Go. Eat.
Click the image to read the full review on Sugar. Sweet.
When I was assigned to write a restaurant review for Sugar last summer for the Fall issue of Woodbury Magazine, located in a strip mall in Carle Place, I have to admit I was skeptical. It replaced the lackluster “Ciao Baby” family style Italian restaurant and touted the melding of cutting-edge cuisine with rousing nightlife. After dinner hours, tables are cleared and the floor is opened up for diners to dance off their sumptuous fare. A brilliant idea, if done right. Think about it. You’ve just finished a delicious meal of tapas or full entrees (your choice) and all you have to do is roll your full body off a comfy chair, grab your saccharine-themed cocktail, enjoy a laser light show, then dance to booty shakin’ tunes. Heaven for Girls Night Out. Just replace froofie chick libation with vino, por favore.
The night before my review, I wondered – is it really possible to marry cutting edge cuisine with fabulous nightlife and not miss a beat, right here on Long Island? I don’t have to schlep into Manhattan to club anymore? Ok, I haven’t done that in 20 years, but so what…I now have the option right at my doorstep!
Surprisingly, Sugar proved to be a worthy dining experience. Chef Hok Chin put together an innovative menu that spanned several types of cuisines. At 10pm, the light show kick off some phat beats (ok, it was Friday “Corporate Night,” so the beats were baby phat). We boogied big time. Great food: check. Dancing: check. Sweet!
A week later, I went back with a girlfriend on a Saturday night. The food was still outstanding, but the nightclub vibe had shifted to a 6-inch heeled and cologned menagerie of twenty-somethings. We had fun, but I think I’ll stick with “Corporate Night.” Times have changed. I never thought I’d type that out loud.
