Thursday Night Hot Spots

Good morning y'all!

Shaking off the morning weariness with a cup of coffee in a Domo cup (available at 7-11), aka the cutest coffee cup EVER. Here are some places to go to get a jump-start on your weekend:

* The Corner Store Cooperative in Bellport Village is holding a screening of acclaimed surfing film Last Hope by Andrew Kidman at 7PM. Last Hope is a collection of 16 original short films inspired by the sea. Andrew Kidman will be making an appearance at the screening along with The Windy Hills. Gerry and I will be attending, and we hope to see you all there!

* Porter's On The Lane's Fall Menu goes into effect today. If you're looking for a relaxing Thursday night dinner with your sweetie, Porter's is the place to go. Bar specials tonight include $6 Smirnoff cosmos and live piano music by Henry Haid of the Broadway musical Movin' Out.

* In the mood to drink a ton and make an ass out of yourself - but all in good fun? Check out the Brickhouse Brewery on Main St. in Patchogue. Thursday night is Karaoke night hosted by D.J. Russ, so come prepared with your best Sinatra, Blondie, or Run D.M.C, throw back a few drinks, and sing your heart out!

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Margaritas and a (Junior League) Mixer!

Last night Patrick and I met Jeff at Meson Ole! in Patchogue for margaritas and dinner. We had a big ol' pitcher of delicious margaritas and the three of us downed it! We also attacked the chips and salsa, which are pretty damn addictive. We had a really great time catching up and telling stories about our jobs and life. Danced to Shakira in the car on the way home and collapsed in bed. Good times.

Today was Super Saturday at the Junior League of Long Island, and it was a lot of fun! I met some fabulous new Provisionals and I think that we have a great group coming in this year. I'm really excited about our Junior League Provisional Project, Kids in the Kitchen. Kids in the Kitchen is an initiative by AJLI to promote healthy eating and physical activities for kids. From the AJLI website: The goal of the Junior Leagues' Kids in the Kitchen initiative, which is supported by The Association of Junior Leagues International Inc. and its member Leagues, is to empower youth to make healthy lifestyle choices and help reverse the growth of childhood obesity and its associated health issues.  I'm really happy that JLLI has chosen this as our Provisional project, especially since obesity is an epidemic in our nation and I firmly believe that healthy eating and healthy habits must be implemented in our youth so they can make informed decisions about food and wellness. When I was younger, even though TV was a part of our lives, we did go outside and play pretty frequently. Now, I rarely see kids playing outside after school. I'm confident that our Provisionals will hold an excellent event and help make a difference, even if it's with a small group of children.

It's Saturday night and what are my plans, you may ask? I'm staying in at the moment, working on some stories for our JLLI newsletter. My beau is coming home from PA tonight so I'm excited to see him later on. Patrick and I are going to IKEA tomorrow to pick out some furniture and things for our apartment - I'm so excited about moving in! I love picking out furniture and tchotchkes.

Enjoy your Saturday night, kids!

The Pine Grove Inn, Patchogue NY

Overlooking the Swan River is a gem of a restaurant, and if you can believe it, it’s been around for nearly a century. Since 1910, Patchogue’s very own Pine Grove Inn has been known for its impeccable, personalized service and excellent German cuisine.

Michael Rizzi has owned the Pine Grove Inn since 2001 and since that time he has led his family and staff in taking the restaurant to the next level. From catering events to holiday dinners to Octoberfest, they do it all.“We’re really proud to have something for everyone, especially German and lighter fare,” said Rizzi. “We have wine dinners and psychic nights, and we have more of a family friendly kind of thing.” Michael Rizzi and his staff will accommodate different tastes and are willing to make something that’s not on the menu- all you have to do is ask.

Executive chef Robbie Rizzi creates traditional German dishes like the Pine Grove Inn’s award-winning roastbraten and sauerbraten along with sandwiches, burgers, and seafood dishes. The Rizzis take pride in the fact that they use locally grown produce and utilize local businesses for all of their needs, from electricity to foodservice. The organic greens are from Deer Run Farms in Brookhaven, and the seafood is all locally caught.

Patrick and I sampled the eggplant rollatini and the fried soft shell crab appetizers. The fried soft shell crab is only in season for another week, so hurry up and try it! It was crisp and went well with the mashed potatoes and tartar sauce. The eggplant rollatini was also a delightful appetizer. Our main courses, however, were beyond our expectations. I had the sesame-crusted tuna on rice pilaf, an eclectic dish with a pleasing balance of sweet and savory. The homemade wasabi added a huge kick to the tuna and added to the overall effect. Patrick had the tenderloin of beef stroganoff, which he described as “just perfect, the sauce was rich and flavorful.” Dessert was Kahlua coffees, which were absolutely delightful with German rock candy sticks – a nice, sweet touch!

Speaking of which, for all of the beer aficionados out there, take note: the Pine Grove Inn offers a menu of German, Belgian, and local brews. Not into beer? Dana, the bartender, can whip up one of the Pine Grove Inn’s specialty drinks like the Perfect Cosmopolitan or the Concord Grape Martini, made with fresh grapes. There is also a complete wine list with premium wines sold by the glass as well as by the bottle. According to Michael, Dana makes the best cocktails, so you should definitely come on down.

Check out their Octoberfest, which will continue through the month of (duh!) October. The Pine Grove Inn also offers a Sunday brunch buffet for $25.99 as well as a three course prix fixe dinner for $24.95. Happy hour is from 12-6pm on Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays, with a complimentary buffet at the bar on Fridays from 4-7 pm. They cater events, large and small, and they also have live music on Friday nights and Saturday nights. Bottom line: the Pine Grove Inn truly offers “something for everyone”.

The Pine Grove Inn is located at #1 First Street in Patchogue. For more info, visit www.pinegroveinn.com or call (631) 286-9843.