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Strategically
located at 160 Adams Ave in Hauppauge, the Grill Room is easily accessible
during the day to local businesses within and near the Hauppauge Industrial
Park. It is located within a
shopping center on the corner of Commerce Drive and Adams Avenue; just north of
the Long Island Expressway and South of the Northern State Parkway.
While it may be near the center of the Industrial Park, it is by far one
of the most modern and trendy places in town.
Co-owners,
Larry Brown and Mark Taub, are long time friends.
Both were born and raised on Long Island.
Mark was from Brooklyn and Larry hailed from Bethpage.
Both have been in the business for as long as they can remember.
Ironically, it was another line of work that caused their paths to cross.
They met while working at a film company for the motion picture optical
effects house – the way in which credits of a movie were created years ago.
They began their friendship “at the beginning of growing up and getting
old,” as Larry put it. They
separately owned various restaurants off Long Island. Larry owned one in
Cambridge, Massachusetts at Harvard Square.
Mark owned several restaurants including Channel 4 and Mary Elizabeth's
in Manhattan as well as one in Atlantic City at the Sands Hotel.
A few years ago they decided to take a chance back home on Long Island.
The Grill Room had been serving the community for over a decade when they
ventured to purchase it. August of
2009 will be Larry and Mark’s second year as owners of The Grill Room.
The Grill Room is extremely versatile in the transformation of its interior. In a matter of hours the dining room atmosphere is completely altered. During the afternoon, the dining room is full of light and would be the perfect location for any business meeting. As the sun sets, the lights inside dim and a more intimate setting is created. Modern and chic would be the best descriptive words for this restaurant. Wall length curtains cover the windows, black table clothes, a crystal chandelier hanging in the front of the dining room, votive candles flickering on every table as well as on cubes adorning the walls, and a series of square mirrors on the back wall assist in creating the stylish interior. After entering, you’ll notice the spirits area to your right with
oversized bottles of Grey Goose and Ketel One perched atop alternate
sides of the bar. Separating the
bar from the dining area is a series of counter height wooden tables filled with
yet more votive candles. These simple touches help create a cozy yet open
cocktail lounge setting. The dimly lit dining room creates an extremely intimate
atmosphere for diners. Outside
seating is also made available during the warmer months. Our
waitress of the evening was Tiffany, an energetic and extremely knowledgeable
staff member. She knew the answers
to all of our questions about the food, whether it was the ingredients or the
way in which the meal was prepared. As
we browsed through the menu, we were brought a triangular metal basket filled
with sliced whole grain and sourdough bread (below left).
Both selections were fresh and soft – complemented by the seasoned
dipping sauce. The carafe of water
given to our table contained apple slices, which gave it a unique flair.
A
large chalkboard posted on the wall conveniently lists many of the available
martinis. There was something
listed for everyone’s personal preference.
We sampled a wide variety ourselves that included the Cucumbertini (below
first), Michellatini (below second), Grill Room Jammatini (below third) and
specially requested was the Pickle-ini (below fourth).
The summer favorite was the Cucumbertini; made with cucumber infused Crop
Vodka, which is organic. Cucumber
sticks garnished the glass, and the vodka had a perfect hint of cucumber to each
sip. The Cucumbertini would be the
perfect refreshment for a hot summer day. Michelle,
the bartender, is the creator of the Michellatini.
Made with espresso liqueur, caramel, Starbucks crème and sprinkled
cinnamon on top. This drink had a
strong scent of cinnamon and a smooth espresso flavor.
Our personal favorite was the Grill Room Jammatini, which combined house
jam wine (a dessert wine), peach schnapps, raspberry Stoli vodka and peach Stoli
vodka. This martini was dangerously
smooth with its fruity essence. The
Pickleini was served with a sliced and fanned pickle as garnish. This martini
was created with Grey Goose vodka and pickle brine.
This drink is similar to its salty cousin the dirty martini with a unique
taste and a strong pickle aroma.
The
Warm Pear Salad (below left) contained mesclun, crumbled gorgonzola, walnuts,
pan seared pear and maple cherry vinaigrette.
While this salad was very tasty and well dressed, it was not as sweet as
we had anticipated. The Pear Salad would be a great option for anyone looking for something
on the lighter side. The Grill Room
Chopped Tri Color Salad (below right) could be ordered for yourself or two.
It brought grape tomatoes, crumbled bleu cheese, crisp bacon bits, pine
nuts, and peppers together in a balsamic vinaigrette. An excellent choice for
those that enjoy the flavor of bacon.
A
unique appetizer was the Shrimp Scampi Two Ways (below left); jumbo shrimp and
shrimp ravioli. This dish was
served with sun-dried tomatoes in a garlic lemon butter sauce.
The shrimp was very tender and full of buttery lemon flavor. The ravioli
was prepared al dente and contained the perfect balance of cheese and shrimp for
the filling. This dish was exceptionally light and very different than typical
shrimp appetizers.
Our
second appetizer, Smoked Mozzarella Franchese (above right), had a gorgeous
presentation. The grilled portabello mushroom gave the dish an accent of saltiness,
while the white wine garlic butter sauce balanced out the dish.
The asparagus was fresh, and prepared to a perfect crisp finish.
The mozzarella had an ever so slight and nice smoky aftertaste.
Our
first signature entrée of the evening was the Horseradish Crusted Salmon (above
right) with potato mash, spinach and oven roasted tomatoes.
The color combination of dark green spinach against the white potatoes
along side the pink/orange salmon was great.
The pan seared and baked salmon was moist and delicious.
Those that are turned off by horseradish should still try this entrée as
the horseradish was barely detectable. Homemade
perfection would be the only way to describe the potato mash.
These potatoes were buttery, hearty and delicious .
While lemon beurre blanc was used and butter could be tasted, it was
still a light entrée.
Our
favorite entrée was the Paella Valencia (above) with shrimp, mussels, scallops,
calamari, chorizo sausage, green beans and saffron rice.
Presented in a large pan this medley of seafood will satisfy anyone’s
hunger. There was a plentiful amount of each ingredient.
The scallops were great because they absorbed so many of the other
flavors. The saffron rice was
fluffy, while the squid was most tender. Chorizo
sausage added a nice level of heat to this dish.
This dish should be ordered by those that have a large appetite.
We
finished the entrees with an Herb Crusted Rack of Lamb (above). Sides of this
dish were sun dried polenta and haricots-verts.
The extremely tender lamb had a nice horseradish zing to it while the
polenta contained lots of diced sun dried tomatoes, which we savored.
When it came to dessert, our first choice was the Crème Brule (above left) with fresh berries. The caramelized shell was paper thin and the custard was sweeter and creamier than usual. We then sampled the Warm Chocolate Volcano Bundt Cake (above middle), which was laced with warm chocolate sauce and covered in whipped cream. This dessert had a strong chocolate flavor with a wonderful moistness throughout. An excellent way to end any evening. We also enjoyed their cappuccino served in adorable stainless steel coffee cups (above right). Larry proudly informed us that frequent guests often bring friends to assist in sharing appetizers in an effort to taste a wide array of the culinary offerings available at the restaurant. Given how many wonderful dishes we sampled, we can easily see why. The Grill Room can provide the perfect setting for all your daytime corporate meetings while their Happy Hour with live music is certainly the crowning touch to a busy workweek. Either way, business or pleasure, The Grill Room will not disappoint you with their fine fare and wonderfully versatile atmosphere.
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