Up and Coming at Stony Brook Spy!

Here's a look at a few things to come:

Italian Restaurants and Markets
The Best Chicken Fried Rice
The Oriental Grocery Store
Parks nearby
Excursion to the west


Please leave your comments (Click on "comments" link underneath each posting)!!

Tic Toc

There are not many cafes that have clocks hanging outside. In the l940s vintage clocks on cafes were often seen, especially in Manhattan. It's the clock that attracted me to the Tic Toc Cafe in St. James on Lake Avenue. I'm glad I went into this nice little cafe. The women who work there seem really nice and willing to please. This is a place where you can sit and have a piece of cake and coffee or a bagel and soup or a wrap or panini and sit where you like and stay as long as you want. It is self serve so no tips here. My recommendation is the fresh squeezed orange juice. I don't know any other place in Suffolk that sells fresh squeezed orange juice, not even Wild By Nature. The price is $3.00 for a small, but a small is all you need. You can feel the vitamins go down your throat when you drink this juice. Recommended for colds and for orange lovers. A different species from the OJ bought in the store. The bagels are 35 cents on weekends. With a cup of soup for $3.00 you can have a great meal for $3.35. The cakes look hand made. I haven't tried the sandwiches yet, but I'll keep you informed.

Question and Answer

*Someone recently submitted the question: How many places (besides WBN and TJs) can a person get a fresh, decent loaf easily and for under three bucks...?


I really have to say that the best whole wheat bread is the health bread at the Wild By Nature bakery. It's $3.29, but I really think it's the best bread you can get. At WBN I also like the pecan raisin bread, although it's 5 bucks. But, pecans are pretty expensive, so I do buy the bread occasionally anyway.

The best french baguette is also at WBN because it's the only one that does NOT have trans fat in it. It has a lot of sesame seeds and is good tasting.
The best tasting Italian bread in this area is called Zurro's and is sold at Uncle Giuseppe's Market in Smithtown (Hillside Shopping Center on Route 111). I noted below that I like Rocky Point Italian Bread, but the Zurro's is better. It's very crispy on the outside and browned, and soft on the inside. You should definitely try it for $2.



*any dessert place you had in mind?

I like to go to Golden Pear in Stony Brook for a nice of piece of blueberry crumb cake and coffee. You can sit by the window and watch people go by. The cake is delicious and pretty reasonably priced for a piece this large. Actually you can split the piece of cake between two people.

I also recommend Alpine for Italian pastries. Alpine is in Smithtown in the Hillside Shopping Center on Route 111. You cannot sit there, unfortunately.

A piece of pie is good at the Brook House in Stony Brook Village. However, this is not spectacular. Just a good place to sit and have coffee and cake.

Wild By Nature bakery is the best for hearty desserts. The fruit pies, pecan tart, almond horn, and muffins (and most other things!) are all excellent.

Also try Tic Toc Cafe in St. James. You can sit there without having to leave a tip and can enjoy their many varieties of desserts (see above).

Breakfast

If you're looking for a place to eat breakfast, Maureen's Kitchen is the place to go. This cute house is decorated with cows, cows, and more cows everywhere. You can get all types of breakfast foods here (and also lunch or breakfast at lunchtime), including different types of omelets and fruit pancakes. I recommend the oatmeal and chocolate chip pancakes. Be sure to leave extra time because there's almost always a line to get in!
108 Terry Road, Smithtown

Fix your shoes

I have two pairs of 4-year-old Kenneth Cole shoes that I wear all the time. They are very comfortable since the leather, still in really good condition, has molded to the shape of my foot after wearing them for so long. I have a whole bunch of new shoes too, but for some reason I always wind up wearing the old Kenneth Coles. About two or three years ago I noticed that heal of the shoe was wearing down and needed to be replaced. I decided to bring them to a shoemaker, but when trying to located one, I realized that there really aren't too many around! Why should people fix their shoes when they can go to Walmart and buy a new pair for $9.99 and throw the old ones out (not to mention the fact that most cheap shoes have rubber, one piece bottoms instead of heels, so they can't be fixed)?? But, I like good quality shoes, not junk, so I'd rather fix mine. I managed to find a shoe repair shop on Lake Avenue in St. James, and I've been going there ever since. The guy who owns the shop is the one who fixes the shoes. He's a really nice guy and always replaces the heels or taps on my shoes quickly.

St. James Natural Food

I like this store because it is little and easy to find things here. They run weekly specials and have the best bins for nuts, whole wheat fig cookies, and especially unsulphured, unsweetened, dried papaya. You cannot find this papaya anywhere, not even at Trader Joe's or Wild By Nature. This a little mom and pop store and we need to keep it, so give them your business. The people who work at ST. James Natural Food are very helpful. You can ask them all kinds of questions. You cannot do this in Wild By Nature or Trader Joe's. It's nice to talk to the owners of the store and have them help you.

corner of Lake and Sixth in St. James

Wild By Nature

It's often scary to go into this store knowing that the prices are completely outrageous, but there are many great items here that are worth the extra cash. For example, the Boston lettuce which is organic just melts in your mouth. The price is $3.29 per lb., however, since they are charging for the pound instead of for the piece, the $3.29 goes pretty far because the lettuce doesn't weigh that much. I suggest you shake out the excess water on it, since water is heavy. I also recommend the rainbow chard and spinach, which are good quality and organic. You cannot find the quality of this vegetable anywhere else. Considering you get mammoth amounts of vitamins and minerals both the chard and spinach, these items are worth the money.

You can also check for Wild By Nature specials. Sometimes the specials are really good, such as organic strawberries for $l.99 and organic tomatoes for $l.99.

Continue walking from the produce to the bins on the left. You can get a really good buy here because, once again, you are paying by the pound instead for the item. Organic oats are about 79 cents per pound. You can get cereal loose here as well and can buy as much as you wish. Often we wind up throwing half our cereal away because we don't like it or it goes stale. At WBN you can buy a small amount at a time. There are also dried soybeans that can keep you full all day with just a handful. WBN also has all kinds of nuts and granolas.


Keep walking and you reach the wonderful and best bakery in the neighborhood, although quite pricey.
The health bread is made with organic materials consisting of organic wholewheat flour, unbleached unbrominated flour, filtered water, sunflower seeds, sesame seeds, flax seeds, honey, yeast, and sea salt, for $3.79. This bread makes a great sandwich especially if you add the freshly ground nut butters or cheese they sell here. There is no better bread in the neighborhood. Make sure you get a bread card which entitles you to a free loaf after buying 12. I also recommend the corn bread and the muffins. If you are into buying makeup without poisonous chemicals, such as dioxane and ammonium laureth sulfate, they have a good selection here. The canned goods you can cheaper at Trader Joe's, but at WBN you can get good fresh stuff, like meat without hormones and chemicals and organic produce.

You can find broccoli rabe here

One of the few places you can order a broccoli rabe sandwich around here is at Carnival Pizza and Restaurant on 347 in Port Jeff Station. If you're into the real-thing broccoli rabe, instead of the nouveau in NYC, Carnival is the place. They give you a huge amount of broccoli rabe sauteed with olive oil and a ton of garlic. They put it on good bread (made with the pizza dough) panini style, with a slice of fresh mozzarella. I also recommend the other small Italian items (which are actually not so small), such as the rice ball, calzone, and stromboli. The pizza is good, although, not my favorite option there.

Tell us!

Where do you like to go at night? Please write in about which clubs or bars you like in the Stony Brook area and any experiences you had!!

Long Island East End Excursion

Stop #1: Lewin's Farm Stand

Lewin's (812 Sound Ave, Wading River) is a great place to buy local Long Island fruits and vegetables. Most of the locally grown produce tastes like different species than those at the supermarket, especially the corn, tomatoes, strawberries, and peaches. Plus, the prices are cheaper than at the supermarket. In addition, they have "pick your own" strawberries, peaches, lettuce, etc., depending on the month you go.




Stop #2: Davis' Peach Farm

Davis' Peach Farm used to be located in Rocky Point, until a few years ago when it was bulldozed down for a monstrous housing development eyesore to be put up. Recently, however, I discovered that this little peach farm still exists. It's now located on Hulse Landing Road in Wading River (off Sound Avenue, you can just continue east on Sound Avenue after Lewin's and you'll see signs at the intersection with Hulse Landing). These peaches are totally amazing. They are so sweet and delicious. They also have over 70 different varieties of peaches at this farm, such as yellow cling, white, donut; 50 varieties of plums, 20 varieties of nectarines, and 10 varieties of apples. At Davis' they also have "pick your own" like at Lewin's. If you're interested in baking with the fruit, buy the "seconds" (ripened). They're great for pies and peach crisp!





Stop #3: Briermere Farms

You probably saying "another farm to visit? What's the big deal?" Well, Briermere (Sound Avenue, Riverhead) certainly isn't one you want to pass up. This place is famous for it's homeade fruit pies and other baked goods, such as cakes and muffins. The fruit pies are the best I've ever had, especially in the summertime when they are made with local fruit. Some of my favorite types are peach-raspberry, plain peach, and strawberry rhubarb. The blueberry muffins are out of this world: the best I have ever tasted, for sure, and not too sweet.





Stop #4: Riverhead Seafood Market and Restaurant

If you want fresh fish for a reasonable price, come to this place (Route 25 in Riverhead). You can get fresh clams on the half shell, a bucket of mussels, pasta with seafood, and baskets of fried fish. The place is nice- you can even sit outside.







Stop #5: Snowflake Ice Cream Shop

In my opinion, Snowflake is the best ice cream shop on Long Island. You can get sundaes with local fruit- they are so good that you won't be able to eat a sundae anywhere else ever again.
They have soft serve and hard ice cream. In addition, they have an entire section devoted to fat-free ice cream.
They have all types- soft, hard, flying saucers, etc., that are all fat-free. If you're hungry before you have your ice cream and don't feel like going to the Seafood Market across the street, you can go to Funcho's, right next to Snowflake. It's a Mexican place, that's pretty decent and cheap, although not quite as good as Green Cactus in Stony Brook. In any case, Funcho's has a pretty extensive menu.








Stop #6: The Big Duck

If anyone's ever heard of Flanders, New York, they've surely heard of the Big Duck. In fact, Flanders is officially "home of the big duck," as the sign says. I'm guessing it's probably one of the only things to see there. In any case, it's an interesting one to see! Traveling down Route 24 (Flanders Road) with nothing to see for a while, you are suddenly shocked by the sight of this 20-ft. tall, 30-ft. long concrete Peking Duck right on the road. Yes, you can go inside the Duck: there is a shop there with Big Duck paraphernalia.







Stop Here: the Wineries

In case you didn't know, Long Island is becoming more and more famous for it's wine. There are dozens of wineries on the east end, many of which I will discuss in a later posting; here I'll just give you an overview.
Most of these wineries are open for tasting (most of the time, free tastings). You should start at Pindar, which, to my knowledge, has the largest tasting room and most extensive menu. Most of the wine tastings here are free- as few of the more expensive types require a small charge. But, you can go in there and try about 20 wines and even ask for seconds. Another nice place is Palmer, where you can sit out on their porch in the back and enjoy the beautiful scenery of grapes.

Where's the best pizza??

After much investigation, I have come to the conclusion that the best pizza around is at Cataffo's Pizza on Stony Brook Road and 347. That is, the best regular pizza- round and sicilian. Their pizza is consistently good and is best right out of the oven. If you're into toppings, I would recommend spinach and garlic together. My favorite bruschetta pizza is from Via on 25A in East Setauket (across the street from Mario's), but I believe that it is best when you order the whole pizza, as opposed to just one slice. The whole pie is a bit pricey, approx. $16, but it's totally worth it because there are 9 slices (sicilian style) and probably about 10 tomatoes on that thing!! There is no cheese on this pizza (maybe a little parmesan), but the red onion really makes it. It's perfect for those who are lactose intolerant.

The pigeons know what's up

Every time I pass by Cataffo's Pizza on Stony Brook Road approaching 347 I notice where the pigeons sit. They are ALWAYS, ALWAYS, ALWAYS sitting on top of either the Cataffo's Pizza building or the Cataffo's sign. I have never in my entire life seen them sit on the Hoshi Sushi building or on the Hoshi sign. This may seem strange to some, since the two businesses are right next to each other, but the real reason is that the pigeons know best.

Good Doctors and Bad Doctors

It would be a good idea to have people comment on who they feel is a good doctor or which doctor they feel should be avoided. We put so much trust into these individuals and we need a way to share stories with others to avoid bad experiences. I would like to share this story with you today.


I know there are a lot of good doctors out there but there are also a lot of bad ones. What is it that makes a bad doctor? For me it's a doctor that either does too much or too little, or just, perhaps, rips you off. I must tell you about my office visit a few months ago to the eye doctor, Dr. Basilice. I never did see Dr. Basilice, but another doctor in his practice. When I went into the office the secretary asked me to fill out the usual forms. I thought it was weird when I had to also give them my license as well as my insurance card. I also noticed that this office had pamphlets for eye lifts, hair removal and other cosmetic surgery, etc. I thought that was strange for an ophthalmology office. To begin the exam, the nurse directed me to this machine which, according to her, measured my eye. I still cannot figure out what this machine had to do with checking my vision. But she got the numbers and after that she gave me the usual routine checkup looking through various lenses. At this time she gave me a sales pitch to have another test done through this new machine which looks at my whole eye at a cost of $50.00. I felt a little uncomfortable having someone in a doctor's office trying to sell me a test which I couldn't afford and which I new the insurance company wouldn't pay for. Did I really need this test? Who knows. I declined the test, much to her chagrin. As I left I was directed to the checkout cashier who presented me with a bill for $45.00. $15 copay and $30.00 for the first test on the machine. I was never told about having to pay this fee when the test was issued. I was outraged since I had a very good insurance policy and just knew this test was some big waste of my hard earned money. My brother-in-law, who was also having his routine test at this time, was charged an additional $20 contact fee (in addition to the $45.00) for talking with his physician about his contacts. He was not measured for contacts or anything else, just a discussion. They informed me that the fitting for the contacts would be an additional $150. It cost us a total of $110 for 30 minutes at this doctor even though I have a very good insurance policy. I really felt taken here and will never go back again.

Forget Ebay: Shop Here

There are some people who like to look trendy. They go to the mall and get ripped off buying a piece of clothing they most likely will wear once and throw away. Then there are the people who can create. The people who are secure enough in their own self to dress as they wish have an eye for putting together different varieties of stuff and don’t like to pay a lot for doing so. These are the people who shop at North Shore Thrift. North Shore Thrift is located in Port Jefferson Station.
You can take the S60 bus, from either the University or 25A, that will leave you right on the corner. North Shore Thrift has a huge inventory of all kinds of clothes, shoes, books, house wears, etc. Everyday there is a color displayed and if the item you want has that color on the tag, the item is 50% off. You can find great deals here. I recently purchased a Lands End fleece jacket, like new, for $1.99. I have also purchased New Balance Sneakers for $3.99. The nice part about the clothes here is that they have been already worn and washed so there is no surprise shrinkage when you wash them. It is great for people who want to find that broken in tee shirt or jeans, people who cross-dress, people who have big bottoms and small tops or vice versa. You can go on a shopping spree here and walk out paying less than $20. Sunday is a good day to go because they have double colors. Plan on spending a few hours here. They also have great dishes for those who don’t care about matching.


Mather Hospital Thrift Shore is a totally enjoyable experience. The old people who work there are a sight in themselves. They dress with aprons and treat you very kindly. The nice part of this thrift shop is that you know the funds are going to a good cause, the hospital. So why not go on a shopping spree here, to keep this great shop going and help those in the hospital? This shop is located in an old house. The steps and upstairs floors are crooked but the atmosphere is so warm and enjoyable. You just want to spend money here. I often want to give more than these little old ladies are asking. My favorite items here are the kitchen ware. I recently saw a brand new Cuisinart food processor for $5.00. I know this item costs over $100 and probably over $200 in Williams Sonoma. I have bought kitchen clocks, dishes, forks and knives for practically nothing. The men’s clothing is good and so are the large bags. If you need a large suitcase kind of bag, check this place out. Located next to Mather Hospital, Port Jefferson Station. If you take the S60 to Northshore Thrift you can walk down North Country Road to this shop, about ¼ of a mile. This is a great way to spend the day.


Op Shop - We must all go to the Op Shop. The Op Shop is located on Christian Avenue in Stony Brook next to the Methodist Church. The Op Shop is a little cottage-type house that is very cute, cozy, and filled to the brim with all kinds of goodies. The ladies greet you at the door with a smile and are so willing to help. The Op Shop has the best prices in all the thrift shops because the old ladies who work there haven’t raised the prices in 20 years. There is a standard one price for shirts, pants, etc., so if you find a great Ralph Lauren shirt you still pay the standard $1.99. The Op Shop is small but packed with all kinds of great stuff. They also have a semi annual $3.00 bag sale where you can fill an entire grocery bag with clothes for $3.00. I have seen numerous new items come through this shop from stores in Stony Brook such as Talbots and Ann Taylor at a fraction of the price. In addition, the Op Shop frequently puts out free items in front of their door in the back (parking lot side) that you can take at any time, even when they're closed.


If you just keep in mind that the funds here are going to a good cause, then you won’t mind paying a slight bit more in thrift at the Good Will and won’t mind shopping in a regular store instead of a cute house. They have a color system here also, with items l/2 off during the week. On Sundays you can purchase an item that corresponds to the color for 99 cents. The Goodwill has a lot of new stuff., especially from Target. You pay a bit more for the items, but they are new. The Goodwill is located in Selden on Route 25. I haven’t researched the bus route yet, but I’ll let you know. There is a lot of clothing here, so plan on spending some time.

Golf balls for sale on Christian Avenue

We all have a social responsibility to purchase golf balls on Christian Avenue. I don't know if you've noticed, but our neighborhood has changed. We once had an economically diverse area that is now more uniform. The neighborhood is stale and lacks uniqueness. I was interested in exploring the sign that read "Golf Balls for Sale, 40 cents" at 50 Christian Avenue. I walked up this small road aligned with a few bungalows. The last bungalow off this road was #50. #50 had a large pile of "junk" in front of it. Standing in this heap of "junk" was a small, hardworking, and what appeared poor, man. Obviously this man is in need of assistance. His bungalow was disheveled and cluttered. I entered his porch and was astonished to see bags and bags of golf balls. I wonder how many this man sells or how many he really needs to survive in this neighborhood. I give him $2 and took some balls. He insisted on giving me another bag of balls for free. I thought if everyone in this neighborhood purchased at least two balls from this man, perhaps he could afford to stay here. I think we need him in Stony Brook. He is refreshing. What is 80 cents to us anyway, when that could mean so much to this person? Therefore, I urge you to do this. If you have any problem finding his home, e-mail here for directions. Actually, the golf balls are quite nice. I purchased a Spalding Topflite, a Wilson 4, and a Golden Girl 3. I think it's a good buy.


Here's a perfect example of how our neighborhood is changing. It's a common sight around here to see a small cottage being knocked down for a new, vinylized, mansion.....the new house will look exactly the same as all the other new ones on the street.

First Blush

A new beauty supply is coming to Setauket (next to King Kullen). I'M excited! Let's hope for the best......

On the Road

There's a NEW hot dog truck on 25A in Setauket. Does anyone know what happened to the old one??

Lost Goats

OK, before we get into the nitty-gritty here, has anyone seen the goats??!?!!

Call 631-255-7001