Where is the Best Salad in New York, New York?
Recently I happened to visit Starwich. What a pleasant suprise!! I almost passed by without stopping – this does not look lke any other eatery I’ve ever been in. A spralling living-room look, it seemed a bit private and/or pretentious. However, a friendly guy (owner, manager, employee? who knows- it seemed he was “doing it all”) met me before I could get through the door and invited me to come in and warm up and did I ever! After he suggested a couple of their signature items, I choose their “grilled cheese” sandwich and couldn’t have been more suprised and pleased. Coupled with the roasted tomato soup I was having a meal to write home about. The little young girl that brought my food was so sweet and, well, innocent. She reminded me of family. And that guy who originally greeted me took time to check on me and chat about my business as he juggled other customers and phones! Other “regulars” at my communal table said the friendly folks that work here treat customers as family
Five members of the Thrifty Gourmets Meetup Group and I field-tested this restaurant on Tuesday, July 8th, at 7:45 PM. There was no host on duty, but the one waiter who was busily working the floor greeted me in a friendly manner and with a warm smile. Our reservation for 8 PM had been held and our table was available about 10 minutes beforehand. The waiter, although a bit harried, was courteous and professional as he took our order. All but two of our dishes were delivered promptly and correctly. I ordered the cheese stick as an appetizer. It was thick, soft and chewy, with a light crust and a subtle, herby flavor. I also ordered the arepa with stewed flank steak as my entree. Its filling was moist, hearty and richly flavorful. I also enjoyed a potent drink made with dark rum and passionfruit and mango juices. I was still somewhat hungry after finishing my initial order. Had one of my fellow diners not shared her entree with me, I would have selected another arepa. I commen
Great service & Homey Italian Food. It’s not haute cuisine, but everything we ordered was well done. The polenta is especially good. The juices (mango lemonade & limeade) were really refreshing, and went very well with the food. We ordered the butternut squash ravioli, risotto (best!), and the halibut. We were too stuffed for dessert. The setting and decor was very nice. Not cramped. We sat in the main dining room, but I heard that the garden setting in the back is better. Pros + Good for home-style Italian food.Cons – None that I can think of, except to make reservations during prime dining hours, which is true for a lot of places.
As the news came out that after ten years David Page and Barbara Shinn were selling and have now sold Home Restaurant to their former silent partner to focus on their Shinn Estate Vineyards winery and bed and breakfast in Mattituck on Long Island’s North Fork, we decided to make one last visit before the closing for renovations scheduled for early 2008.Home seemed as cozy as ever and the menu retained its comfort food base. We found the kitchen’s preparation a little tired and apart from some wonderful fried onion rings, nothing was exceptional. The service was problematic. Our waitress seemed upset by the pending sale and temporary closure and was less than attentive.The wine list that has always featured Long Island and US regional wines remained comprehensive, although many listed wines we not available (as they used existing inventory prior to the now concluded sale).While our memories will remain, it was clear that in this case you truly can never go back to Home.
