Uh Oh

My husband just called to tell me that the construction site on LB Road in Island Park is going to be a King Kullen. That's seriously bad news for Waldbaums and Long Beach.

King Kullen, the best supermarket chain on Long Island in my opinion, will have no trouble at all stealing business from Waldbaums, which has fallen way down the charts since its heydey. The store is not sparkling clean, the produce is overpriced and under-appealing, the checkout system is slow and often not functioning well, the front desk staff is surly and/or disinterested, and the overall shopping experience has lots of room for improvement.

We can be sure that King Kullen knows all of this and intends to take full advantage of the opportunity that is ripe for the picking. Which leaves Long Beach in a very tenuous position: Waldbaums needs to seriously step up its game,  or we may be left with the biggest retail vacancy possible, smack in the center of town.

Happy New Year, new City Council.

A New Masterpiece in Town

Bravissimo, Cafe Picasso! My husband and I had dinner at the new restaurant last night and I'm still thinking about it. Yum! Personal pizza appetizer followed by broiled tilapia with shrimp and crab for me, and black linguine with shrimp, scallops and clams in red sauce for him. Yum! (did I say that already?).

I was delighted to observe a steady stream of customers during the hour or so we were there - who were no doubt looking for a quality meal, as we were. Not so easy to find in LB these days, unfortunately. Table cloth service delivered by professional waiters made the experience all the more enjoyable, chased by a bottle of Sambuca served alongside my delicious espresso. We left full, happy and doggy-bag laden. Will definitely be going back.