Eat or Compete: The Super Chili Bowl

If you're looking for a way to spice up your winter, Inside Garden City and Capo Ristorante are holding their first Super Chili Bowl on Saturday, January 31st. From 1-3pm, warm up from the inside at Capo on Covert Ave where we'll be cooking up some fun! You can come as a taster to sample and score various chills, or be one of the competitors.

Our Call For Teams is now underway. You can enter this event as an individual, a business, a restaurant or office. If you think you make a good chili, prove it! Email us at InsideGardenCity@gmail.com to enter. All you need is a name for your chili and a crockpot. The instructions are simple- cook your chili at home and bring it, fully prepared, in a crockpot to Capo on Chili Bowl day. You can use any recipe and ingredients you'd like. The only cooking rule is that the chili must be 100% homemade (no commercial chili mixes). 

Prizes will be awarded for first, second and third place. If competing, remember to register your chili by the January 29th due date! 

In addition to providing a spicy diversion from the winter blues, we will also be doing some good in the community. Proceeds from this event will be donated to the Hance Family Foundation. Chili entrants will pay $20 to compete. Those who only want to sample/vote will pay $10. $5 additional for unlimited beer, wine or soda. $5 for children.

If you're interested in stimulating your palate by being a taster, you will receive a score sheet and will grade each chili based on select criteria, such as presentation, taste and texture.

So come down to the Super Chili Bowl and get some relief from the winter doldrums. I look forward to seeing you where the spice is right (womp womp).



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Weekend Events Guide: January 16th Edition

The weekend is here and so is your Weekend Events Guide. Enjoy the extra day!

Friday- See the Islanders play the Pittsburgh Penguins at Nassau Coliseum tonight. Tickets $20 and up. 7pm. 516-794-9300. nassaucoliseum.com


Saturday and Sunday- See Aladdin at the BroadHollow Theatre at Elmont. 700 Hempstead Tpke., Elmont. Saturday at 2pm, Sunday at 12noon. Cost: $10 in advance, $12 at the door. http://www.broadhollow.org/broadhollow-at-elmont/elmont-childrens-theatre/aladdin-2/

Saturday- Participate in (or just watch) the Flying Model Competition at the Cradle of Aviation Museum on Charles Lindbergh Blvd., Garden City. Free with Museum admission. Teams of three will build a wooden airplane from a museum kit, then enter their plane in three different flying competitions. Prizes will be awarded but you must pre-register to enter. 9am-2pm. https://www.cradleofaviation.org/event/2015/01/17/flying-model-competition

Saturday- Lakeshore Learning will host a free craft for kids. Come anytime between 11am and 3pm to participate. 2079 Hillside Ave., New Hyde Park. http://www.lakeshorelearning.com


Sunday- The Long Island Children's Museum hosts Peaceful Paintings in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Create a colorful canvas painting of doves- the ultimate sign of peace. 2pm at 11 Davis Ave, Garden City.

Sunday- Join in the fun at Family Fun Time at St. Paul's gym. From 3pm until 5:45, families can enjoy various sports and gym activities. 

Eisenhower Park's skating rink, Twin Rinks Ice Center, is now open. It's not as busy as Iceland yet so it's a good time to head over if you want to check it out. Click here for directions, hours and cost.

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Seasons 52- Sweet Tooth Satisfied

I've been told that the desserts at Seasons 52 were pretty scrumptious. I had the chance to sample some at Lord and Taylor's "A Taste of Garden City" event. They enticed me enough that I made it a point to visit the restaurant to sample some other dishes. I had the opportunity to eat there this week and, in a nutshell, the other menu options I tried did not fall {too} short of the desserts' reputation. 

The restaurant is located in the busy area of Roosevelt Field Mall but is enough on the outskirts that you don't feel like you are "at the mall." There's a large, welcoming bar and live music. The Piano Man who was playing when I was there actually resembled Billy Joel and played a good variety of tunes. 

My dinner dates and I started out with some wine- each of us choosing something different. The waiter brought each bottle to our table and we tasted our selections before we committed to the glass. We were all pleased with our first choice and decided to stick with them. I tried a South African wine that I enjoyed so much, I will likely order some online. 

I love how Seasons 52 puts an emphasis on seasonally inspired ingredients. Each dish is less than 475 calories so you don't have to feel too bad about dining out. We decided to taste a few things instead of ordering separate entrees. The blackened steak and blue cheese flatbreads were decent but I would try a different one next time. The warm California golden beets salad was so delicious that we housed three of them. Carmelized brussel sprouts with crispy bacon did not disappoint. I would skip the lump crab, roasted shrimp and spinach stuffed mushrooms next time around.

The dessert menu was more of a dessert showcase. Rather than presenting us with a paper menu, our {smart} waiter brought over the actual desserts- not fair at all. Resistance was futile at this point with the desserts staring us right in the face- there for the taking. Each looked fab and tasted as good as it looked. They were in small glasses resembling little dessert "shots." High points for presentation. Equally high for taste. We tried almost every one and concluded that meeting here one day just for dessert wouldn't be such a bad idea. Do you think the 475 caloric limit is null and void when you consume almost every dessert on the menu?

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16 Handles- Nicely Handled?

I popped into 16 Handles at 3 Nassau Blvd today. It was my third time there since it opened in the fall of 2014. For those who haven't yet been, 16 Handles is a self-serve froyo shop with an emphasis on being "green".

The location is very clean and bright. The bold colors really give it some kick. The staff is friendly and offers tastings of any flavor you'd like to try before committing to it with a big cup. One cool feature is the screens posted above the flavors which contain the nutritional information of each yogurt. That's something they've got over TCBY. The froyo has been pretty good each time I've been and there's a nice variety of toppings.

As I was on my way out, separating my trash from my recyclables (because the trash canisters are divided into separate trash and recycle sections), I noticed that the actual canister below was one big trash bin. In other words, it appears that 16 Handles is separating and recycling, but the reality is that it all goes into the same trash can underneath. This alone wouldn't be a big catastrophe- many restaurants don't recycle- but I'm not a fan of these deceptive trash bins. I spoke with an employee there who confirmed that they do not recycle, they just use the recycle bins.

Take a look next time you visit 16 Handles. Tsk Tsk.

Weekend Events Guide: January 10th Edition

Brrr... It's cold outside! This looks like a slow weekend for social events. Could be a good time to stay inside, watch football and perfect your chili receipe for the 2015 Super Chili Bowl. Enjoy the weekend!  

Eisenhower Park's skating rink, Twin Rinks Ice Center, is now open. It's not as busy as Iceland yet so it's a good time to head over if you want to check it out. Click here for directions, hours and cost.

Saturday- Lakeshore Learning holds a craft for kids every weekend. This Saturday, January 10th, they'll be making "Sweet Dream Catchers." Drop in between 11am and 3pm for this activity. 2709 Hillside Ave, New Hyde Park. 516-616-9360. Visit LakeshoreLearning.com

Saturday- Head to Doc O'Grady's for some live music. Mike Volpe, Mike Spieler and friends will be playing live at 9pm. While you're there, raise a glass to congratulate Mike Volpe as new partner of the bar/restaurant. Mike is a graduate of Wesleyan University and GC High School and co-owner of CrossFit Garden City.

Saturday- Catch William Shatner's fun-filled performance in Shatner's World: We Just Live In It. 8pm at the Tilles Center http://tillescenter.org/event/shatners-world-we-just-live-in-it/

Sunday- Join in the fun at Family Fun Time at St. Paul's gym. From 3pm until 5:45, families can enjoy various sports and gym activities. 

Sunday- See "The Adventures of Perseus" with a mix of puppetry and live actors at the Long Island Children's Museum. Ages 5 and up. 

Weekday events aren't usually included in the Weekend Events Guide, but I thought this one deserved mention for our football fans: 

Monday- Head over to Doc O'Grady's for the Ohio State University vs Oregon Game. The Mens Association is hosting! $30 for TMA directors and $40 for all guests. Appetizers starting at 7:30pm, box pool, 50/50 raffle and more.  



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Road To The Chili Bowl 2015

Ready to get your chili on?? You know there's a big event coming up on Sunday, February 1st... SUPERBOWL XLIX. But did you know there's an even bigger event happening {close by} on Saturday, January 31st? Get ready for the... SUPER CHILI BOWL 2015!

Save the date folks. Gather your friends. Sharpen your tastebuds. Not only will YOU be tasting some of the most phenomenal chili you've ever had, but YOU (the tasters) will also be judging the contest. This will be one fun event you won't want to miss! Plus, proceeds from this event will benefit the Hance Family Foundation. 

Here are some basic deets:

TO ENTER: We are now accepting chili entries. If you would like to enter your own chili in the Super Chili Bowl, just FB message or email us at InsideGardenCity@gmail.com with your contact information. 

TO TASTE: If you want to show your support for a great cause and come out for some awesome chili {plus beer or wine}, save the date! $10 per adult to taste, $5 per child. $5 additional for unlimited wine, beer or soda. 

WHEN: Saturday, January 31st. 1-3pm. Chili entrants arrive at 12:30.

WHERE: Capo Ristorante on Covert Ave., Floral Park (one block south of Matty's Toys). 

More details to follow. Be there or be...

Garden City's Best Decked Houses

The beautiful houses in Garden City always light up the night, but they were extra sparkly this holiday season! Many of the houses were adorned in simple, classic white lights. They were so beautifully and tastefully decorated that I decided to wrap up the holidays with a photo essay depicting some of the lights around town this year. Here are a few of my faves- in no particular order: 

 Let it shine!

Beautiful and simple. 

 Completely classic. 

 They know how to string a few lights here. 

The tall lit trees looked fabulous.

 Tastefully done color. 

 Sometimes simplicity is all you need. 

There are plenty of more lights and beautiful decorations around town. These are just a few. Take a drive or walk around town and admire them- especially while this 50 degree weather keeps up. Well done Garden City!


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