Who’s Hungry?!? Hey fellow food lovers! My name is Doug, and I am Long Island’s Professional Fat Guy! Here on Long Island, there are tons of hobbies you can get involved in. My wife Jessica and I love to go out and try new restaurants. There are so many places to choose from with a vast variety of themes, scenes and authentic cuisines. We are here to tell you about our favorite spot we visit each month.
This month we are visiting a staple of the Holbrook area, Karver’s Grille. To say this was our first visit would be a lie and I can guarantee it will not be our last! Walking in the restaurant, décor is perfectly balanced. TVs for the sports lovers, plenty of signage and accent pieces complimenting each other and TV’s displaying pictures of some of their popular dishes that look so delicious you will want to order every one of them. The hostesses are prompt and extremely polite. We were given multiple seating options to choose from. The dining room, the bar area or the outside patio. Normally I would pick the bar area because I am a sports fan, like the high-top booths and have a great appreciation for talented bartenders. Shane, Jess and Brendan are talented mixologists and know how to properly pour a Guinness. Shane has his own brew available at the bar as well. But today, we chose the dining room so we can take in more of the restaurant. We were greeted by our server Chris, who was deeply knowledgeable about the menu. We wanted to try something new for us. We have our favorite dishes that we always get but wanted to give a good variety for our readers. So, Chris made some excellent suggestions. We started with a couple of cocktails. We got Watermelon Lemon Basil Mojitos. They were presented well with a skewer of watermelon and basil. They tasted light and refreshing. It is a perfect summer drink. While we waited for our drinks we were visited by the manager, Diane, making sure we were being helped and didn’t need anything. We asked her for some ordering suggestions which surprisingly coincided with exactly what Chris suggested. I asked what John the owner’s favorite dish was. She said, “All of them!” He lives by the motto, “We make food we love”. The menu is impressive. There was literally something for everyone. Their first page was their weekly specials which changes every Friday. We started with a bowl of soup, Cream of Broccoli. Their soups are always freshly made and not out of a can, but this was exceptional! It was full of flavor, topped with croutons and shredded cheddar cheese. If it weren’t for everything else we had coming Jess would have made me get my own bowl. Side note: If their Cream of Mushroom soup is on the menu, do not pass on it! You will thank me later. For appetizers we got the Mussels in garlic and oil and an order of the Burrata. Normally Jess would order the Nachos and make a meal of it. The apps were hot and presented well. We started in on the Mussels and were shocked how good the broth was. We used the garlic croutons served with the dish to soak up as much of the broth as possible. Looking around there were six other tables ordering the Mussels as well. We could not believe we had never tried it before. The Burrata was perfectly creamy accompanied by a fresh pesto sauce for a delightful combination. In between every course the bus staff was right there clearing the table, wiping it down and providing napkins and silverware and any other needs. The restaurant is precisely staffed and the management team has great control of the floor. For entrees, we ordered the Beer Braised Short Ribs, Pan Seared Salmon and Santorini Shrimp. We paired it with a Spicy Watermelon Margherita. The cubed watermelon coated in Tajin was a nice touch. The entrees were delicious. The Beef Rib fell apart with the slightest touch of the fork. The Salmon was still moist and coated in a mustard sauce that really brought out the flavor. The Santorini Shrimp is our favorite item on the menu. Angel hair pasta with capers, onions, diced tomatoes, feta cheese and of course shrimp in a white wine sauce. An extremely unique dish filled with flavor that you will definitely come back for. For Dessert, we had a Karver’s Coffee which was flavored with Ouzo and Kahlua topped with whipped cream and a Fig Old Fashioned complimented with a slice of their rich Peanut Butter Pie. What a perfectly complete meal. What I find most impressive is the complete ambiance of the restaurant. It manages to cater to all crowds and age groups, from your sports bar fans, to your family dinners, romantic dinners for two or a group gathering in their private room, you will not be disappointed! Be sure to come check them out and tell them Doug and Jess sent you!
Until next time, Bon Appetit!