Welcome to Food of Long Island: Blog Edition

Learn who I am, what I value in a restaurant and what I have been loving lately!

Welcome to the show! I started Food of Long Island back in 2014 when I was in high school- before being a " #foodie " was trendy. Here I am years later, still passionate about one thing we all love... FOOD!

How I Rate My Dining Experience

Every dining experience is different, but I always try to keep a few things in mind to keep my ratings consistent.

1. Water and Ice Quality- As silly as this may sound, if a restaurant has great water and ice you can find me going back there often. If the water tastes a little off, that is a warning sign and you should proceed with caution. If you ever had the ice at Rust & Gold (Huntington), you know what I am referring to in regards to great ice quality. It is the perfect consistency and shape to munch on.

2. Cleanliness of the Bathroom- If the bathroom is dirty, this is a bad sign and you should immediately abort the mission. I am kidding... partially. In all seriousness, the way an establishment maintains their bathroom is a great look into how they keep their kitchen.

3. The Bread and Butter- I know every restaurant may not have a bread basket waiting on the table, but if there is one you better bet your bottom dollar that the bread is warm and flakey. Now, you can't forget about the key player- butter. Personally, I like my butter served room temperature so it glides onto the bread smoothly. *Bonus Points: I do also appreciate a nicely seasoned olive oil to dip my bread in as well.*

4. Appetizers- I am a huge appetizer gal- personally, I rather order tons of appetizers rather than one entree. I love when a restaurant has a great variety of appetizer options. I do appreciate a good cheese board, like the one at Del Vino (Northport) or even savory rice balls like ones at 1653 Pizza Company (Huntington).

5. Espresso Martinis- Espresso Martinis is what separates a good restaurant from a great restaurant. If I am served an Espresso Martini made with a real espresso shot, it's an automatic five stars. *Bonus Points: If an Espresso Martini is garnished with coffee beans, the restaurant has my heart.*

What restaurants I have been loving lately.

• 1653 Pizza Company, located in Huntington

• Novita, located in Garden City

• Nikkei of Peru, located in Port Washington

• The Ivy Kitchen & Bar, located in Huntington

• Cava, located in Melville