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| at
Inn At Great Neck |
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| Long Island, N.Y. - USA |
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Merit
February - 2009 |
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4
Stars & 4 Stripes
Overall - 'Cuisine & Service' |
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The
Ultimate Award:
Seven Stars and
Stripes® |
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| After travelling the world and dining in some of the
most elegant and luxe restaurants, it was a pleasant revelation to discover the
"Giraffe Room Lounge and Restaurant" at the Inn at Great Neck. This diminutive
fine restaurant offers sophistication, comfort and a sexy New York atmosphere.
Thorsten, Rita and I looked forward to our special "Tasting Menu" created by
Executive Chef Naim Bellan. Chef Bellan has had vast experience in the culinary
arts, as a chef, caterer and entrepreneur/owner of restaurant venues in NYC.
The Giraffe Room is very "New York" in its ambiance, appeal and style. The
banquets and tables are elegant yet minimalist; the walls covered with
beautiful fine art and the room infused with natural sunlight from the windows
in the ceiling. Our table was set with fine china and silverware artistically
arranged on a fine ecru linen cloth. Chef Naim spent time with us describing
his menu and giving us a brief verbal biography of his early life in Eastern
Europe and his enthusiastic love of cooking. Our Seven Stars and Stripes
Tasting Menu began with a creamy Potato Leek Soup accompanied by "Geyser Peak,
Sauvignon Blanc". The soup and fine wine provided a perfect start to our meal,
allowing us to gently warm up the senses on this cold wintery day. Chef Bellan
personally brought over a basket of assorted and delectable breads, including
an amazing olive infused roll which when dipped in extra virgin olive oil was
almost a meal in itself. |
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| The Appetizer Course was
very much in keeping with my passion for Far Eastern Cuisine. We were served
pan seared freshly imported "Ahi Tuna” rare on the inside and seared on
the outside. Each Tuna slice was displayed fan-like on our plates, forming a
beautiful symmetrical pattern. The Ahi tuna slices sat atop gingered vegetables
with soy sauce and a mound of lime green wasabi horseradish, which added some
fire to our palates. A fine, mellow "Edna Valley Chardonnay" accompanied this
course. |
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| Giraffe: Ahi Tuna |
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| Chef Bellan introduced a number of his signature
dishes: Chilean Sea Bass, Filet Mignon, and Baby Lamb Chops as our Entrees.
This wonderful trio of choices gave us the opportunity to create our own Seven
Stars version of gourmet "Surf and Turf". The Chilean Sea Bass, one of my
favorite seafood dishes, came to the table marinated in a delicious sauce of
butter, lemon and white wine. The Sea Bass was pan seared in olive oil and
served over an "Aegean" treat of cous cous and tabouli. The Bass was firm and
the white meat sweet to the taste. Having once been an avaricious lover of
steaks and chops, in later years I much prefer the lighter, healthier and more
diversified joys of seafood. The center cut Filet Mignon was served with
roasted potatoes and garlic broccoli and the Baby Lamb chops Pan Seared with
Olive Oil and paprika over a bed of rice pilaf and asparagus. A wonderfully
rich full-bodied “Franciscan Cabernet Sauvignon” accompanied our meat
dishes. |
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| Giraffe
Restaurant - Award-Hand-Out |
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For Dessert, Chef Bellan brought to our table an
assortment of cookies, cakes and fruit infused bakery creations. As a special
treat Chef Bellan's young daughter offered us samples of her homemade cookies
and ruglach. Chef Bellan's pride was evident as we sampled his daughter’s
pastry confections. Dessert was followed up by coffee, tea, and a special sweet
dessert wine: Renwood Ice Zinfandel. Our experience at The Giraffe Room was
positive, as it was evident that the chef and his team worked hard to please
and give their best service. The Giraffe Room offers good food that is well
priced and enjoyable. All and all it was a nice evening at the Inn at Great
Neck. Special thanks to Executive Chef Naim Bellan, Asst GM Karen Mayr, and
Owner/GM Alan Mindel for a very special Super Bowl Weekend. |
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by Barry & Rita Kay
Editor: Barry
Kay
Editor-in-Chief: John Lomitola |
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| © 2009 ~ Seven Stars and Stripes,
Inc. |
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