Laurel Diner

 

Located at 300 West Park Avenue in Long Beach, Laurel Diner serves diner fare daily. It is open from 7-10 Monday-Thursday, 7-11 Friday-Saturday, and 7-9 Sunday. There are daily specials as well as a burger-and-pancake-centric secret menu. Beer and wine are available.

In business since 1932, Laurel Diner is a classic diner in almost every sense. It’s spacious and boisterous with striped booths that exude retro charm. The menu is appreciably huge, boasting everything from breakfast to sandwiches to pastas and much, much, more. About the only thing here that doesn’t recall a bygone era is the pricing, which is high even by 21st-century Long Island standards.

Laurel does at least offer rather generous portions (plus free coleslaw and pickles), but the food is nothing special. I went with a pastrami Reuben and a side salad in place of fries. The sandwich satisfied a craving though the meat was a bit chewy. It feels almost blasphemous, but I can get a better version down in North Carolina for about half the $20-plus cost. To Laurel’s credit, the staff were at least attentive and accommodating.

For those who grew up with diners like this or simply want a lot of options to choose from, Laurel Diner holds a certain appeal. Remove nostalgia from the equation, however, and it offers neither particularly good food nor a good value.

Kookaburra Coffee

Located at 69 North Village Avenue in Rockville Center, Kookaburra Coffee serves coffee, pastries, and breakfast foods daily. It is a cash-only business with no indoor and limited outdoor seating.

Doesn’t take credit cards? No place to sit? Line out the door? Given the first two, I suspected that this place must be something special for the third to hold true. Thankfully, I was right.

From coffees and teas to donuts and bagels and more, Kookaburra has an impressive selection. Whether you want a simple haht cawfee or something more extravagant, they have you covered. The baristas are amicable and adept at keeping the line moving.

For our first visit, my wife and I ended up with a NOLA cold brew (with chicory), a toasted marshmallow caramel latte, and a maple Berliner to share. Everything was good, and honestly not that expensive by New York standards. The coffee was smooth and not too sweet while the donut tasted fresh. Impressed, I returned the next day to snag a graham cracker latte and an Irish cream cold brew. The second round of Kookaburra drinks was just as satisfying as the first.

If you’re in a hurry or really want to be able to sit inside and eat/drink, you can try the Dunkin down the street. If you don’t mind waiting a few minutes, paying cash, and taking your coffee to go, then Kookaburra offers an experience that is hard to beat.

Sushi Sho

 

Located at 2213 Cloverdale Avenue in Winston-Salem, Sushi Sho offers sushi and Japanese cuisine for lunch and dinner daily. Online ordering and all-you-can-eat are available.

Now that High Point and Greensboro have multiple AYCE sushi options, it was only a matter of time before Winston-Salem got in on the act. The more, the merrier, and Sushi Sho clearly serves a need. That said, if you aren’t coming here specifically for flat-rate fish and rice consumption, there are better options.

Sushi Sho is reasonably spacious, which is a plus given how busy they keep. I stopped by for lunch around 12:30 on a Monday, and there was a fairly steady stream of customers before and after me. They seemed understaffed given the volume, but both the front-of-house staff and sushi chefs were hustling at a commendable rate. Tiffany (I think?) provided good service despite doing what looked like the work of at least two people.

Not wanting to commit to an AYCE experience just yet, I opted for a regular menu and took a seat at the bar. Pricing is another point in Sushi Sho’s favor. AYCE runs under $20 for lunch and under $30 for dinner. I went with the sushi roll lunch, which also proved plenty affordable: any two classic rolls with miso or salad for about $12. Even with the specialty rolls removed from the equation, there were plenty of appealing options. I ended up picking an Alaska roll and a spicy yellowtail roll.

 

Unfortunately, the food here was merely OK. The salad was mostly lettuce though the requisite ginger dressing didn’t disappoint. Typically, an Alaska roll is an “inside out” (fish on top) concoction, but not here. Composition aside, the salmon and avocado left no reason for complaint. However, the same cannot be said for the yellowtail roll. Dry rice, an absence of spice, and an abundance of crunch in the middle made this roll one I would avoid in the future.

If you have time and patience to spare, you can find a good value here, but on food alone, Sushi Sho is only so-so.

Mama Bear's Sweet Shop

 

Located at 3793 Samet Drive Unit 140 in High Point, Mama Bear’s Sweet Shop offers baked goods, ice cream/gelato, and coffee. It is open from 11:30-6 Tuesday-Friday, 12-4 on the weekend, and closed on Monday.

While its prices have gone up, Odeh’s Mediterranean Kitchen remains the gold standard for Mediterranean/Middle Eastern food in High Point. With this bakery spinoff, the Odeh family looks to continue to raise the bar. First impressions have been very encouraging.

Housed in the former Mandalay Asian Fusion space, Mama Bear’s is bright, clean, and spacious with plenty of seating. The selection is commendably varied: rolls, croissants, cakes, cookies, gelato, ice cream, and more. Whatever your sweet tooth yearns for, they have you covered. Coffee and espresso drinks are available as well.

For my first visit, I went with a slice of Dubai chocolate cake and a white chocolate peanut butter cookie. The cake was rich and chocolatey with a nice crunch, but at $7/slice, I’ll probably go with a less extravagant flavor next time. The cookie ($3.50) was a standout: moist and chewy without falling apart. White chocolate and peanut butter proved to be an underrated combination.

If you’re a fan of Odeh’s, enjoy a good pastry, or both, then Mama Bear’s is a no-brainer. Be forewarned that if you follow their social media, you may have a tough time staying away.