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Giraffe Restaurant
Giraffe Logo
at Inn At Great Neck
Long Island, N.Y. - USA
4 Stars & 4 Stripes
Merit
February - 2009
4 Stars & 4 Stripes
Overall - 'Cuisine & Service'
The Ultimate Award:
Seven Stars and Stripes®
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.
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.
Giraffe Food
Giraffe: Ahi Tuna
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.
Giraffe Restaurant - Award
Giraffe Restaurant - Award-Hand-Out
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.
by Barry & Rita Kay

Editor: Barry Kay

Editor-in-Chief: John Lomitola
© 2009 ~ Seven Stars and Stripes, Inc.


 
 
 
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Disclaimer:

Although the above information was accurate at the time of publication, it can change without notice. Please be sure to confirm all pertinent information with the companies in question before planning your trip.


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