Garden City, NY (Long Island)

GSA Per Diem
Lodging = $161.00
M&IE = $66.00

Lodging

Hampton Inn Garden City
1 North Avenue
Garden City, NY 11530
(516) 227-2720
http://hamptoninn.hilton.com/en/hp/hotels/index.jhtml?ctyhocn=JHCGCHX

I had a typical Hampton Inn experience for about $159.00 a night. I did like that there was plenty of parking although the flood lights in the parking lot and the blackout curtains in my room were in a struggle to the death every night.

Warning: if you are using your GPS to find the hotel there is an issue with how GPS has been programmed for Garden City. If you plug in 1 North Ave you end up at a school. You have to type in 700 North Ave and that will get you to the hotel. It totally worked, although I never had a problem using my GPS for any other location.

Dining

Waterzooi
850 Franklin Avenue
Garden City, NY 11530
(516) 877-2177
http://www.waterzooi.com//

I found Waterzooi when I was lost in Garden City. I had never been to a Belgian bistro before and thought it sounded interesting. I had a nice baby green salad for starters, although it wasn’t memorable in any way.

My entrée was much more interesting. I had the pork offering – Wastmalle double braised pork belly with brown butter toasted spaetzle, caramelized sauerkraut, and spicy mustard. It was a thoughtful flavor combination, especially the toasted spaetzle, which added a nice crunch to the dish.

I had a Belgian waffle for dessert, although from what I have been told, it wasn’t a traditional Belgian waffle. It was fine, but I had hopes for something more authentic.

I liked Waterzooi for the most part, but I thought it was a bit overpriced as I spent about $68.00 on dinner. Also, the restaurant was so dark that I couldn’t read my book. As someone that eats alone quite often, I like having the option to read my book.

Grand Lux Café
630 Old Country Road
Garden City, NY 11530
(516) 741-0096
http://www.grandluxcafe.com/index.htm

The Grand Lux Café has an air of familiarity to it, as if you have eaten there on numerous occasions, but you just can’t quite remember when. Then you remember, it wasn’t the Grand Lux Café, it was The Cheesecake Factory you visit all the time with your co-workers. It is almost as if someone bought a Cheesecake Factory and just changed the name and made the menu less interesting. It is about the same pricing as the Cheesecake Factory, I made it out of there for around $35.00.

That being said, the portions are huge so don’t expect to power through the entire meal. While I thought most everything was adequate, the dessert was out of this world.

I ordered the New Orleans Beignets with 3 dipping sauces. As a disclaimer, I have never been to New Orleans so I can’t weigh in on their authenticity, but the beignets were fantastic. I was expecting about 3 beignets for a single dessert order, but I was served anywhere from 8 to 12 large beignets. While I was tempted, there was no way I could eat the entire serving so plan on sharing. They were so warm and wonderful – I would gladly eat at Grand Lux Café again just for the beignets

California Pizza Kitchen
1256 Old Country Road
Westbury, NY 11590
(516) 683-3338
http://www.cpk.com/location/costco-plaza-ny

It’s California Pizza Kitchen, so there aren’t any real surprises here. There are several chain restaurants in this area, so if you can’t find something you like, head towards the CPK and you will find something familiar. Try the Pear and Gorgonzola pizza, it is my favorite and you should be able to eat comfortably for around $25.00.

Hale and Hearty Soup
207 Glen Cove Road
Carle Place, NY 11514
(516) 535-1000
http://store5.geomerx.com/hahcarleplace/

With fantastic soups that change daily, I have been a big fan of Hale and Hearty for a while. I wasn’t as impressed with the sandwich offerings, but there should be something there for everyone. It is a great lunch location and it cost me about $13.00 for soup, sandwich and a soda.