                                                                      Chef Bert

As always, comments are appreciated.

Memorial Day Potato Salad With Fresh East Norwichian Dill

I'm not the biggest fan of dill...but I love dill pickles and matzoh ball soup with dill. With that thought in mind and because Sandy loves dill (not to mention there are many potato salad recipes with dill), I figured why not put a spin on my version of potato salad (with sweet gherkins and only yellow mustard) and try it with fresh East Norwichian dill**....sans pickles and adding some Dijon mustard to the mix.

Total time to prepare: less than 1 hour.

Short and sweet: I now love 3 things with dill...ie...never too old to add to, take away from or change.

Ingredients:
-3 lbs. small Yukon Gold and/or Red Potatoes with the skin (this recipe was 50-50)
-3 coarse chopped hard boiled eggs
-1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
-1.5 Tbsp. yellow mustard and Dijon mustard (50-50). I like Heinz or French's yellow and Bournier Dijon
-2 stalks coarse chopped celery
-1-1 1/4 cup your favorite mayonnaise (Hellman's is the best tasting 'light' mayo for the less calorie/fat version)
-1 packed fistful of fresh dill coarse chopped...stems removed!
 It doesn't have to be East Norwichian**. Any fresh dill will work fine.
-2 tsp Kosher salt
-10 or so twists from a fresh pepper mill

-Boil potatoes for 20- 25 minutes depending on size of potatoes. Drain and let cool slightly until warm.
-Very coarsely cut potatoes...add vinegar and salt to cut potatoes. Toss gently until potatoes are coated.
-Mix together mayo, mustards, celery, pepper and dill and pour blend over the potatoes.
-Add hard boiled eggs
-Toss gently until blended being careful not to break up the potatoes much more than they already are as you want your chunks of potatoes.
-Salt and pepper to taste

**East Norwichian dill: Dill from my backyard :-)
Credit also must be given to my new ketchup made by True Made Foods. This more nutritious and gluten free ketchup is made with tomatoes, squash, spinach and carrots and tastes fab. Not, however, to be used in this recipe.

Mangia Baby!


As always...comments are welcome.
Bert

Savour Australia New York Wine Tasting / 2 May 2016 With A Big YUM!

I distinctly remember my first Shiraz experience. It was a bottle of Rosemount Estate back in the late 1990's.What in the world is this wonderful mouth full of big fruity red wine with a (as the Brits say) brilliant finish? Loved it!

So much has happened to Shiraz since then and no matter what people say, you enjoy what you enjoy and Shiraz was the new wine for me for many years to come. 

A little bit about Shiraz. Shiraz is the name given to the dark-skinned Syrah grape when grown in Australia and selected pockets of the New World. Though genetically identical, the stylistic differences between Shiraz and Syrah are pronounced enough to consider them distinct varieties. Shiraz is so important to Australian viticulture that it is the most planted grape variety in the majority of Australian vineyards and has become virtually synonymous with the country's wine regions, and in particular the Barossa Valley.

During the 1990's and early 2000's a lot of Australian Shiraz was characterized by highly extracted, super-ripe wines that, for better or worse, caught the attention of wine critics around the world. Some responded well to the style, championing the rich and bold flavors, while others lambasted the wines' lack of subtlety. Regardless of the divided critics, consumer enthusiasm for Australian Shiraz flourished during this period and countless expressions of the style were exported around the world.

The other day I attended the "Savour Australia New York / 2 May 2016" wine show at the Tribecca Grill in NYC. It was a relatively small show of 22 vineyards compared to some shows with double and triple the amount of vineyards. 

The wines being presented  retailed from 14.00 to 199.00 per bottle. The white wines included Chardonnay, Reisling, Rose',Viognier, Semillon and Sauvignon Blanc.

The reds were Shiraz, Granache, Merlot, Pinot Noir, Malbec and Cabernet Sauvignon. My strategy...whites first and then the reds. You might ask how does one get through such a big show with that many exhibitors. Easy! The whole idea behind a wine tasting is to taste the wines...not drink them. It was a hard lesson many years ago when I first started attending these shows and couldn't stand the thought of spitting out the wines, however you learn quickly how to savor the taste and use the spittoon.

Tasting so may wines one after another and trying to pick out the inexpensive, moderate and expensive wines is a daunting task. Some wines were really WOW and you could sense these were the higher prices wines. The bottom line, however, was what did I really like.

I tasted 18.00 and 24.99 bottles that I enjoyed more than bottles in the 50's and 60's. Why?

Here are my favorites with realistic price points:

                                             2013 Fowles Are You Game Shiraz @ 16.00

                                    2014 Flegenheimer Bros.Grenache Shiraz Blend 17.00

                                                                 

                                              

                                                2012 Maxwell Ellen Street Shiraz @ 18.00

                                                        2012 Tahbilk Shiraz @ 23.00

                                   Natalie & 2012 Eskadale Velvet Sledgehammer Shiraz@ 25.00

                                   2012 Fowles Ladies Who Shoot Their Lunch Shiraz @ 34.00

                                                                 Confession Time

                                            2012 d'Arenberg The Dead Arm Shiraz @ 65.00

                                                     2013 Tyrrell's Vat 9 Shiraz @ 66.99

                               2013 Hickenbotham Clarendon The Revivalist Merlot @ 75.00

                               2013 Hickenbotham Clarendon Brooks Road Shiraz @ 75.00

                               2013 Hickenbotham Clarendon Trueman Cabernet Sauvignon @ 75.00

                                                2010 Elderton Command Shiraz @ 99.99

                                           2012 Hentley Farm Clos Otto Shiraz @ 164.95

                                               2012 Kaesler Old Bastard Shiraz @ 187.00

                                                 

                                                    2012 Torbreck RunRig Shiraz @ 199.99  

What's clear to me based on the evolution of this wine over the last 20 years is that it still remains at the top of my list at virtually all price points. It has, I'm sure to many, evolved into a sophisticated wine for gourmet meals. For me, however it satisfies at all levels.

To my readers, it's still about your own personal taste. You can, however, trust me enough to say you are getting a good value in most Shiraz wines. Syrah...you're next!

Thank you Australia!

Single Layer Baked Cheese Ravioli Bolognese sans Mozzarella!

This dish involves just 3 main ingredients. Most people I talk to have never heard of this dish and that's what prompted me to first write about it in this blog back in November, 2012 (click 2012  "Blog Archive" on right side of homepage)
Here is my updated version for 2.

-8 large cheese raviolis from your favorite pasta maker. See my November  12th, 2012 entry for pasta makers.

-Your favorite Bolognese...ie...meat sauce

-Grated Italian Parmigiano Reggiano or Grated Italian Grana Padano. No Mozzarella!

Follow the instructions from the November, 2012 entry and make this dish in one layer. Better still...just do this:

*Coat the bottom of a baking dish with 1/2 tsp. extra virgin olive oil and then evenly spread a very thin layer of sauce across the bottom of the dish

*Boil your large cheese ravioli per instructions and reserve 1 Tbsp of starched water after draining

*Immediately place your one complete layer of  cooked ravioli in baking dish, cover with a layer of sauce and grate on top a very heavy coat of Parmigiano Reggiano (preferred) or Grana Padana
*Drizzle with extra virgin olive oil and add your Tbsp of starched water around the edges of the dish This water will add some flavor and help keep the  ravioli from drying out

*In a 400 degree preheated oven, bake for about 11-12 minutes until golden brown on top

Broil for 2-3 minutes until lightly browned and serve immediately. Simple!

BetsaPasta Single Layer Baked Cheese Ravioli Bolognese

                                                                         Mangia Baby,
                                                                                Bert

Time To Make A Change: Potassium Bromate...A known Carcinogen in 95% of our Pizza and Baked Goods

IT'S TIME TO WAKE UP AND MAKE A CHANGE!!!
Since 2010, when I started writing my blog, my intent was to write nothing negative. If I didn't like something I ate, I'd simply not write about it. Most everything has been written with a positive tone based on my food experience(s). What's positive about this negative is that someone needs to make you aware and I'm doing my part because I care about you and me and our families. As a matter of fact, everyone should be the beneficiary of this information and put it to good use.

I have to admit before becoming totally aware of bromated flour, I do have a couple of enjoyable pizza entries in this blog. Still, I will use my own judgement to determine what I eat going forward.

Here goes:

A few years ago, my daughter Alison made me aware of bromated flour that is used for making most pizza and baked goods today in these United States of America and touched on bromated flour in my July 7, 2014 Fancy Food Show entry in this blog. This was the beginning of the end for me and most pizza made in the USA today unless I knew the flour used was not bromated.

   What amazed me more than anything is that the FDA permits the use of bromated flour, whereas most of the rest of the world has banned it. Our FDA, although normally quite careful in their recommendations and at the same time encouraging companies not to use this flour, still have not put a ban in place.

Some companies, however, have responded positively. Pepperidge Farm, Best Foods and Pillsbury are among some who have removed potassium bromate from their flour formula. Next time you are in the supermarket, check out the ingredient list and you will see who is using unbromated flour...and don't be afraid to ask your favorite pizza destination and yes, your baker, if their flour is bromated or unbromated. A simple question...right?

You may be the odd bird for asking, as I sometimes feel I am when I ask, but know that you will be serving yourself and your family well. Don't be lazy. The good stuff is out there and if you ask you will find it.
One place for sure that you will find "IT" is right here on Long Island.

The Classic Skinny Pizza

Known as the "Pizzeria For The Modern Era", "Skinny Pizza" has two locations on Long Island (Roslyn Heights & Garden City), one in NYC and coming soon to Texas and Connecticut. Many are trying to make their pizza different and better in one way or another including Organics and non GMO ingredients in order to draw in the health conscious. Skinny Pizza, while focusing on the more healthy ingredients, is also focusing on the the flour as well. NO BROMATED FLOUR!

                                      ...and I thought is was 95%...FOOD FOR THOUGHT!

Flavor is not lost as the reviews are positive. Simply Google www.skinnypizza.com and, again, satisfy yourself by reading the Newsday review by Joan Reminick and others.
This afternoon at the Roslyn Heights location I met the owner, Joseph. He was gracious enough to let me take some pictures of the cast and crew so I could bring it all to you. Poetry...pun intended!
Check out Amy, the Official Skinny Pizza expert, showing off the "Classic" and "Arugula" pies baked to perfection just for this occasion!

You know what they say about happy people, don't you?

 A very happy Krystian, Lucy, Beatriz and Amy

 Amy with her Baby Arugula, Scallions, Garlic & Tomatoes, Fresh Mozzarella & Balsamic Pie

Please consider this. Bromated flour is banned in many countries around the world including our neighbors to the north. Canada, the entire European Union and even China are included and the list goes on.

California has put laws into effect that warning labels must exist for any food products that have potassium bromate.

Most people I talk to about this are totally unaware and it is my intent here to make you aware that you are, in a sense, shortening your like span. I'm quite serious. Take what I'm saying at face value and satisfy yourself. Simply GOOGLE "bromated flour", "pizza and bromated flour" or "potassium bromate". See and hear in videos what is the truth and take away from all the topics you see in front of you to make your own decision about how you want to act.

There are pizza restaurants just like Skinny Pizza and bakeries that use the safe flours, however it is up to you to ask...ie...buyer beware.
Oh yeah! How could I forget?
For you home bakers...the best and number one recommended flour according to Cooks Illustrated* (cooksillustrated.com) magazine, and the one I use, is King Arthur unbleached flour. Of course it does cost more, but do I need to say why?

As always...I would love to hear from you. Please feel free to comment

Mangia Baby...This time with a little more care!

Chef  Bert

*Cooks Illustrated, in my opinion, is the number one go to website in order to find out the best way to produce any recipe. Associated with America's Test Kitchen (americastestkitchen.com), it's simply the science of cooking. With each recipe, they explain why each ingredient they choose to include is used.
Of course, it's still a matter of taste and in the end you will have the final say...however they will get you as close to perfection for any dish you are are curious enough to research.
b

 Anonymous said...

Dear Bert,
Thank you so much for the helpful information. It's very much appreciated and saddens me to see they terrible ingredients in the foods we and our children eat everyday !

April 10, 2016 at 8:14 AM

 

 Bert Spitz said...

Thanks Anonymous...for your input.
It's truly unfortunate others won't avail themselves of this information

April 10, 2016 at 8:19 PM

 

Philly Phood Phind & Phlowers

Sandy doesn't have to convince me to go to the yearly Philadelphia Flower Show. I really like the displays and it smells nice...especially in Spring. Kinda primes you for the warmth coming. The last time we went together, the theme was Britain. Ahhh, glorious England! The Beatles were even represented. As the show mug stated, "BRILLIANT"!

Each year the theme is different and captivating for what is touted to be the best flower show in the land with its huge colorful displays. This year's theme was "Explore America", a celebration of our historic  National Parks.We particularly enjoyed the Redwoods exhibit for this show and I actually left wondering how I was going to make a table out of a cross section of one of those magnificent trees for this summer. Check out some of these pics! 

                                                            The Liberty Bell

Hawaii

The Redwoods

Oh yeah...and sponsored by Su-ba-rooooooo

Next up...and part of the reason why I love this flower show so much!

Dinner Time!

Now that we've covered the flower show, I have to wonder out loud why in the world do we not have a food oasis like this in New York.

We have the best of everything (one exception*) all over the place, however all in one place like this is something that is worthy of a a blog entry as a true find.

Right across from the flower show on Chestnut Street exists, in my opinion, the most exciting food court I have ever seen. It's the Reading Terminal Market.

All of these food selections are subject to one's own interpretation as to what is good and good for you...however there are so many food choices here in every category that there  has to be more than one something for everyone.

Hands down, our favorites were the absolutely phenomenal beef pastrami sandwich from Herschel's East Side.

I grew up in the heyday of the Stage Deli in NYC and still love the Carnegie Deli right down the street from where the Stage used to be. Most folks would consider the sandwiches at the Carnegie to be the gold standard by which all others are gauged. That is, until you taste the pastrami at Herschel's in Philadelphia.

How do they do it?  I met the owner Steve (last name withheld), who just happens to be part of the family that owns Katz's Deli in NYC.

No surprise anymore.

What you also have to consider is that the cost of his sandwiches are $10.88 or almost 1/2 of what they are in NYC at Katz's or Carnegie.

THE BEST PASTRAMI SANDWICH ANYWHERE!

That' right...anywhere!

(This IS the one exception*)

Nuff said Steve. Thanks for a great sandwich and a truly happy staff.

You know what they say about a happy staff, don't you?

Herschel's Pastrami Sandwich

Muffalettas too!

The crowd

Next up: Another favorite and a definite stop for a fresh sliced turkey with stuffing, cranberry sauce and gravy on sourdough at The Original Turkey! I missed my personal pic here...Sorry...next time.

There really is sooo much more turkey on this sandwich...

Want more?

Famous?...Yes!

Well...that's about it folks. The pics I took best represented what Sandy and I would have liked to eat...however that will have to be over the next visit or ten.

There was soooo much more...Bar-B-Q...more bakeries...Butcher Shops, More Chinese food and so on.

 I think you get the drift. Where is something like this all in one place in NY?

Please let me know.

Oh yeah...how could we forget?

We were quite full and couldn't eat anymore when we left...however about an hour later after driving around Philly and taking in the Liberty Bell and Independence Hall sights, we decided to stop for coffee in "Olde Town" Philly.

Right across the street from our coffee stop...and it couldn't have been anymore convenient...was The Olde Creamery Cellar ice cream shop featuring...you guessed it... Bassett's Famous...which we missed at the Reading Market from being stuffed!

Inside was a genuinely gracious fellow by the name Dane.

It was the beginning of the ice cream season and not all of his flavors were available yet, however there were still about 10 choices.

Our pick...Peanut Butter and Vanilla. Sooo goood!

Dane

Thanks for your fine reception Dane and the Bassett's Ice Cream Container too!. Sooo Coool!

We'll be back!

Oh yeaahhhhh...One More Pic!

Ready?

Moody Blue Cheese

A tip guys: If you go, make sure you have a cooler with an ice pack in your car with which to take home goodies and food you may not have been able to finish

Mangia Baby!