Monday, August 15, 2011

Press 195 - Rockville Centre, Long Island


22 North Park Ave
Rockville Centre Long Island
516.536.1950

Consider this a makeup review for Press 195 in Rockville Centre. My first visit to this restaurant, was when it had first opened at this location. To make a long story short, it did not go well. I had complained about my experience, and a $25 gift certificate was sent my way in order to be more impressed by Press 195 the second time around. I certainly appreciated the quick response from the management, and decided that tonight was the night.

We strolled in on Saturday night when most R.V.C spots are hopping, press's vibe bordered on de-pressing. We were seated immediately in the back where only a few other tables were occupied. Our waitress, Amanda (perhaps an indication that this meal would be amazing) greeted us in an enthusiastic manner, which was much appreciated.

This restaurant in particular is where we spent our first Valentine's Day. We were anxious to see what changes had been made, to to transition from Gabrielle's Brasserie & Wine Bar into panini mania. The set up was exactly the same as far as the tables were concerned, but they had added almost a stain glass tile on half of the ceiling of the restaurant. It gave off a rustic vibe with high tables in the front of the venue, and an outside garden for those who want to eye gaze under the sunset =) It's a casual scene where the servers wear black t-shirts and jeans.




After our 4 games of bowling, by the way since we are also about sharing our love, we took advantage of the 99 cent games which are offered in r.v.c from 2pm-6pm Monday through Friday. Scoring a 105, my all time high, I was starving!

With nothing on the table to hold us off, we ordered the guacamole, which interestingly enough is called the veggie salsa when you look over your bill later on. Shortly after, a large basket of warm chips headed our way with two tiny condiment sized plastic cups. On one side, we have the guac and on the other end you will find their salsa. The guac left little to be desired as it was brown (add some lime juice people come on). It definitely didn't seem like homemade guacamole. It was alright, as was the salsa, a bit on the spicy side, but overall this starter didn't cross the finish line for us. We were left with a mostly filled basket of chips which had pieces of fresh wilted parsley and julienned carrots sprinkled on top. Are you confused too? Join the club. However, if you should want more guacamole or salsa, feel free to ask, as our attentive bus boy informed us that the cups are that small to make the dish look pretty, but you can have as much as you want.
Our panini's came out, along with our belgian fries while we were still munching on our chips. Personally I think there is a reason it's called a starter, and I'd like to finish it before my meal comes out......


First off, our paninis were hot.hot.hot! Allowing my panini to cool off, I decided to munch on a french fry which was calling my name in it's mini fryer styled basket! Meh, they were alright, I had higher expectations since on the menu they appeared to have quite an ego explaining "double cooked for the ultimate fry, try them once and you'll be hooked." Well, I wasn't, so calm yourself.....

I ordered the #15, out of the 40 panini options, that you have to choose from. Ranging from $9-10 dollars. I'm easily swayed when it comes to goat cheese, which is why the portabella panini with baby arugula, goat cheese and a garlic & olive spread seemed like a no brainer. However my panini also underwhelmed me this time around....again. The portabella was tough, and the arugulas bitterness border lined on burnt, which overpowered the whole taste of the panini. As always there wasn't enough goat cheese, and the garlic & olive spread didn't stand out at all for me.

Dino ordered the number 9. This had roast pork, monterey jack cheese, onions, jalapenos and a roasted garlic spread. The roast pork was pretty dry, but the roasted garlic spread was tasty. Dino said he could spread that on anything and it would make it taste better. This was a decent sandwich for you roast pork lovers, but if you don't like onions, do not get them on this sandwich. It seemed to overpower all the flavors. The roasted garlic spread and the kick of the jalapenos really made this sandwich work. All the panini's also came with a side of cucumber salad. Nothing special in our books.


To each his own they say and in this case, I think that this will be our final try of Press 195. There are lots of choices which may tempt you, and some will argue that these are the best paninis ever! I have to disagree as I am a true fan of Paninis and Bikinis in Long Beach, but I was willing to give another town a chance. For us the meal didn't hit a high note, and I don't think we will be returning.

As always, Extra Love...even if it was a little tough this time

DnA



2 comments:

  1. Thanks for the review. As they say, you can't please them all. We appreciate you giving us another shot and will still be here if you change your mind in the future.

    Ten years strong and still growing!

    best,
    Press 195

    ReplyDelete
  2. Absolutely! We just write about our experiences, and we are only one, of the many customers you all have. Appreciate the comment, and perhaps we will try your other location in the future.

    ReplyDelete