Apparently Mad River is a bar and grill, but I would know nothing about the grill aspect of this establishment as I went there late on a Wednesday night for the bar scene, and let me tell you, it was a SCENE! This place has all kinds of specials every day of the week, so definitely check out their website to see what is going on when you plan on going. They have trivia on Tuesdays, $20 open bar and $30 beer pong tournament on Thursdays, football deals on Sundays, and DJs nearly every night. You can have a private party here or even be a guest bartender. This place has everything and is a must go on any trip to NYC or even just up to the Upper East Side.
Mad River is located at 1442 Third Avenue at 82nd Street, in the heart of the Upper East Side's bar scene. The website lists that they are open until 4:00am (except on Sundays when they close at 12am), if that gives you any indication of what a hopping party it hosts. Dress however you want, just don't look like a bum. I was coming from a dinner with friends and we were all dressed to the nines and maybe stood out a little bit (which wasn't a bad thing!) but most poeple were in more casual duds, though I don't recall seeing any sneakers or baseball caps. There are doormen/bouncers but I don't think they'd turn you down for wearing sneakers, unless they were really dirty.
There is a large main bar and a small back bar on the ground level. The area in the back serves as a dance floor at night, where everyone crowds in and either dances or doesn't, but the DJ is so good you will find yourself tapping your feet at some point. I wasn't all that impressed with the flavor or quality of the drinks (keep in mind they're served in plastic cups), except that they did the job (they were strong, like whoa). It got very very hot with all the people so dress appropriately! Also, don't wear anything white or light colored as you will get drinks spilled all over you (and maybe someone will apologize about it).
Even though I left covered in booze, sweaty, and slightly wobbly in my wedges, I had the most amazing night, of course aided by good company. I will definitely go to this place again and can't wait to try some of their mid-week drink specials.
Friday, August 28, 2009
Carvel
I haven't been to Carvel in what feels like forever. I don't know why but I was craving a "Flying Saucer" (a fancy ice cream sandwich). So, I stopped into Carvel #2185 in Bridgehampton, NY, went to the freezer, grabbed a package of 6 already made Flying Saucers with vanilla ice cream and sprinkles of course, and took them home. I enjoyed, immensely. I cannot wait to eat the rest that are sitting in my freezer. My suggestion, invite 5 friends over for a Flying Saucer feast. Enjoy!
Townline BBQ
Townline BBQ is a Texas take-out style barbecue joint located on Townline Road (I wonder how they got their name) in Sagaponack, NY on the East End of Long Island. Townline BBQ is completely unpretentious so feel free to show up ready to get messy, because you will have BBQ sauce dripping down to your elbows.
To get to Townline BBQ take Montauk Highway (East or West, depending where you're coming from). If you're taking the highway West, then Townline BBQ will be on your left immediately after Wainscott. If you're taking the highway East, then it will be on your right right before you enter Wainscott and after passing the Poxabogue Golf Course on your left. You can't miss it, seriously, it's the only building on the edge of a farm (so East End). There is a parking lot and street parking but also feel free to ride your bike if you live or are staying close by.
As I mentioned before, this is a Texas take-out style joint, which means first, that the ribs are dry rubbed (omgosh amazing) and not wet and smothered (you do that yourself with their homemade sauces) and second, that there are no waiters, you order at a counter, and the food comes on a try in plastic and paper containers. Townline is a pretty busy place, so make sure you have someone holding or waiting for a booth while the food is being ordered at the counter. Also, make sure your booth is clean. The second time I visited Townline the bus person neglected to clean my table and so I self-served it, which was slightly irritating.
The interior is all wooden and country feeling with a large center communal table usually overcrowded with people under the age of 10. If you chose to eat outside there are picnic tables on the back patio overlooking the farmland. There is a full service bar on one side with good happy hour specials, a pool table, a dart board, and a giant flat screen displaying whatever sporting event happens to be on at the moment. The most expensive thing on the menu is the full rack of 12 ribs (I got 13 once!) at a reasonable price of $25. Keep in mind this is enough food for two or three people. The sides are all under $5 and the desserts are all under $4. You will not break the bank here, yet another good reason to keep coming back for more. Townline is open weekdays from 11:30am to 10:00pm between Memorial Day and Labor Day (closed Tuesday and Thursday between Labor Day and Memorial Day) and until 11:00pm on Friday and Saturdy nights. With hours like that, you have absolutely no excuse not to go here.
You cannot go to Townline BBQ and not order the ribs, unless of course you don't eat pork, then you can order the giant beef short rib or chicken. They even have a vegetarian chili and meat free sides for you vegetarians out there who go to BBQ places to confuse everyone. I haven't tried anything else but the ribs and I don't plan on doing so becuase the ribs are so mouthwateringly delicious. I have daydreams about them, no I am not kidding. I'm sure one of the secret ingredients in the rib rub is a highly addictive drug, and that's why I keep wanting to go back for more. Not to mention, the baked beans are so flavorful that a fight might break out over who gets the last bite. The corn on the cob is slathered in sweet butter and is cooked to a perfect popping crunch. The fried mac and cheese while tasty, was too fried and not enough mac and cheese for my taste. I would have liked it better had it not been fried (and yes I know that defeats the whole purpose of fried mac and cheese). The cole slaw was pretty general as cole slaw goes, nothing outstanding but not bad either, although you do get a lot of it. I can't give you any desert suggestions as I've always been so completely stuffed by that point, but I can tell you that the desserts sitting on the counter have received many an alluring stare from others in my party.
One of the smartest things I have ever seen, is a hand washing station in the main dining area so that you don't leave with sticky fingers. I would like to point out that the water is the perfect temperature.
The last thing I will say about Townline BBQ is regarding their attempt at being "green". While I cannot properly comment on their behind the scenes efforts, their attempt was kind of schizophrenic. The drink cups are bio-friendly, but the plastic utensils and food containers aren't. This seems a bit contradictory to me, but maybe there is something going on that I don't know about. If it were me attempting to have a "green" restaurant (and keep in mind I'm not sure if this is even one of their goals), I would make sure all the plastics were vegetable based from the cups to the utensils to the containers. By no means is this a deal breaker for me, and it is definitely a better attempt than most take out places, the inconsistency just seems odd.
That being said, I cannot wait to go back to Townline BBQ (and I just ate their last night) for another round of ribs and baked beans, and maybe I'll save room for dessert the next time.
To get to Townline BBQ take Montauk Highway (East or West, depending where you're coming from). If you're taking the highway West, then Townline BBQ will be on your left immediately after Wainscott. If you're taking the highway East, then it will be on your right right before you enter Wainscott and after passing the Poxabogue Golf Course on your left. You can't miss it, seriously, it's the only building on the edge of a farm (so East End). There is a parking lot and street parking but also feel free to ride your bike if you live or are staying close by.
As I mentioned before, this is a Texas take-out style joint, which means first, that the ribs are dry rubbed (omgosh amazing) and not wet and smothered (you do that yourself with their homemade sauces) and second, that there are no waiters, you order at a counter, and the food comes on a try in plastic and paper containers. Townline is a pretty busy place, so make sure you have someone holding or waiting for a booth while the food is being ordered at the counter. Also, make sure your booth is clean. The second time I visited Townline the bus person neglected to clean my table and so I self-served it, which was slightly irritating.
The interior is all wooden and country feeling with a large center communal table usually overcrowded with people under the age of 10. If you chose to eat outside there are picnic tables on the back patio overlooking the farmland. There is a full service bar on one side with good happy hour specials, a pool table, a dart board, and a giant flat screen displaying whatever sporting event happens to be on at the moment. The most expensive thing on the menu is the full rack of 12 ribs (I got 13 once!) at a reasonable price of $25. Keep in mind this is enough food for two or three people. The sides are all under $5 and the desserts are all under $4. You will not break the bank here, yet another good reason to keep coming back for more. Townline is open weekdays from 11:30am to 10:00pm between Memorial Day and Labor Day (closed Tuesday and Thursday between Labor Day and Memorial Day) and until 11:00pm on Friday and Saturdy nights. With hours like that, you have absolutely no excuse not to go here.
You cannot go to Townline BBQ and not order the ribs, unless of course you don't eat pork, then you can order the giant beef short rib or chicken. They even have a vegetarian chili and meat free sides for you vegetarians out there who go to BBQ places to confuse everyone. I haven't tried anything else but the ribs and I don't plan on doing so becuase the ribs are so mouthwateringly delicious. I have daydreams about them, no I am not kidding. I'm sure one of the secret ingredients in the rib rub is a highly addictive drug, and that's why I keep wanting to go back for more. Not to mention, the baked beans are so flavorful that a fight might break out over who gets the last bite. The corn on the cob is slathered in sweet butter and is cooked to a perfect popping crunch. The fried mac and cheese while tasty, was too fried and not enough mac and cheese for my taste. I would have liked it better had it not been fried (and yes I know that defeats the whole purpose of fried mac and cheese). The cole slaw was pretty general as cole slaw goes, nothing outstanding but not bad either, although you do get a lot of it. I can't give you any desert suggestions as I've always been so completely stuffed by that point, but I can tell you that the desserts sitting on the counter have received many an alluring stare from others in my party.
One of the smartest things I have ever seen, is a hand washing station in the main dining area so that you don't leave with sticky fingers. I would like to point out that the water is the perfect temperature.
The last thing I will say about Townline BBQ is regarding their attempt at being "green". While I cannot properly comment on their behind the scenes efforts, their attempt was kind of schizophrenic. The drink cups are bio-friendly, but the plastic utensils and food containers aren't. This seems a bit contradictory to me, but maybe there is something going on that I don't know about. If it were me attempting to have a "green" restaurant (and keep in mind I'm not sure if this is even one of their goals), I would make sure all the plastics were vegetable based from the cups to the utensils to the containers. By no means is this a deal breaker for me, and it is definitely a better attempt than most take out places, the inconsistency just seems odd.
That being said, I cannot wait to go back to Townline BBQ (and I just ate their last night) for another round of ribs and baked beans, and maybe I'll save room for dessert the next time.
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