All posts by Julianna Orkin

CC’s cafe— manhattan, lower east side review

Last week, I had an adventure of my own in the city, also to see the Immersive Van Gogh exhibit at Pier 36. It was fantastic. I highly recommend going if you haven’t already. The exhibit was organized and beautifully put together. 

Once we were ready to leave, we began exploring lunch options. I initially had found a diner nearby, but once we walked all the way there, there was a sign saying they were closed due to a small fire that occurred last week. Very disappointing, especially on such a hot day when walking 5 minutes is enough to be exhausting. Thankfully, we found CC’s café close by and were able to eat there. 

The cafe was tiny, but decorated tastefully with art on the wall, unique ambient lighting fixtures, and some plants scattered around. We sat down right away, and were promptly given water and menus by the waiter. He gave us a few minutes to look at the menu, and then we were ready to order. I ordered a make-your-own-salad with spinach, cucumbers, olives, tomatoes, chickpeas, goat cheese, grilled chicken, and honey mustard. My dad ordered a tuna sandwich with potato salad, and my cousin ordered quesadillas. Everyone enjoyed their meal, and it was portioned well enough so that we didn’t have leftovers. The café was affordably priced too.

Each table was only able to fit two to four people, but there was one slightly bigger table that could seat about six people. The tables were spaced nicely, and there was counter and window seating too. It was evident that this café was a fixture in the community. There were a few other people there, talking to the owner or working on their computer, but it was overall a quiet environment, with the hum of the television on in the background, the city sounds, people chatting, and a boiling coffee pot. This is a great place to pop into if you’re in the Chinatown area and looking for a quick meal or just a snack. You can check out CC’s Café here.

Taproom review—bayshore, ny

On Monday night, I went out with two of my friends to the Taproom, a restaurant and bar located on Main Street in Bayshore. They serve a wide array of salads, sandwiches, burgers, and tacos, while also featuring a wide array of craft beers. Being that I’m not old enough to drink, I can’t say anything about the alcohol, but I can tell you the people sitting at the bar were very excited that the Islanders were scoring. I don’t know whether or not they won.

My friends and I were seated promptly upon arriving, and the tables were spaced nicely to accommodate for social distancing. Our waitress came over shortly after and asked us what we wanted to drink; we all ordered water. For appetizers, we opted for a plate of truffle fries and mac and cheese bites. The truffle fries were very flavorful, consisting of parsley, parmesan, and of course, truffle oil. It had been a while since we had them, and they are a favorite among all of us. The mac and cheese bites were tasty as well. We weren’t expecting there to be what seemed to be an anchovy dressing on them, but it added an interesting flavor to the mac and cheese. I would definitely be interested in trying a plate of mac and cheese there—the bites left me wanting more!

Onto our entrees, one friend ordered the Fried Wonton Duck Tacos. It came as a set of four tacos paired with chips and salsa. The chips were more chewy than expected, so we weren’t a huge fan of them. Our other friend ordered the Chicken Alla Vodka sandwich, since she loves Penne Alla Vodka, and enjoyed it as well. I ordered the Shrooms and Bulbs craft burger and the strawberry side salad with it. Both were phenomenal. I asked for my burger to be cooked ‘well done’ and I was impressed that it was cooked all the way through, since in the past I’ve found that can be hard to come by at restaurants. Another feature I like about the Taproom is that for their craft burgers and sandwiches, you can choose your side. You can either get french fries or sweet potato fries with your meal, or for an extra dollar, you can order Cajun fries, or for two dollars, you can choose from the strawberry side salad (this is also served as an entrée on their menu), truffle fries, or onion rings.  

Overall, the food was fabulous, but filling. Half of my burger and salad, along with half of my friend’s chicken alla vodka sandwich came home with us since we were so full. I’m looking forward to coming back here in the future, and maybe The Drunken Chef can write about the beer. In the meantime, you can check out the restaurant here. In addition to their Bayshore location, they are in Patchogue and Massapequa Park as well. 

Mac & Cheese bites
Truffle fries
Chicken alla vodka sandwich.
Fried Wonton Duck tacos