Sunflower Café - just like the one in Brooklyn... but BIGGER! (and with Sushi!)

When I used to live in Brooklyn, Sunflower Café was one of my FAVE places to go with friends. They're well-known for their HUGE salads (seriously - one salad = lunch+dinner) and amazing coffees. The only problem about the Brooklyn restaurant is the serious lack of space (like everything in Brooklyn...). There's almost always a line out the door... part of the reason being is that the food is worth the wait. But even once you're in there, it feels like you're sitting next to everyone (and listening to everyone).
Cut to the Long Island branch...

Huge space - beautiful skylight - same Great food! And did I mention there's sushi too?
While the sushi is 'ok' at best, it's great to see it on the menu - that way when you and your girlfriends go for lunch the sushi-lover (usually moi) will be happy too.
So more on Sunflower for those not in the know - they've got a huge menu of salads, wraps, paninis, pastas, breakfasts, etc... for you to choose from. They've also got a menu of 'Specials', which I'm pretty sure have been the same since the place opened - but are some of their best items. Try the Guacamole Salad if you're only slightly health-conscious (it's got a toasted baguette with cheese, eggs and avocado). There's also the Paris Bistro Panini (grilled portabello, mushrooms and cheese) which I love. Most wraps, sandwiches and paninis also come with a pretty large salad on the side - so definitely go hungry.

Sunflower Café
357 Central Avenue, Lawrence, NY 11559
(516) 569-4522
http://www.sunflowercafe.com/

delicious dishes = delish shawarma+cholent

When I first moved to the Five Towns, finding a good shawarma place - or rather ANY shawarma place - was a lot harder than I ever thought it would be. I had figured out that almost everything I ever needed was on Central Ave. But here I was, in New York, home to thousands of Israelis - and not one shawarma place in the center of town? I soon discovered the Five Towns Shuls yahoo group (a great find once you've found it, but not all that easy to find! - here's the link: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/FiveTownsShuls/) . I posted on the message board that I was looking for 'the best shawarma in the Five Towns'. Within minutes I literally received over 20 messages, the majority of which told me to try Delicious Dishes. I'm not gonna lie - I was a little turned off by the name - sounds more like a southern diner than a place that sells Israeli food. But since everyone seemed to rave about it, I decided to give it a try.

With our trusty GPS, my husband and I managed to find this teeny off-Central-Ave shop. Turned out he had already been there! His basketball buddies had taken him out for Thursday Cholent after their game... Apparently Delicious Dishes is THE place to go - for Guys. Ladies - if you're cool with being the only girl in the room, you're in for a great shawarma. The place reminds me of one of those 'holes in the wall' you'll find everywhere in Tel Aviv. Don't expect anything fancy here - this isn't the place to take someone you're trying to impress (unless they're into 'real' food). But if you're looking for some authentic Israeli food, then this is where you need to go. While the toppings are somewhat limited (maybe I've just been spoiled by the huge salad bars they have at my fave place in Flatbush), they are fresh and really tasty. And yes, the shawarma is juicy and very delicious.

Delicious Dishes
12 Irving Place, Woodmere, NY 11598
(516) 792-5830

off the wall is off the hook

So my husband and I are OBSESSED with this (relatively) new frozen yogurt shop on Central Ave... The way it works is you pick a cup size and start serving yourself any of their 16 flavors of frozen yogurt (many non-fat and low-fat varieties). Their yogurt is honestly amazing - tastes like ice cream - and comes in some pretty cool flavors that they change up every so often (my faves are red velvet cake and cheesecake). Then they've got over 40 toppings to choose from - including healthy options (like fresh strawberries, mango and granola) and others that are 'healthy in moderation' (snickers, skor, and mini cheesecake!). The ambiance is also really cool - I would say one of the few places in the Five Towns that is actually modern and sleek... Take a friend, take a date, take your kids!

590 Central Ave., Cedarhurst, NY 11516
516-341-0301

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Off-the-Wall-Frozen-Yogurt/184805234883769?v=info