**GAS STATION SOUL FOOD EXTRAVAGANZA** **SOME OF LONG…read moreISLAND:S BEST WINGS** IT'S BEEN A CRAZY RIDE As Twimonisha Mason -the owner of Winnie:s Takeout - explained to me late one evening, she doesn't mind being called Winnie mistakenly by her customers, as the restaurant is named after her late beloved mother. In fact, Twimonisha began her journey cooking soul food with her mother at the age of eight, and even experimented as a young child with different recipes found in soul food cookbooks. And so, it can easily be understood how, many decades later, she has now become a master of her craft. But her journey to the present has not been without great adversity. For example, after using her family's savings to establish a flourishing restaurant in Amityville Village, the building and interior was heavily damaged by vandals. Even worse, their insurance company refused to pay for the over $100,000.00 required to repair the damages. And after struggling to reopen, and then surviving the Covid 19 pandemic, the building's landlord refused to renew the lease in 2022. A NEW BEGINNING Fast forward to 2023, and a new temporary location was found for the restaurant to operate - in of all places - inside the food mart of a Conoco gas station. And believe me this far from a perfect solution, as the space is very small, and as such it's take-out only. Also, they're unable to sell beverages because it would create conflict with the food mart. But as I'll explain, Twimonisha and her family have become experts at using this small space to create some of the best soul food I have ever experienced. OH MY GOD ! THE WINGS ! Ask anyone that knows me, and they'll tell you I absolutely love chicken wings of any type. And so - over the years - I've tracked down some of the best spots to satisfy my wing addiction. But after reading my Yelp friend Gail's recommendation, and then biting into one of Twimonisha's wings for the first time - I knew I had tasted something extraordinary. And admittingly, I've been looking to top that first bite here ever since - but I'm sure I'll be chasing that monkey for the foreseeable future. And these wings are always meaty and super crispy, so if you pair them with some of Winnie's fantastic sides, you've got yourself a killer meal. In addition, if YOU are interested in some wing nirvana, I reccomend starting off with the Lemon pepper, Fried Jerk, or Fried Garlic Glaze options. Even more, there's a ten Wings for $10 special, and you can order it with two different flavors. Mama Mia! SHRIMP ! Twimonisha does a fantastic job with shrimp dishes. The Fried Shrimp are crispy, salty, and a little sweet, and the Sauteed Shrimp version is delicious also. But I have to say, even though the Sautéed Jerk Shrimp here are not fried, they're still one of the best shrimp dishes I've ever eaten, and are definitely a must try. SPEAKING OF JERK... If you're a fan of Jamaican Jerk flavor, in addition to the shrimp, they offer really tasty Jerk Chicken, Jerk Ribs, and a flavorful Jerk Salmon. And since I mentioned salmon, it is also available Pan Seared, and Deep Fried. FRIED MAGIC I'm not sure if it's the batter used, the marination or even the cooking technique, but what I'm definitely sure of is that anything fried at Winnie's is crispy and delicious. So whether you order the Fried Wings, Chicken, or Pork Chops, you are in for a crispy magical treat. THE SIDES ! The meat and seafood dishes at Winnie's are perfectly complimented with some of the tastiest sides around. The Mac-N-Cheese is tender, has a cheese pull, and is cooked crispy on top. The Collard Greens are tender and flavorful. The Potato Salad is creamy, slightly sweet, and a little spicy, but they always run out of it, Oy Vey! And last but not least is the Candied Yams, which are without a doubt, the best I've ever tasted anywhere. And I'm not kidding when I say I've seen people order just a side of the Candied Yams, and then walk away with a big smile - they're that good! IT'S AN EXPERIENCE So to visit Winnie's Takeout, you have to drive on Route 110 in Amityville, and search for the big red Conoco gas station sign (there's no sign advertising Winnie's here). Then find a spot to park in the crappy-looking gas station, and proceed to walk into the time-worn food mart. And if all of this sounds a little sketchy to you, it is! But I love it! Because it's a perfect example of absolutely fantastic food being served from a place where you would never expect to find it. And as a matter of fact, I brought a good friend here for lunch a few weeks ago. And then, during a later conversation, he admitted to returning multiple times with others so they could sample the wings, jerk shrimp, and yams. So please give Winnie's Takeout a try, and I'll bet you'll have the same wonderful experience.

The customer service was great! I ordered the ribs with Mac and cheese as a double side. I was…read moredisappointed because there was no macaroni or potato salad available. I also ordered 2 pieces of chicken. They were two pieces sitting there that looked old and instead of giving me fresh chicken they were placed in oil and refried and given to me. So unfortunately although they were hot they were hard and not that tasty. Not sure if I will return.

I ordered the Fratelli Italian hero today. I asked for them to please shave the meats , cheese,…read more add roasted peppers, oil and vinegar. I had them make it on an Italian sesame hero roll I got from their bread display. Well,,,They forgot the cheese and soaked the beautiful Italian hero bread with balsamic vinegar and olive oil. Now, when I tell a deli person I want oil and vinegar, I have never gotten balsamic. You might agree with me it is supposed to be red wine vinegar instead. The balsamic ruined it for me. So, they did shave the meats but no provolone at all. I had to deconstruct the sandwich as to not waste a 21 dollar sandwich. Overall the store has many display cases with one case that looked like a storage place for dirty utensils, not a good look. They do have a wide variety or beverages to choose from. I will return to Fratelli's for another try to see if I can get what I ask for.

Doesn't look like much when you walk in , however the sandwiches I ordered were really good.read more

Absolute five star experience this Valentine's Day at Angelo's. Our new Valentine's tradition!…read more We dined here before the crowds picked up - at 5pm. We were seated in the back of the restaurant and enjoyed our space. Our waiter (wish I remembered his name) was extremely polite, attentive and great. We had complimentary champagne which was such a nice touch for Valentine's Day. Our bread, like last year, was delicious. More was brought out upon request and the next batch was sooo hot, soft and fresh. Our fried calamari was good but a little too soft. Could've used a little more crunch. My rigatoni Ala vodka was incredible. Filling but incredible. Had to take the leftovers home. My husband's dish (pappardelle) was amazing, as well. Last year when we ate here, I was pregnant with my daughter. We were so excited to have our daughter join us here this year that we had to take a picture in the same spot as last year's picture. I asked the owner who took our picture last year to take our picture again this year. She actually remembered us from last year AND where we sat! How cool is that?! When we paid, we were given Hershey kisses and off we went. Another amazing experience here at Angelo's. We love this place!

This was our first experience here. The ambiance and decor are beautiful. Our server Sam explained…read moreall the specials perfectly even though they were numerous. he's a bit young but he is still professional. We had the spadini alla Romano as an app which was quite cheesy and lemony, as we love it to be. The veal sorrentina was so delish! It came out hot and tender. The veal chop parm was huge, crispy and tender. As a side note even the sautéed spinach was hot! The entrees come with a potato croquette and spinach. Really tasty In closing Sam came by several times to refill our wine (we bought a good bottle) but not he was not intrusive We will be back with friends !

Went here with a couple of my boys to get some nice seafood heard this place was very good so I…read moredecided to give it a try. For appetizers, we got the raw oysters which were a 10/10, the clams oreganata, and the fried calamari. Not to mention we all got a cup of their outstanding lobster bisque to add to the gluttony. Everything we had was phenomenal. As an entrée, I had the house special panko breaded flounder with pesto laid on top of buttered up mashed potatoes with mussels placed beautifully around the dish 10/10 I would eat this once a week if I could. Desserts were pretty basic so we decided to skip Can easily recommend this spot to anyone who likes seafood. Service was a little slow but our waitress was extremely nice, the place is pretty small but nice with a comfortable vibe.

Busy spot since we had to wait about 30 minutes on a weeknight to be seated. We were told we could…read morewait at the bar but that was just a countertop around which we could stand and wait. Service was somewhat slow although our server was very friendly and helpful. We ordered the stuffed lobster and fish & chips. The food was a bit too salty for our liking. The fish for the fish and chips was soaked in oil and soggy. The whole thing fell apart as soon as I touched it. I was craving the traditional, crispy golden crust so this was a massive disappointment.