The Backup Plan August 2013

Long Island Spirits Debuts Whisky on the Hudson

Love the North Fork but not a big wine drinker?  Check out Long Island Spirits next time your out east.  Long Island Spirits is home of LiV Vodka, long islands own original vodka, distilled and poured at their distillery and tasting room located at 2182 Sound ave. Baiting Hollow, NY 11933.  Long Island Spirits also features over 200 of the world’s finest whiskies and scotch single malts, including Pine Barrens American Single Malt Whisky, Rough Rider Straight Bourbon Whisky and Rough Rider Bull Moose Three Barrel Rye Whisky.

The Tasting room at Long Island Spirits is open 7 days a week and tours can be arranged Monday-Friday by appointment, on the weekends feel free to just drop on by.  Aside from offering a premium vintage Long Island Spirits, founded in 2007, is the first distillery located on Long Island since the 1800’s and is completely unique in that respect.  It is surrounded by over 5,000 acres of potato farms and located in the heart of long islands wine region.  Although only recently founded the land here has been cultivated and cared for for over a century by hard working and experienced potato farmers, this virtually guarantees a premium and delectable spirit.

Recently Long Island Spirits has partnered with Manhattan cruise lines to offer a truly unique experience with Whisky on the Hudson.  This is an incredible night that will showcase some of Long Island Spirit’s finest whiskies while cruising around the Hudson under the glow of beautiful Manhattan.  The Whisky Guild will be in attendance, and some of the world’s foremost experts, distillers and brand ambassadors will be on board to help guide you through the sampling of their spirits.  This is an event not to be missed and will include a gourmet dinner, a special master class hosted by some of the most gifted individuals in the whisky industry, and of course the best whiskies in the world.

All Star Limousine is a Long Island, New York based company with an extensive global reach; we provide expert Wedding, Special Event and Executive Travel services throughout the Tri-State area and the world. We have over 30 years of experience in the travel industry; our attention to detail, 2013 top-of-the-line vehicles and professional trained Chauffeurs set us apart from the rest!

by Jarrad Kulick

Great Restaurants Near LaGuardia International Airport

LaGuardia International airport is a major commuter hub located in the NY metropolitan area.   With over a dozen airlines carrying tens of thousands of passengers daily the queens area surrounding LGA can get a little congested.  No one wants to fight gridlock looking for a reputable place to eat only to be tired and hungry and end up with an over cooked steak or chewy calamari.  In the interest of ravenous jet setters everywhere here are three top notch restaurants located within 15 minuets of LaGuardia airport.

5 Napkin Burger in Astoria.  If you haven’t experienced the 5 Napkin Burger chain yet you are seriously missing out.  The restaurant gets its name from the monstrous signature burgers they serve and it is well earned.  Primarily serving American cuisine 5 napkins offers a Varity of dishes from around the world including several unique burgers that are exclusive to this Avant-guard burger chain.  Serving an a la carte brunch on Saturday and Sunday 5 Napkin Burger in Astoria-Queens is located less then 4 miles from LGA.

Uncle Jacks Steakhouse.  Uncle Jacks is just about 10 miles from LaGuardia Airport and it’s claim as “The Best Steakhouse in New York” is not too far off.  Now given there are some dynamite steakhouses in the NY metro area but Uncle Jacks is certainly a contender.  Uncle Jacks boasts several locations but the original was founded in the early 1930’s and was titled simply Jack’s.   Their mantra is “Where superior quality and obsessive dedication to craft are the norm”.  With an impressive wine menu and the finest USDA Prime Beef Uncle Jacks is a steakhouse not to be missed.

Trattoria L’incontro Italian is the go too Italian restaurant near LaGuardia airport.  Located only three miles from LGA Trattoria L’incontro is the perfect place to stop in after a long flight, whether you just want to have a nice glass of wine at the wine bar or you are looking for some fine Italian dining.   Hand painted murals and an open brick over lend this establishment an air of tradition and comfort and this feeling is also reflected in their vast and somewhat unique menu.  A variety of brick over pizzas are offered at Trattoria L’inconto as well as some very interesting creations (including a brick oven pizza stuffed with chocolate).  Trattoria also offers the type of cuisine you would expect from a restaurant known for its fine dining dishes such as fried calamari, muscles in white sauce and grilled octopus are some of the more popular choices on the menu.

 All Star Limousine is a Long Island, New York based company with an extensive global reach; we provide expert Wedding, Special Event and Executive Travel services throughout the Tri-State area and the world. We have over 30 years of experience in the travel industry; our attention to detail, 2013 top-of-the-line vehicles and professional trained Chauffeurs set us apart from the rest!

by Jarrad Kulick

Five Zagat Rated Steak Houses In NYC

Maintaining our tradition of identifying the top restaurants in NYC today we will present Zagat’s top rated steak houses in the NYC area.  Due to the abundance of corporate carnivores in the New York area we will talk about the top five steak houses as opposed to our usual three.  There are some heavy hitters here and some boast names recognized the world over; the New York Steak House may be the most frequented type of eatery in NYC.   Here are the five best Zagat rated steak houses in New York City.

Peter Lugers Steak House may be the best steak house in the city.  Voted NYC’s top steak house for an amazing 28 years in a row Peter Lugers is doing something right.  The dining room is a bit on the bright side, the waiters aren’t overly friendly, Peter Lugers doesn’t even take credit cards they are cash only!  However, you will not find a better porterhouse steak anywhere in the world, Zagat calls it “the gold standard” of steaks. 

Sparks Steak House has been in operation since 1966 and is located right near Grand Central Station.  It is known as a “man’s steak house” and the décor, portions and regular clientele perpetuate that theme.  Sparks has no qualms about being known as a man’s restaurant, after all it is a steak house.  Massive slabs of prime aged beef are served at a premium price in a less then thrilling dining room, but Sparks remains “The quintessential New York Steakhouse”.

Wolfgang's Steakhouses are known for their smooth service, varied menu and “cooked to perfection” chops.  A nicer ambiance then some of their contemporaries Wolfgangs maintains a tried and true recipe for delicious steaks and a successful business.  A Large and spacious main dining area can at times become downright chaotic but its all part of the mood.   Four Decades of excellence has honed the craft of world famous Wolfgang Zwiener and his East 54^th street location is a perfect example of the quality of his culinary genius.

Del Frisco’s is known not only for their incredible prime aged beef but also for the action and excitement surrounding the always-packed restaurant.  Floor to ceiling windows dominate the vista of this sprawling three-story steak house operated by manager Scott Gould and offer a view of bustling 6^th avenue.  Accessible, exciting and delicious Del Frisco’s offers a bit more then its more traditional competition.

Smith and Wollensky was opened by Alan Stillman in October of 1977, often a tad underrated Smith and Wollensky was the original “quintessential New York Steakhouse”.  One of the highest grossing restaurants in the county they offer only USDA Prime steaks, dry aged and hand butchered on premises.  The walls of this NYC icon are covered in reviews and letters from all manner of individuals praising the amazing venue and its fare.

All Star Limousine is a Long Island, New York based company with an extensive global reach; we provide expert Wedding, Special Event and Executive Travel services throughout the Tri-State area and the world. We have over 30 years of experience in the travel industry; our attention to detail, 2013 top-of-the-line vehicles and professional trained Chauffeurs set us apart from the rest!

by Jarrad Kulick

The PGA Tour

This years PGA Golf tour is well underway and leading the pack is the incomparable Tiger woods.  A pro golf phenom Woods’ history is colorful and impressive.  He first debuted his aptitude for the sport of golf at age 2 when he putted against Bob Hope on the Mike Douglas Show.  At age 3 he shot 48 on 9 holes and he was featured in golf digest at age 5.

Tiger, who got the name from a friend of his fathers in Vietnam, is currently ranked number 1 in this years PGA tour.  His achievements at age 37 rank him among the most successful golfers of all time. According to Forbes magazine he has been one of the highest paid athletes in the world for several years.  Woods has broken numerous golf records. He holds the record for being number one in the world for the most consecutive weeks and for the greatest total number of weeks. He has been awarded PGA player of the year a record ten times, he has won 14 professional men’s major golf championships.  He is also the youngest player to ever win the Grand Slam, which is an unofficial concept that currently involves winning all four of golf’s major championships (The Masters Tournament, The U.S. Open, The Open Championship, and the PGA Championship).  All this equates to Tiger woods being the indisputably dominant force in today’s world of men’s golf.

That is not to say that every one else should just pack up their clubs and go home, golf is a game of inches after all.  Just this past week there were some strong finishes.  Some of the pros to keep an eye on are Bill Haas, Brant Snedeker, Keegan Bradley, Billy Horschel, Matt Kuchar and Jordan Spieth.  Anyone of these talented gentlemen has the ability to dethrone the great woods.  So stay tuned as this years PGA tour continues.

All Star Limousine is a Long Island, New York based company with an extensive global reach; we provide expert Wedding, Special Event and Executive Travel services throughout the Tri-State area and the world. We have over 30 years of experience in the travel industry; our attention to detail, 2013 top-of-the-line vehicles and professional trained Chauffeurs set us apart from the rest!

by Jarrad Kulick

Football Season

 Ahhh football season once again.  Aside from fall foliage it may be the one reason to look forward to the end of the summer.   Football (or as the Europeans say American football) is derived from rugby and the first football game was played on November 6^th in 1869.  Statistics show that football is the most popular game in the United States and the Super Bowl (the NFL championship game) is among the most watched sporting events in the world.

This years football season has begun with its typical over exaggerated hype including an explosion of false alarms on multiple social media platforms relating to potential injuries players have suffered.  It seems every social media enthusiast is looking at a rubbed shoulder or grabbed knee like a career ending injury. Super Bowl XLVIII was announced with a bit more drama then usual, this may be because this will be the first Super Bowl played at an open air arena in an area known for its colder climes, this years Super Bowl will be help at Met Life Stadium in East Rutherford NJ (the home turf of our own NY Giants).   This holds great significance for some and not so much for others and I am sure you can imagine why.  For our New England Teams like the Patriots or the Giants its home, its what they’re used to.  For others not acclimated to the colder climes it is cause for concern, and some say lends an unfair advantage to teams more used to playing in cold weather.

Regardless of the outcome of that futile debate this years Super Bowl will be held at Met Life Stadium.  Of course we all look forward to all the drama and excitement another season will bring to our dens and televisions.  This year social media platforms like Twitter and Facebook will play a heavier role in the news surrounding America’s favorite sport.  I for one can’t wait to see big blue beat their 22-1 odds and bring us home that coveted Super Bowl trophy!

All Star Limousine is a Long Island, New York based company with an extensive global reach; we provide expert Wedding, Special Event and Executive Travel services throughout the Tri-State area and the world. We have over 30 years of experience in the travel industry; our attention to detail, 2013 top-of-the-line vehicles and professional trained Chauffeurs set us apart from the rest!

by Jarrad Kulick