Food – Page 2 – Rockland NY Mom

Super Bowl Parties 2016!!!

Posted on January 14, 2016 by RocklandNYMom Posted in Food, Reviews, We're Having a Party .

Disclosure: This is a sponsored post. All opinions expressed are my own.

It’s that time again!!! The biggest game of the year is quickly approaching. Fans are excited, non-fans are excited. Pools are started, commercials are unbelievable, and its well known for its food.

My family and I aren’t necessarily “football fans” we enjoy a game from time to time, but we always watch the big game. My father was a big fan and in his honor we always get sandwiches, coke classic, and chocolate covered donuts.

Luigi O’Grady’s in Pearl River doesn’t disappoint on the food front (they never do). In fact, they have created several different great options for the occasion. I have always found them to be super accommodating, and I love that I can have the food delivered (since picking up trays of food with two kids in tow is near impossible).

OPTION #1 – The Intimate party

OPTION #2- The Bash

OPTION #3 – A La Carte

Option #4- The Fundraiser (Be sure to mention PRHS Class of 2016)

To order call Michelle at (845)735-9110 to place your order or visit their website http://www.luigiogradys.com/ for more information.

Money Momma Dining Tip #6

Posted on September 29, 2015 by RocklandNYMom Posted in Food, Money Momma, Out and about..., Reviews .

Disclosure: This is a sponsored post as we were invited for a meal with Bailey’s North. All opinions expressed are my own.

Tip #6- Take Advantage of Family Dinner Take-out Specials

Baileys North

Usually Jamie (Money Momma) does these posts but she knows how passionate we are about BBQ, and so we got to review :o) The tip however, is hers.

Sometimes you just don’t feel like cooking for one reason or another. At the same time you don’t want to have to get “dressed” and pray that your kids make it through a night out in a restaurant either. For these exact reasons there are restaurants who have family “dine-out” options that are delicious and affordable (we might just be making you a list of restaurants and which day to look for them).

One such restaurant is Bailey’s North. Located in Haverstraw, Bailey’s North is an extension of the Baileys restaurant in Orangeburg. They are a take our only establishment at this time (there are a few small bar tables if you wanted a cute little lunch and the conversation is great so you could do that too). They offer meal deals almost every day of the week which Chef Dude posts on their Facebook page.

(E) and RNYD check out the menu for next time…

Once a week (on Wednesdays) Baileys North Features a family dinner special for $24.99 that knocked our socks off. On the night that we tried it, the special was pulled pork, coleslaw, mac & cheese, salad, and corn soufflé. When we went to pick it up it was ready for us (no waiting) and we even got to meet Chef Dude! He is so proud of his product and wants to make everyone so happy that he asked that we be brutally honest and let him know if his recipes needed tweaking.

The fabulous staff at Bailey’s North (minus Chef Dude who declined the paparazzi).

While we were there we picked up a new BBK rub and sauce to try (RNYD loves his BBQ). We could barely wait to get home to eat. The car was filled with a mouth watering aroma.

Our new condiments..

Once unpacked we were ready to dig in. The pork was perfect. Not super saucy (read yummy AND not too messy for (E)), or too spicy for (A) who claims to not like “too much spice”. At the same time, it was flavorful enough to earn praise from RNYD and RNYP (Pop). The corn soufflé was fabulous (more like a desert than a side), and the coleslaw? WOW! I don’t like coleslaw and I practically ate it all by myself.

Ohhh…. the corn soufflé.

The whole family smiled from ear to ear through dinner and not much was said unless it was a compliment or someone asking for more. Not only was everyone full and happy, but with 5 of us eating, we still had food enough for two days of leftovers. As soon as dinner was over I “Liked” their Facebook page so that I can keep up with the current specials. Then, I invited my friends to do the same.

We loved the food so much that I have already looked into their catering menu for RNYD’s 40th Birthday (in March).

A small side-not that we found interesting (some Rockland History), Bailey’s North is in an old butcher shop. Due to its history not only can you have them make you some fabulous meat, if you want to BBQ on your own you can purchase the meat from them. They sell the same cuts that they cook if you prefer to do it yourself.

Money Momma- Dining on a Budget Tip #4

Posted on July 23, 2015 by RocklandNYMom Posted in Food, Money Momma, Reviews .

Disclosure: This is a sponsored post as our Money Momma, Jamie was invited for a meal with her family. All opinions expressed are her own.

Tip #4 Keep It Simple

Wayne’s World

It happens to the best of us. We want to cook dinner….we planned to cook dinner. The food is bought. The stove is ready. But we are just….Too….Tired. Or something comes up, we run late, or any other of the thousands of reasons sometimes dinner just cannot get cooked no matter how good my intentions were. Those nights are the nights that are NOT budgeted for and those are the nights that we are really looking for a great deal AND some great food. So tip #4 is to keep it simple. Sometimes the joy in dining out is just to have a simple, relaxed, experience that requires no work on the part of mom and dad. These are the nights that the family should head for a “fast casual” dining option like the new Wayne’s World Pizza, Salad, and Froyo shop in Nanuet.

Wayne’s World can only be described as a “happy place”. There are bright colors and many signs hanging around the well-lit restaurant (not to mention a giant frozen yogurt wall). This is one of the only restaurants I have ever entered where (T) and I would have let our kids dine on the floor without thinking twice. It was that clean! Wayne himself was greeting his customers and the staff was preparing for a children’s softball team to arrive for their end of the year dinner. The table next to us was there to celebrate Grandpa’s birthday.

Wayne’s World is family owned and operated and they genuinely create a happy environment that is community oriented and family focused. Even the chefs and wait staff all seemed to be smiling along with the guests who are dining on a variety of foods like simple pizza, create your own salad bar, traditional Italian dishes, and Wayne’s World originals like a fried mozzarella sandwich and Nutella pizza!

If you are looking to sit down for waiter service the dining room is a fun place to be with large TVs and a view of the pizza oven. There are also stools up front for those just looking to grab a quick slice on their way to their next destination. (R) and (S) were mesmerized by the huge make your own yogurt station and couldn’t wait for their turn at the literal kids candy topping bar. We actually used this as an incentive to get (R) to eat her dinner ;o). It wasn’t even necessary, she loved the pizza and chicken nuggets and asked for another slice of bread!

There was no question in my mind that I wanted to try the make your own salad bar but (T) was stumped. “I like everything on the menu!” he kept declaring. In the end he wound up with some delicious muscles, the homemade meatballs, and a Caesar salad. The meatballs were fabulous (as per (T)) and I was very excited to be able to have a healthy salad dinner that had all the perfect fixins!

We packed up our left overs and let (R) and (S) make their way (Finally) to the yogurt bar. They ran back and forth with their cups trying to decide what flavor to try and what toppings to pick. (R) even made friends with some of the other children in the restaurant who were also creating their own yogurt. Together they set off for a 4 year old’s dream yogurt adventure.

I was way too full for dessert but (T) and the kids ate every last bite. I didn’t have to cook or clean and we all got to eat what we wanted for dinner at a very reasonable price.

Visit Wayne’s World family coupon packs and birthday party deals (this place would be amazing for a team or scout party)! For more information you can check their website www.waynesworldpizza.com or follow them on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/waynesworldpizza.

Want to give Wayne’s World a try? RNYM is giving away a $25 gift card to a lucky reader who likes, comments, shares, and/or comments on the blog and shares this post on their facebook timeline!

Money Momma-Eating on a Budget- Tip #3

Posted on July 15, 2015 by RocklandNYMom Posted in Contests, Food, Money Momma, Reviews, RNYM's Picks .

Disclosure: This is a sponsored post as our Money Momma, Jamie was invited for a meal with her family. All opinions expressed are her own.

Tip #3 – Make it a guy thing… or a girl thing

But DON’T bring everyone. Yes, I meant to say that. Not everyone in every family likes the same types of foods, making it difficult to expand the list of restaurants that work for your home. This actually can be turned into a “special” experience and save your family a little bit of money in the process. (T) loves to eat ribs and always begs me to go to Tony Romas on kids eat free night (Tuesday). I am not a huge meat eater and I don’t even have to look at a menu to know that there is not one single thing (R) will like. It’s a dilemma that every family has. No one wants to spend money dining out if not everyone is going to love the food. The solution… make it a guys night! Or a girls night… but don’t worry about splitting the family!! (R) and I will stay home, eat grilled cheese and do each others nails. (T) and (S) are off to the all mighty dinner experience at Tony Romas. The best part? Both kids think they are getting special time with us while we are only spending HALF of what we would normally spend on dinner. Since Tony Romas runs PLENTY of family specials all week long, it seemed fitting that the guys make a trip there during the Money Mommas dining on a budget series. (for purposes of writing this piece, I did attend the “guys night”)

We were seated right away despite the fact that we arrived at prime dinner time on a Saturday night. (S) was presented with a Kid’s menu that came with a pack of crayons so he could work his way through the pictures and games. I was pleasantly surprised by how big the booths were! I was carrying 3 people’s umbrellas, my usual mom bag, and a big bag of pillows that we had just purchased. Everything fit with lots of room to spare. The restaurant was packed with families. It was like a date night where kids are allowed. The atmosphere was festive yet calm, with a view to people watch in the mall if you desire. The wait staff was great with little (S) (age 3), even pausing to let him place his own drink order (lemonade of course). All of these points are great,but the real highlight of Tony Romas is basic… the food is delicious!

When ordering a main entree at Tony Romas, 2 sides come with the meal AT NO EXTRA COST! This is unusual for a steak house. Frequently, the sides are sold separately at an ala carte price. We asked them to bring out the sides on separate dishes so we could all taste a little of everything (no problem). (T) and (S) had a grand ol time eating their ribs together, which I should point out were two different types of sauces…one on each end. They actually have 7 sauces to choose from and (T) had a difficult time making up his mind! I’m not sure it really mattered though as most of the sauce wound up on (S)’s face as (T) taught him to eat ribs like a “man”. Tony Romas is well known for their steaks so I had the filet and I was not disappointed. In fact, I ate almost the entire thing. So much for me not being much of a meat eater. By the time I looked up the boys had finished a full rack of ribs and were wiping their hands and mouths with the warm, wet towels our waitress had brought over. I’m not sure where either of them found room to put it all considering they worked their way through a plate of calamari and an onion loaf earlier. That was the first time (S) had seen an onion loaf and every time he took a bite he clapped his hands.

The desert menu says it’s mini desserts but their was nothing mini about them! I can’t even imagine how big the full size must be. (T) and I devoured the red velvet cake, New York style cheesecake, and chocolate brownie in no time. All the of the cakes at Tony Romas are from Juniors bakery.

Tony Romas is now a definite family pick when we are looking to go somewhat more upscale, remain family friendly, and still know we are getting great value! Remember kids eat free every Tuesday and there are daily happy hour specials during the week.

Want to give Tony Romas a try? Now is your chance to win! Go to Rocklandnymom FB page, like, comment and share this post (or comment here) for a chance to win $25 toward a meal at Tony Romas!

Money Momma Eating on a Budget- Tip #2-

Posted on July 7, 2015 by RocklandNYMom Posted in Food, Money Momma, Reviews .

Disclosure: This is a sponsored post as our Money Momma, Jamie was invited for a meal with her family. All opinions expressed are her own.

Tip #2 – Try new places when the kids can eat for free

Every family has one; the picky eater. The one you have to always make sure you have a granola bar and apples for just in case they would rather starve than eat whatever you have given them for dinner. In our family, this title belongs to 4 year old (R) and most meals end with me sweating and her telling me she isn’t hungry. This puts a damper on any type of new dining experience because we do not want to pay for a dinner (R) will refuse to eat. Our solution to this predicament? Try new places on the nights kids can eat for free with a purchase of an adult meal.

(R) my picky eater.

This past week we put this plan to work as we went for the first time to Stir Crazy in Palisades Mall. This experience can only be described as fun fun fun!!! From the cool Asian decor to the fact that the main meal is a create-your-own stir fry event that the customer WATCHES them cook, this restaurant just screams to families for a great time. There are weekly chances to try it as kids EAT FOR FREE every Tuesday and Thursday with the purchase of an adult meal and beverage.

When we arrived the first thing we noticed were the stroller parking and special high chairs that accommodate infant carseats. This is such a convenience for us when we have the stroller for (S). It also proves to me that they are prepared to serve young children. (R) and (S) had a great time running from statue to statue trying to count how many Buddha’s they could find. We were a little bit worried about a melt down because (R) had been to 2 birthday parties that day and was exhausted. (R) was completely occupied the whole time watching the chefs cooking through a glass window that she didn’t even remember that she was tired. The drinks the kids ordered came with giant twisty straws that they had to figure out how to untwist. This was another child geared detail that we all enjoyed.

As the kids worked on their straws, (T) and I looked over the menu and listened to our waiter explain the dishes. Suffice it to say, there are a number of unique dishes on this menu that cannot be found elsewhere and it turns out EVERYTHING on the menu can be customized. The happy sounds coming from our fellow diners confirmed that the food was as good as it looked. As always, I paid close attention to the kid’s menu making sure that there was at least one thing that (R) might eat. (S), being a more adventurous eater, chose the ninja noodles (which he called ninja turtle noodles) and we convinced (R) to take a bite. I was ready to get right into our main course (which could be called an event) but (T) was dying to try the crazy shrimp appetizer. This dish is such a customer favorite that when it left the menu for a short time, it had its own write in campaign to bring it back. (T) says he can tell why people missed it!

(T) enjoys the shrimp!

Ninja Noodles

Finally the main event! Our waiter arrived with our personal woks and we made our way to the stir fry bar. We piled our woks high with fresh vegetables, multiple Asian treats, and a variety of sauces. Creators also get to choose their meat and select a base (rice, lomein, pad thai noodles, etc), all of which were as fresh as the vegetables. Then it’s show time! The Chef takes over and the cooking, complete with exploding fire, takes place right before our eyes. We held up (R) and (S) who were mesmerized by the show. (R) was so enticed that she asked to eat some of my noodles when we got back to the table! We could tell the kids had fun because as we were packing up to leave (S) went running up to the table next to us and informed them quite loudly that “Budhas have big bellies!!”.

Stir Crazy is an excellent place to try with the whole family and T and I will certainly be back… on a Tuesday or a Thursday when our kids eat for free!

Stir Crazy is giving one lucky RNYM reader a chance to create their own stir fry. For a chance to win a $30 gift card to Stir Crazy go to Rocklandnymom facebook page, like this post, comment with STIR FRY and share this on your timeline.

Stay tuned for Jamie’s full list of both free and kids meal deals due out soon!!!

Dining Out on a Budget- Italiana’s

Posted on June 23, 2015 by RocklandNYMom Posted in Food, Money Momma, Out and about..., Reviews .

Disclosure: This is a sponsored post as Jamie and her family were invited to a meal at Italiana’s. All opinions expressed are her own.

Dining out is one of my absolute favorite things to do. (T) and I lived in NYC for 10 years and I had the time of my life eating my way through all the delectable food that city has to offer. I am an avid runner and (T) is a recreational biker, but the dirty truth is that the ONLY reason either of us does any type of physical activity is simply to eat more. Yes, we are foodies. So upon becoming parents, we very quickly had to learn how to combine my love of dining out, with (T)’s love of saving money. Over the course of the next few weeks, the Money Momma will be sharing some of her favorite local restaurant picks, meaning they are both family friendly and affordable, as well as tips for dining out while staying on budget.

Tip #1: Choose a restaurant that serves family style

One of my best tips for keeping dining out affordable is to choose a restaurant that has a “served family style” option. It’s rare that either (R) or (S) eats their entire dinner, even a kid’s meal. We constantly order them each a meal upon their insistence that they are hungry and without fail we pay for a half-eaten grilled cheese. When we order family style, the meal comes in a large size and everyone shares. Italiana’s in New City is not only family friendly and delicious, but they have one of the best family style dinner deals in town. If you purchase a family style entree, you get a FAMILY SIZE pasta side dish for FREE! This is enough food for at least 2 meals for our family of 4. We have ordered this way several times and so far we have not had one thing that wasn’t insanely good. This deal applies to both eat in or take-out so it can be taken advantage of for a family night out or a quick stop on the way home from life.

If dining in is the experience you are looking for, this is a fantastic place to bring a family, have a date night, or even a girls night out. The main floor of the restaurant is spacious and there is also a gorgeous outdoor patio that is very quiet and has a bit of a romantic feel. (R) and (S) enjoyed watching the chefs cook their famous brick oven pizza (you can see the whole thing from the dining room) while (T) and I perused the more adult items. No matter what your drink of choice is, Italiana’s is likely to have it. They also have their own specialty drinks and a martini list. You can enjoy a history lesson in alcohol while reading their drink menu.

3 year old (S) is not very patient when it comes to waiting for his food (and really neither am I) so we really enjoyed the bread while we read the menu. As the waiter (who was quick and accurate) began to tell us the specials, which change every day, (R) began to chant “pizza, pizza, pizza”. We always have a temporary moment of panic when dining out with (R) because there are very few things she will eat. Italiana’s is always a good choice for us because they have pizza! The server even winked at us and said “I’ll tell them to leave the basil off.”

Since we were there to sample their food for this piece, we stuck to things that could feed a family of 4 for at least 2 meals. (T) and I chose a Caesar salad to share (this could have been an entree; it was so big), chicken parmesan, and a pasta Bolognese. The mozzarella cheese was so good we wanted to eat it by itself. And don’t even get us started on the desserts – Oreo stuffed zeppoles! The perfect size for (R) and (S)…

Throughout dinner, we routinely commented on how we felt like we were dining with our pretend big Italian family. The staff was happy to see all of their customers come in, many customers requesting their favorite server or favorite table (its always good to see returning customers, it means people like it). We even watched as 3 staff members respond super quickly and attentively to seat a walk in party of eleven, who brought diners ranging in age from 6 months to 80 years. It should also be noted that Italiana’s is fully equipped with a party room and complete audio visual equipment setup for any type of larger event. I would happily plan a baby shower here any time!

As we were gathering our four bags of leftovers (R) said to us “Wow. Their food was really good.” Enough said. (T) and I were able to have an “adult” meal with our kids. Fabulous food (no waste), great atmosphere, affordable, happy all around.

Enter RNYM’s Italiana’s giveaway! Give this post a like, a comment, and share on your own timeline for a chance to win a $100 gift card to Italianas!! Drawing to be done by third party website on 6/25/15.

Moe’s Southwest Grill

Posted on June 2, 2015 by RocklandNYMom Posted in Food, Out and about..., Reviews .

Disclosure: This is a sponsored post as Jamie and her family were invited for dinner. All opinions expressed are those of Jamie our writer.

When T and I first decided to start a family, it certainly never occurred to us that daily dinner would be the thing that stressed us out to no end. I don’t even think we discussed how we would keep these kids alive with food. We just assumed it would all fall into place. Well fast forward half a decade and we have 2 working parents (T runs a business and works 7 days a week), a 4 year old in ballet and gymnastics, and a 3 year old in gymnastics and soccer. Not to mention birthday parties, playdates, school activities, etc. This is exactly what we want to be doing at this stage in life but somehow cooking a healthy dinner 7 nights a week doesn’t quite make the cut. This is why we were so exited when Moe’s Southwest Grill opened up right in Nanuet.

Not only can Moe’s be used as a quick dine-in or take-out experience, but the food is delicious and a large majority of the menu options are fresh and healthy. It’s very clear when entering Moe’s that it’s a family friendly place, from the kids meal menus, to the fun and upbeat music playing, to the fact that every time the door opens the entire staff does a “Welcome to Moe’s” chant. It made us feel very welcome and we knew no matter what kind of a mess 3 year old (S) made, it would be acceptable. I should also point out that I was still in my gym clothes and no one batted an eye. We ordered our food in a fast moving line and the kids got to watch how the staff made burritos and quesadillas and choose a cookie to go with their meals.

(T) immediately headed for a table near one of the large TVs so that he could watch the baseball game. (R) and (S) immediately went running over to what they now call the “magic drink machine.” Even I was mesmerized by the drink machine. It is a computerized machine of fun that allows customers to choose from about 50 drinks and even mix and match to create whatever kind of party in a cup one desires (alcohol free). (R) and (S) would have stood at that machine all night if we let them so I made a mental note that on a rainy day, Moe’s would be a good place to keep them entertained for an hour.

Eventually we left the magic machine and made our way back to our table full of incredible food. Normally this is where the not-so-fun game of getting (R) to eat begins. (S) will eat anything that isn’t nailed to the ground. I can count on one hand the things (R) will eat (soooo picky). I was THRILLED to see her bite right into the kid sized chicken quesadilla then dip it into fresh guacamole. (T) and I just looked at each other, too afraid to speak for fear it would end the moment. I’m sure plenty of you can relate to that!

This prompted us to ask the manager if Moe’s could cater our annual backyard picnic and it turns out they have an entire catering program. Moe’s is available for any event, large or small, to cater fresh and healthy food. With graduation and communion season upon us, Moe’s is an option that definitely should be considered.

The food was incredible and the queso was some of the best we had ever tasted. Always one for the bargain, T was excited to learn that the bottomless chips and salsa came free with the meal, whether it’s or dine-in or take-out. On our way out the door, the staff asked if we needed any help carrying left overs to the car and told me they would be happy to bring out the food curbside anytime I wanted to grab dinner on the way home from our busy lives. The experience was fun, but by far the best part was walking out the door with little S singing “I love Rock and Roll” from the restaurants music!

Sundays – Kids eat free with the purchase of adult meal and beverage

Moe Mondays – All Burritos are $5.99

Taco Tuesdays – Beginning in June tacos will be buy one get one free

RNYM Discount code for 10% off of your meal all summer!

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