What do you do when you’re stuck in the house during a blizzard? You cook! But you don’t just cook any meal. You make warm dishes that warm your heart, body and soul.
I’m talking about comfort food. This type of weather gets you a free pass on your diet, right? Do you know anyone that stocks up on kale right before a storm? Warm and delicious comfort food is the essential pick me up meal when things get frigid.
Here is my pick for one of the best restaurants on Long Island that makes unforgettable comfort food and a few of our best comfort food cookbooks.
Jacksons, located on Jericho Turnpike in Commack is a delicious gastropub with superb food and a vast beer selection. They have a bar area with its own seating for small groups and a separate dining area that has comfy booths and tables to accommodate larger groups.
There are chalkboards throughout the restaurant that proudly display their extensive beer selection along with stats for each beer such as the type and alcohol content. Jacksons always has a 3-course price fix for $26.95 that includes almost everything on their menu, it’s a smart way to sample the menu and save a few bucks.
My personal comfort food favorites from Jacksons are the Hawaiian BBQ Spare Ribs (served with roasted sweet potatoes, coleslaw and a pineapple relish), Pearl's Southern Fried Chicken (served with cheese fries 'n gravy, coleslaw, buttermilk biscuit), and Nashville Hot Chicken (a spicy-fried half chicken, served with hot sauce, fries, coleslaw and pickle chips).
For a warm and savory appetizer I’d suggest the Pan Crisped Dumplings, French Onion Soup or the Fried Pickles. A few other notable items on the menu are the Korean Steak Tacos (served with pickled veg, cilantro, sriracha), and Pecan Crusted Chicken (served with brussels sprouts, mashed potatoes and bourbon gravy), and Bourbon Street Jambalaya (chicken, shrimp and andouille sausages served with plantains, peppers, onions and creole rice). If you want to pair your meal with a beer their wait staff is extremely knowledgeable and helpful.
Want to tackle comfort food in your own kitchen? Try some of these cookbooks from three of my favorite tv chefs:
- Jamie Oliver's Comfort Food by Jamie Oliver
- Carla's Comfort Foods: Favorite Dishes from Around the World by Carla Hall (co-star on The Chew)
- Emeril's Potluck: Comfort Food with a Kicked-Up Attitude by Emeril Lagasse
All of these books and more can be found in our collection.
What are your favorite comfort food dishes? What restaurants do you think hit the comfort food mark? Let us know in the comments below.