Make no mistake; Mark and Lynn are food snobs, but absolutely not knee jerk food snobs. Indeed, one of the best recent dining experiences we had was at the Italian chain restaurant Carabas. As a rule, Mark and Lynn are no big fans of Italian food on Long Island . Most of it is heavy handed, and towering with coma inducing proportions (I know there are some exceptions). This particular Carabas is in Central Islip (across from the Culinary Institute) and we ate their after visiting a nearby cellular phone dealership ( Lynn ’s phone was new and not “working”). We were surprised at the brisk, attractive servers and staff and the quality of the food. The Calamari was a real revelation (it is an easy thing to spoil) as was the Grilled Salmon (another tough dish that is often bungled). The wine list is one of the best and easiest to read (with thorough but not condescending explanations of the various wine’s properties). We had a bicyclette (simple table wine with a shot of Campari). The bartender fielded the request for this obscure drink with impressive aplomb…Maybe the proximity to the CIA is a good thing…
