Amanda G.
Yelp
We had a great meal here for my husband's mother's birthday. Reservations were easy, but on OpenTable, they require a credit card and warn that changes to the reservation might incur a charge to the card. I did not experience this but was worried at first. I initially made reservations for 5p but there was a huge funeral procession for a fallen NYPD officer that recently passed, so obviously traffic was sluggish on the LIE. We were able to push the reservation back and even called up to inform them that there might be a delay on our arrival that was out of our control and Hade, the hostess, was very understanding. She said it would be no problem and ensured that we would have a table when we arrived. Once we got there, there was ample parking and the holiday lights welcomed us.
Entering the restaurant, you do feel like you're in an inn. It's got a very homey vibe. There was a decorated Christmas tree right inside the front door, a cozy fire and a chair with a Valentine's Day bear sitting, just waiting for a photo op. They have an option of high chairs or boosters, so Hade grabbed a booster for our big girl, and showed us to our table. The dining room feels like dining at Grandma's. There were lots of families seated.
Dan was our server for the night. He was very attentive and very nice. He took our drink orders and then returned for our food orders, ensuring that our Little received her food first. He also checked in on us throughout our entire meal, making sure we were all happy with the food and to see if we needed anything.
Grub Rundown:
Bread Basket - yes, it costs five bucks but it's worth it. It is a substantial bread basket and if there are only two of you, you'll likely have bread to take home and all of it is yummy. I had what tasted like a soda bread as well as another sweet bun-type of bread. They're all warm and the basket is served with whipped butter and hummus (ask for extra of those).
Baked Clams - these were great. There were 4 to the order and they're super flavorful. The birthday girl and I shared these.
Caesar Salad - this is an oversized portion and it IS huge. I added some shrimp and they were OK. I would have preferred larger shrimp with a nicer grilled char on them. The salad was kind of meh. It tasted ok but I've definitely had better.
Crusted Cod (?) - I believe this is what my MIL had. She enjoyed it and finished her entire plate.
Double Pork Chop - hubby had this and it was soooo juicy and thicc! It was topped with yummy apples that were cooked down, along with garlic mashed potatoes. Amazingly good. Only get a double of you're really hungry. Hubby didn't finish his and we brought one home for my son who also couldn't finish it.
Chicken Parm - my Little got this from the kiddie menu. They breaded tendies and used them as chicken parm, three pieces. I like that because they were nice and juicy and small enough for my daughter to handle. The chicken was served on top of linguine with a thick blanket of mozz on top. I would probably ask for just a sprinkle of cheese and more tomato sauce but the kiddo liked it.
During our phone call to inform the restaurant of the possibility that we might be late, we also let them know about the birthday occasion. They brought out a yummy flan with candle, ice-cream and whipped cream. I also ordered some chocolate ice-cream for my Little, which she appreciated.
As we were leaving, Hade took lots of photos of us near the tree and fireplace to commemorate the occasion. It was a nice night and the fact that they're only 15 minutes from my MIL means we'll likely dine here again in the future.