Sundried Tomato Café and Pizzeria is tucked away in the middle of the Nesconset Plaza Shopping Center on Smithtown Boulevard. You could easily miss it, but don’t! They have a more interesting menu than your average pizza/pasta joint.
Jennifer ate:
The Da Vinci Panini (without chicken) — ($8.50)
I’ll be honest. I’ve eaten at Sundried Tomato at least a half a dozen times and have tried only two things, both of them paninis. I don’t know why. Probably because I’m not a big pasta eater, or maybe because they were both so good, there’s no need for me to try anything else.
I suppose it wouldn’t be a post of mine if I didn’t mention how COLD it was inside. I’m still trying to understand why restaurants cannot regulate their thermostats properly. Perhaps they have only one thermostat and it’s located in the kitchen. But how hard would it be to install a two-zone system. Moving on…
My two menu-items-of-choice are The Da Vinci Panini without chicken, and the Calabrese Panini. All of their paninis come with a mini gravy boat-full of tasty macaroni salad, and a side of dipping sauce/dressing. For The Da Vinci, the dipping sauce is a balsamic concoction that is perfectly suited to the sandwich. Fresh mozzarella, tomatoes, and basil on a toasted ciabata roll. They really pile on the mozzarella cheese, which is tasty, but can get to be too much at times. What else can I say? It’s delicious. I only wish they had some outdoor seating for nice days so I can enjoy my food without shivering.
The bottom line:
The Da Vinci Panini without chicken – very, very good.
Overall rating: If you’re local and you haven’t tried Sundried, I’d suggest a visit… soon!
Chuck ate:
Crispy Chicken Panini ($8.50)
Yes, Chuck did eat here too, and he did eat the Crispy Chicken Panini. Only, I can’t get him to write a review about it so suffice it to say he enjoyed it!
September 22, 2009 at 1:59 pm authorjen
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We’ve finally ventured off the main strip(s) of 25 and Rte.111. We discovered this little cafe tucked away just north of 25 on N. Country Road. The Garden Grill Restaurant is a 120 year old Victorian Country Inn with a self-proclaimed warm and gracious atmosphere.
Jennifer ate:
Almond Encrusted Artichoke Hearts (appetizer) — ($9)
Fresh Mozzarella (appetizer) — ($9)
I’ve probably driven by this place a dozen times and never even noticed it. It’s clearly a converted house (just like our ZeroG offices!) and it really is very warm and cozy once you get inside. We were seated immediately and attended to quickly.
I’d reviewed the menu online prior to visiting, so I was prepared for how few vegetarian options there would be. I opted for two appetizers to make up a meal, the almond encrusted artichoke hearts and the fresh mozzarella. They were both presented on simple, square plates and were minimally decorated.
The mozzarella was layered with tomato slices, and decorated with too few of the tasty onions and roasted red peppers. The balsamic dressing on the side was a nice touch, and very tasty. Overall though, it was pretty bland. Neither the mozzarella nor the tomatoes were remarkably tasty.
I was surprised to find that the almond encrusted artichoke hearts were deep fried, especially since that was not mentioned on the menu. (If I had known I would not have ordered it!) And while deep frying can be light, like in the case of most tempura dishes, these were still pretty greasy inside. The almond crust was good, but the oil inside really diluted the artichoke flavor. The balsamic reduction was drizzled on sparingly, which is a shame because it was tastier than the creamy dressing served with it on the side.
All in all it was a decent meal. The service was fast, the food wasn’t bad, the ambiance was nice (the temperature was okay), and I would probably even go there again. It would be a great place to take clients. But for a health-conscious vegetarian, they have woefully few options.
The bottom line:
Almond Encrusted Artichoke Hearts – Kinda greasy, not enough flavor.
Fresh Mozzarella – Kinda bland, but okay.
Overall rating: It was okay. Not bad, not great. If you’re not vegetarian, and less picky about fat and calories, they have lots of options for you.
Chuck ate:
Well, Chuck did eat here, but he’s been “too busy” to blog about it. So you’re stuck with my review alone…
September 22, 2009 at 1:55 pm authorjen
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