Author: insidegardencity

Novita

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GC restaurant frequenters have probably been to Novita before. It’s located on the strip of Franklin Ave which is GC’s version of “restaurant row.” A perfect location to grab cocktails with friends.  
Novita had a lively bar scene when I was there on a recent Friday night with great music as well. Decor was upscale without being overdone. We had to wait at the bar for a bit for our table, even though we had a reservation (some kind of issue with their cell phone notification system). Whether this was intentional or not, their comprehensive wine list kept us busy while waiting. They had a really nice selection of French, Italian and California wines– you could pretty much find a bottle for any occasion. If you’re not up for wine, a glimpse of the drink menu showed an array of yummy-sounding martinis, like the Nutella or Limoncello martinis. Also a not-too-shabby beer menu- Magic Hat, New Castle, Dogfish and many more. Now, onto the food.
I must admit that I’m a bread girl who really appreciates good quality bread- thick and crusty on the outside with a soft interior… in case you were wondering. The Italian bread put out on the table was surprisingly good, however the waitress was unable to tell us which bakery it was from (even after some pleading). Having been spoiled by delicious bread in Hoboken, the Bronx and NYC and still on  the search for the same high quality bread in suburgatory, it may be worth a little more detective work to smoke out the source of Novita’s bread. I’m always a fan of olive oil on the table too- leave the butter behind.  

The shrimp scampi with risotto… if you’re watching your diet and keeping portion sizes under control, this is the entree for you. As an Italian whose used to “abbondanza”, the portion size was a little bit of a curve ball. Tasty enough but I prefer it made in the traditional style served over pasta, even though I do LOVE risotto.  


Novita has a unique selection of thin crust pizza and the prices are very reasonable. I recommend the five mushroom truffle if you’re a BIG mushroom lover. What do I mean by mushroom lover? Well… if you eat, sleep and breathe mushrooms, then you will love this pizza, otherwise take a pass. The carbonara pizza sounded interesting (it’s made with sunny side eggs on top) but I wasn’t feeling adventurous enough that night. The chocolate soufflé with pistachio gelato for dessert was yummy but small enough that I could have ordered two. I rarely turn down a chocolate dessert when I see one on the menu, but I noticed some other items that would be worth trying- like the cinnamon zeppoli and the Nutella creme brûlée.  


Overall, I would come back to Novita, mostly for the cool bar scene and wine list. This could be the go-to place if you’re looking for a great wine bar and a fun atmosphere to get together with friends for drinks. I might have difficulty choosing my pre-dinner drink though.

Feldis Florist Shows a Little Love: Local V-Day gifts Part II

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‘Tis the season… of love. Ok, so flowers may not be the most original gift for Valentine’s Day but in terms of being romantic, not much can beat a beautiful bouquet of sweet smelling blossoms. And Feldis Florist on 7th St. in GC is taking it up a notch this year. I stopped in there a couple of times this week and they have been hard at work every day preparing for V-Day and it shows.

The flowers they have for Valentine’s Day are absolutely gorgeous- I’m talking about big, beautiful roses, classic white orchids, big fat gerber daisies, candy colored lilies… Some of the most beautiful Valentine’s Day bouquets I’ve seen are being made there right now. Best of all, Ed and Janine are making it really easy for their customers too- you can walk right in and pick out a beautiful already-made bouquet which is already in a vase which is already packed in a cardboard box- all set for you to walk in, carry it out, place it in your car and be on your way to making someone very happy. Talk about efficiency! It’s almost as easy as the drive thru at McDonald’s- but much better for your health (and your relationship). Of course they deliver as well and have extra staff on hand to make sure those deliveries run smoothly on the big day.

If you’re looking for something to make your gift even more sweet, Feldis also has delicious chocolates and the most cuddly teddy bears. It’s truly one stop shopping! If you happen to be in town on Friday, make sure to stop in for the rose petal red carpet Ed is planning when he opens that morning. Later in the afternoon (4-8pm) they will have tasty treats prepared for their customers who come into the store. I don’t know about you, but I love it when a business shows a little love for their customers- and what better day to do it! Tis the season…

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"How can a nation be called great if its bread tastes like Kleenex?" Julia Child

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Great bread is hard to find. Moving from NYC to Hoboken wasn’t too much of a change- still lots of great restaurants, bars, pizza, etc… But moving from Hoboken to Long Island- not as easy- in the food department, that is. Old school Italian bakeries and delis are no longer every few blocks as they were in Hoboken. While I’ve been hunting for the best local pizza since I moved to GC, I’ve also been searching for some good Italian bread. Real, hand-made brick oven bread; not the kind you buy at the supermarket that tastes like Kleenex. So when a friend said Cardinale’s in Carle Place is the best bakery in Nassau County, I knew I would be visiting soon.

I made my way on a recent Sunday afternoon. Let me admit that I am usually turned off when I walk into a bakery and it doesn’t remind me of the benchmark for bread-baking greatness–Dom’s in Hoboken. Unlike Dom’s, Cardinale’s didn’t have an old cardboard box as a doormat, looked like it had been painted within the last 30 years and the owner didn’t great me with a short grunt between cigarette puffs (in fact, I was greeted by a rather cheery hello –guard up). In short, my original impression was that Cardinale’s was a little too “frilly” to be laser focused on the great art of bread-baking  (to be fair, I should add it is not as frilly as Buttercooky — in fact, Buttercooky actually has their own personalized Buttercooky doormat. Ugh).

I got past this original impression when the assorted aromas began dominating my thought process. The focaccia smelled great, looked great and tasted great. I went with the roasted red pepper and balsamic. The crumb cake was also a good choice, as were the Italian cookies. And the bread was… simply stated, molto buono. There were rows of big, crusty, brick oven-baked loaves that could not be resisted. I served the bread to some fellow bread lovers later at dinner and they also agreed- it was a very good loaf and the best we’ve found so far. The crust was particularly crispy and tasty. I would put that aspect of the bread up there with my all time favorites.

In sum, I recommend you get there and sample a loaf.  I can hardly wait until tomatoes are in season to enjoy this bread with some quality olive oil, basil, fresh “mutz” and red wine (in fact, I will probably not wait until tomatoes are in season).

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Establishing Order

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Who’s had it with snow, cold, ice, artic temperatures and short days? I know I have. And since that slightly irritating groundhog predicted six more weeks of winter, looks like we have plenty of time to stay inside and organize ourselves. Today, Mary Carlomagno, professional organizer and author, is here to help us step up our game in that department. She is the owner of Order, a company that specializes in clutter control. You may have seen Mary in one of her many TV (including Oprah!), magazine or newspaper appearances.  She has also written numerous books on the topic. My personal fave is “Give It Up! My Year Of Learning To Live Better With Less“. A link to her bio is below. Thank you to all who emailed us your organizing challenges for Mary. 


1. Our organizing dilemma is that we recently relocated from a larger house in TX to G.C. We love our new home and recently had the basement finished to aid with storage of some of our things, But we are still struggling with a jig-saw puzzle of where to unpack some boxes due to lack of space from boxes that remain unpacked…Any ideas would be appreciated.


Mary: When starting an organizing project, it is important to set out a staging area, so if you need to clear out the space entirely do so, even if you have to move some things to another room.  Start with a blank space and then assess what you need the most first.  Top priority items should go in first and get top real estate.  Before you go out and buy storage boxes, make sure that what you are storing and keeping is what you actually use. 




2. Our garage is very small and it is not organized at all. It’s used purely for storage but everything is piled on top of everything else and there is no real system in place. We don’t want to invest a lot of $$$ in a garage, but we know we need some organization. Is there an easy way to organize garage space so we’re not always climbing over things? We have all sort of things in there- bikes, gardening tools, snow shovels, bicycle pumps, tools, beach umbrellas and chairs, folding chairs, a table, artwork, holiday decorations, etc… 

Mary: A great way to organize a garage is to use the walls and ceilings.  You can do a hook system on the wall for shovels, bikes, gardening etc.  A peg board is great for this and easily found at Home Depot for not a lot of money.  If you do have some room, I would recommend some inexpensive metal shelving, utility shelving like this is also available at Home Depot.  Depending on how much room you have, you can use a combination of both.  You can store items in Rubbermaid bins with tops and place them on the shelves.  A great easy fix.  And wherever possible, clear the floor.  Nothing makes a space more messy than having nowhere to walk, so create energy and flow with a clear floor.  


3. I have some great closets in my house. They’re large and have the potential to be really nice, but they were not well thought out when installed. They’re basically set up simply with large vertical shelves. This doesn’t seem to be the best use of space b/c things are always falling over and looking messy. How can I better use this closet space without investing in a huge project and having a custom closet designer and contractor come in? 

Mary: Great about the closets, you can customize to find what fits.  Your first job is to figure out what you are storing, before making any changes.  Write out a list of what you need, hanging bars for clothes, racks for shoes and boots? Once you have that list of keepers, you can design a space around what you need.   Target has very easy modular closet solutions that require no construction. 



4. My house seems to be over-ridden with toys. The only toy storage units I see in stores have baskets in them for the toys but I’m tired of baskets. They seem to be the go-to option for everything these days. A few are okay, but I don’t want to overdo it. I’d like something that’s more like a cabinet with some shelves, drawers. I think a lot of baskets look messy. Plus, they can’t fit larger toys. Thanks.

Mary: My favorite best pick is the Ikea Expedit Shelving that has different configurations so you can put the bins right in.  Follow me on Pinterest to see how they work.



5. What can I do with shoes and boots besides the traditional over the door racks (if I don’t have custom built spaces/shelves for them)? 

Mary: You can create your own custom shelving very easily by thinking a little differently. If you don’t have any shelving in your closet, consider a low book case that can live underneath your hanging clothes, you can set up your shoes there. Measure your space and see what you can find that fits, think out of the shoe box!


6. Can you give me some tips for organizing a tiny, and I mean tiny, home office?

Mary: It is all about staying on top of the clutter, store what you don’t need and use the A B C priority list, only keep A stuff out on your desk in a neat file box.  If you have the option, I love the idea of turning a closet into an office.  You can put a desk inside, remove the hanging bar and create custom shelving above, the best thing is that you can close the door when you are done with work…

Mary’s website is orderperiod.com. You can check out her company, her books and follow her on social media.  





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Local Valentine’s Day Gifts- Part I

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Ever since my father gave me chocolates and teddy bears on Valentine’s Day as a kid (up until the day I got married), I’ve always thought it was nice to have a special day in the middle of winter for some extra thoughtfulness. So I’ve decided to give you a few local gift ideas to get you started on buying a gift for the special woman in your life. I haven’t posted about Envie on Seventh St. in a little while and with Valentine’s Day on its way, I thought this was a good time. 

This piece below really caught my eye because it just shouts “Valentine’s Day” to me. There’s so much that you can pair it with and wear it with. It’s truly a classic, can’t-go-wrong V-day gift that any woman would love to own:

Envie always has a ton of unique bracelets. This one caught my eye for it’s color as well as its design. It still gets the Valentine sentiment across but in a less obvious way. This is a great piece to wear casually or dress up: 
If you want to go even less obvious with your Valentine’s Day gift this year, think outside of the jewelry box and go with a stylish and adorable scarf. They’re on sale at Envie and there were a few that I liked and may make room for in my own closet. Check out this chunky red one. The color really pops: 
Last but not least, I spotted this unique necklace on the way out. Since the dragonfly is a symbol of power and poise, don’t you agree that this would make a fabulous Valentine’s Day gift and send a meaningful message?
There are so many beautiful gifts that can be found around town. As you’re shopping locally (which I hope you are), just remember what the biggest Valentine’s Day gift no-no is: a gym membership. Enough said. 
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Super Bowl Sunday is almost here- Whaaazzzzup!

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Too bad the Giants and (Hoboken resident) Eli Manning didn’t make Super Bowl XLVIII, but we still get to cheer on the Broncos (seventh timers) and the Seahawks (second timers) and that’s enough reason to throw a fantastic Super Bowl Party.  Actually, as an American consumer, the commercials alone are reason enough to throw a party (“Whaaazzzzup!”). Click here for one of the all-time classics.

I think hosting a Super Bowl party is different than hosting any other party. Typical parties usually have a designated start and end time (alright, that last part may not be 100% true). But at Super Bowl parties, guests may come as early as pre-game (Fox pre-game kicks off at 2pm), which is often hours before kickoff (6:25pm ET), and they could stay until the post-game commentary. Since the game itself could potentially last up to 6 hours, your guests could be sitting on your couch for many, many hours.

As an alternative, you may want to consider hosting a “first half party”, which will enable guests to either stop in at another party for the second half or finish watching in their own homes. This could mean a reasonable bedtime if you have kids and no late night driving. But be sure not to miss the half time show. I definitely won’t since Bruno Mars is performing along with his signature Fedora and the Red Hot Chili Peppers (wait, that gives me a menu idea). And since this is quintessential American family entertainment, let’s hope for no [accidentally on purpose] wardrobe malfunctions this year.

Whatever the game plan of your party, your mission as host remains the same: to provide crowd-pleasing food in a fun atmosphere that will be conducive to the game-impacting superstitions (a little superstition never hurts) and touchdown dances that will be going on in your living room.

Here are a few tips if you’re throwing a Super Bowl party:

Decor. Super Bowl parties are not really about decorations but let’s face it, a simple string of lights or themed plates could set a fun mood. Or use an old football, helmet or trophy to add a little something something to the drinks table.
Set up a Convenient Food Station. Plan to have food, snacks and beverages at a convenient location for the entire duration of the event. You can utilize your coffee table, kitchen or dining room table. You may also want to have a pitcher of a pre-mixed drink available near the door as guests arrive because let’s face it, alcohol trumps decor in terms of setting a fun mood.

The Right Menu. What’s the real reason people go to Super Bowl parties? Food. For some people, the game is the main attraction but for most people, it’s the food. Lots and lots of delicious food. Be prepared to serve a variety- finger foods in the beginning- like dip platters, nachos, wings- and heavier foods as the game unfolds- think chili or burgers. Follow up with sweets and if they come in football shapes- all the better. Whatever foods you choose, the best plan for a Super Bowl Sunday menu is “Keep it simple and keep it coming.”

Adequate Seating. There will be a lot of sitting as well as eating on Sunday, so be certain to have enough seating for your guests. You may have to use extra folding chairs or bean bags (actually, we’re more in the exercise ball era) to accommodate, but make sure everyone is comfortable. It will likely be a long night- unless you’re hosting a first-half party. Either way, comfort is key.

And if all else fails… a working TV and beer is all you really need and there is nothing un-American about just opting for pizza delivery!

Where will you be watching the Super Bowl this year?



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Capo Ristorante- Delizioso!

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Whether you live in GC or not, you should know that there’s a centrally located Italian restaurant in Floral Park called Capo Ristorante (fyi- Capo is short for the owners last name). We dined here recently and really enjoyed our visit. The decor is tastefully done and it’s very cozy inside with lots of warm, earthy colors. There’s a huge wooden wine rack built into the back wall and a charming tin ceiling that adds a nice, old-school touch. 


Capo boasts a comprehensive menu and I was tempted by nearly everything on it. Tip #1: Go hungry because there’s a lot you will likely want to sample! The panini pages themselves took up half of the menu. There was a nice, reasonably priced wine selection to go with all of the mouth watering food choices. 


Onto our meal: I loved the lobster risotto. I had it as an appetizer and if I hadn’t already ordered my entree, I probably would have doubled down for my main course. We also ordered the brussel sprouts with prosciutto and garlic. It was just right. 

For entrees, I had chicken sorrentino- chicken topped with eggplant, prosciutto and mozzarella cheese. So delish. IMO, fresh mutz just can’t be beat. (oops- “mutz” is a throw back to my days in Hoboken where everyone lovingly refers to mozzarella as “mutz”.)  The balsamic marinated pork loin was also a good choice. It came with a very tasty lentil salad and caramelized cipollini onions. You haven’t had caramelized onions until you’ve had them with cipollinis. Even you onion-haters might be swayed! I hear the fried calamari and the chianti braised beef short ribs are tough to beat but that the panini are the hidden gem of this place. Needless to say, stay tuned for another Capo panini post- Which gives me a great idea for my Superbowl menu and leads me to… Tip #2: catered panini platters… yum. And yes, they do cater. 

Can’t forget my favorite course- dessert. We had thick biscotti and a sweet cannoli in a crisp outer shell. I don’t know about you but I can’t enjoy a cannoli if the shell doesn’t crunch. Of course, this was washed down with a frothy espresso. The owner was very personable and the staff was attentive but not annoyingly so.

Overall, a delectable meal in a cozy, neighborhood ambiance. Perfect for date night or a meal with some friends. Next time I’d like to try a panini with a glass of wine. I can already hear it calling my name. 

See you soon, Capo! Have you been? 

http://www.capofloralpark.com, 516-216-5177 



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Organizationally Challenged

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Since I’ve been sticking to my New Years’ resolutions, every part of my house, office, closets, garage, etc is now completely and efficiently organized… juuuust kidding. There are probably a few areas in all of our homes that need some type of organization intervention. Here’s how the situation usually unfolds for me: I start tackling projects without a real plan in mind. Then I get frustrated by my (lack of) progress, which causes me to give up and arrive promptly back at square one. Not a good outcome. 

I’m hoping this will change since Inside Garden City is lucky enough to have Mary Carlomagno- author and professional organizer- join us a guest blogger! Mary is the owner of Order, a company that specializes in clutter control and organization, among a few other things like shopping addictions (ahem… you know who you are). She has written numerous books on how to organize your space and therefore your life. Mary has appeared on Oprah, the Today Show, Fox and Friends and many other shows, plus she’s been featured in numerous mags and newspapers. Mary is a true authority on organizing and de-cluttering. She will answer your questions by providing real-life, practical solutions. 
I welcome our readers to submit your organizing dilemmas to Mary while we have the opportunity to benefit from her expertise. If she can help Oprah, I’m sure she can help us! Please submit your organizing challenges via our Facebook page: “Inside Garden City” or email us at insidegardencity@gmail.com. Mary’s solutions, tips and product recommendations will be featured on an upcoming guest blog. If you want to learn more about Mary and her experience, please visit her website at http://www.orderperiod.com. Happy organizing!

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Events Guide for Your MLK Weekend

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Who doesn’t love a 3 day weekend? Inside Garden City has got you covered with some local and some not-so-local holiday weekend events:

Central Park Ice Fest- Celebrate the cold in Central Park on Sat 1/18 from noon to 3pm. Enter mid-park at 72nd St. Pack your thermos of hot chocolate (or buy some there) and see some very talented ice sculptors at work on the most amazing NYC sculptures.
http://www.centralparknyc.org/about/news/central-park-news/ice-festival.html

Broad Hollow Theatre Company 700 Hempstead Turnpike, Elmont. (516) 775-4420
Don’t miss Shrek the Musical on Sat., 1/18 at 8pm and Sun., 1/19 at 2:30pm. Price: $14-$25

GC Public Library: I Have a Dream African American Stories in Art.
Dream it! Create it! Live it!  On Martin Luther King, Jr Day discover how dreams come true in artworks by famous African American artists. Create your own American dream collage under the guidance of Joyce Raimondo. 6:30PM-8:00PM Contact Marge Kelly: 742-8405 ext. 242. mkelly@gardencitypl.org 

Romeo & Juliet at Molloy College. Tel: 516-323-4444. Jan 18th. Show times: 2PM & 8PM. Enjoy the classic “Romeo & Juliet” with the International Touring Company!

Skating at Iceland in New Hyde Park. MLK Day Public Sessions: Ages 10 and under 11:30am-1pm. All ages 1:15-3:15, All ages 3:45-5:45.


Just For Kids:

Long Island Children’s Museum, Garden City, 1:30 and 3PM. $3 with museum admission, LICM members $2.
Dreaming with Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Artwork has long been used to record historical events. Draw inspiration from the life and works of Dr. Martin Luther King and create your own inspired artwork to take home.

Lil’ Athletes Sports Academy in West Hempstead is holding a sports camp for kids on Monday, Jan. 20th. Drop off your children for some sports fun!
Ages 3-5 9:30am-12pm, ages 6-10 1pm-3:30pm. Only $15 per child. 
**Remember to mention Inside Garden City for 10% off class packages and birthday parties!**

Broad Hollow Theatre Company 700 Hempstead Turnpike, Elmont. (516) 775-4420 Winnie the Pooh is being shown on Sat., 1/18 at 2:00pm. Price: $10-$12.


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Butter Makes it Better

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Some people have a sweet tooth and some have a savory tooth. Lucky (or not so lucky) for me, I have a serious sweet tooth. When I visited Buttercooky Bakery on Jericho Turnpike for the first time last weekend, I was very excited to try a variety of their sweets.


One of my go to desserts is always a cannoli. I chose the chocolate covered shell. Did I mention I had a sweet tooth? For some reason, I didn’t manage a picture of the cannoli… Let’s just say it was solid. However, if you’re into crumb cake or biscotti, I wouldn’t say Buttercooky is your first stop (more about that in another post). Can’t resist paraphrasing a Godfather quote to sum this up: “Leave the crumb cake and biscotti… Take the cannoli.” 
It seemed that people could not get enough of the cakes. They were coming in left and right to pick up cakes, order cakes, buy pre-made cakes and order wedding cakes. The pre-mades cakes in the cases looked fantastic, although I didn’t try them. At this point, my jeans were begging me to stop. Here are a few that are worth a return trip:

                          

I met a fellow GC customer at Buttercooky, who confessed to being a regular. He told me I couldn’t go wrong with the Grand Marnier Chocolate Mousse cake. I may have to come up with an occasion just to order this in the near future:

I spotted these on the way out and since Superbowl Sunday is coming up, you may want to order a few when you’re planning your menu:

Buttercooky’s cupcakes all looked picture-perfect. They would make a great addition to any party or shower. Who could resist these?

They also have a Manhasset location. But it’s time for a trip to the gym before I visit that one!

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