An Orange Resident Dines Out...

On Friday, 10/20/06, I ventured to Bay Shore Long Island to dine, all awaited, at Tula Kitchen. Having met the endearingOwner, Jackie Sharlup, while on vacation in Mexico and falling for her instantly I just had to make the journey and dine at her new restaurant. I arrived late at approximately 8:45pm and the dining room was about half full and there was a near full bar. The interior was warm and welcoming. I was not surprised to see Jackie come out from the kitchen and talk to a few of her customers. The first thing you feel at Tula Kitchen is the warmth of this welcoming, people focused environment. I will speak more of this later. I opened with a pomegranate martini made perfectly. I decided to dine at the bar because I was alone and I knew Jackie would be busy and not be able to join me. I'm happy with this choice as it allowed me to meet several staff members, other customers and a very close friend of Jackie who helps out on the weekends. After a tour of the modestly sized but well planned operation I was ready to be fed and fed I was. I opened with a Caesar Salad and Pita wedges accompanied by mixed whole beans. The salad was a cool and extreme tasty twist on the Caesar Salad with a whole head Romaine lettuce sliced in half and large pieces of toast. The dressing and fresh shaved parmesan cheese topped the lettuce and toast perfectly. The pita and beans on the other hand were great individually but where difficult to impossible to deliver to my mouth. The beans simple rolled off the pita wedges. A dip in hummus fashion would be far better. I selected the Shrimp, Broccoli Rabe and Pasta special and special it was. Presented in a home style, this dish was as welcoming and warming as your Grandmother's best soup on a cold night. The quality and serving size where perfect. My pallet and tummy were beautifully satisfied. I happily proved my membership in the "clean plate club"! Through this culinary experience the main experience was unfolding, more on this later. I was comfortably full and decided not to have dessert, although I would have ordered all on the menu. I had a long drive ahead of me back to Connecticut and wanted to be safe and comfortable so I chose to have a cup of French Pressed Coffee with Soy Milk. This coffee was outstanding and was perfectly complemented by the soy milk and raw sugar. The sugar plate, although looking cool upon arrival, did not hold the sugar well and therefore much ended up on the bar while I spooned some into my cup. As will all the ingredients, Jackie is serving top quality food made with care of quality, of presentation and mostly of the health and enjoyment of her customers. "Life to eat, eat to live" is truly practiced here. Ok, here is my wrap-up. The interior was welcoming and warming as previously stated and the food was outstanding. These are both key requirements for a successful restaurant but there are two things which shine beyond the staples of good business. The fact that the food you consume at Tula Kitchen is all in line with healthy living without the sacrifice of taste and variety is to be commended. And the real difference and outstanding experience found at Tula Kitchen is the "Human" experience. I was welcomed into Jackie's life (and a quality life it is), one filled with loving and genuine relationships. Now I know Jackie so one could say that's why I had this experience, possibly true, but that was not the feeling I got while watching Jackie and her staff greet, interact and wish a good night to the people who came to Tula Kitchen. Go to Tula Kitchen for the food, enjoy the environment but appreciate the human experience as this is the take-a-way from my friend Jackie's restaurant. In what appeared to be a sea of Meat and Potato eateries on Main Street, Jackie is serving food for the mind, body and soul all rolled into pallet exciting dishes.

Thank you Jackie for an experience I will not soon forget!

Pasquale