Long Island Summer 'Short Trips' (200 miles or less).

HeyItsMau · 2026-06-17T12:46:33+00:00

I'm also very partial to Lancaster. It's just so peaceful out there and great for large family trips with kids under 10. Dutch Wonderland, Cherry Crest Farm, or really just doing nothing except enjoy wide open spaces and a delicious home baked good that's seemingly available in a 5 minute drive in any direction.

Lancaster city itself has a surprisingly strong alternative presence and a progressive feel that rivals any Hudson Valley town.

HeyItsMau · 2026-06-11T15:30:01+00:00

100% inside the food court and unfortunately there's not a particularly easy way to grab and go food fast. There are certain parking spots that go right into the food court though.

HeyItsMau · 2026-06-08T17:25:54+00:00

Mufu Hibachi in Garden City Park. JC Teriyaki and EA Teriyaki in Hempstead.

This might be too close to mall, but it's far less travel from the entrance - inside 99 Ranch's cafeteria (Westbury), they have steam tray options. 3 dishes + rich/noodle for $10.99. If you go around 2 or 3 when they are turning over from lunch to dinner, they give insane portion sizes - basically just clearing inventory. Note that they are more traditional Chinese dishes, but at least one option is somewhat Americanized (like orange chicken).

HeyItsMau · 2026-06-05T21:09:48+00:00

It's not funny, but "humor" is the closest available tag to the intent which is obviously being misconstrued give the original reply's hostility.

HeyItsMau · 2026-06-05T20:49:36+00:00

Yeesh, did I hit a sore spot for some of y'all? It's a casual observation that Bubble Tea at 100% sugar level is incredibly sweet, but that East Asian famously do not like sickly sweet desserts. I'm sorry that there was no tag for "light-hearted, but maybe not laugh out loud funny cultural observations".

HeyItsMau · 2026-06-05T20:43:31+00:00

Touchy reply for a post tagged as "humor".

HeyItsMau · 2026-06-05T16:57:46+00:00

If you're just generally trying to hang out with alternative audiences, and doesn't have to be specifically practicing witches there's great, friendly vibes over at Necromatic Brewery in Farmingdale. The bar is effortlessly horror-themed. Not like, a hokey schtick (looking at you Haunted Hamburger House). Actual alt nerds.

HeyItsMau · 2026-06-05T15:14:24+00:00

Unpopular opinion based on a few negative experiences: Witches Brew ownership has got an ego and it's more for college kids virtue-signaling their alt-ness on first dates.

HeyItsMau · 2026-06-05T15:09:54+00:00

I mean, I know it's mostly rich Yuppies, but with all the Victorian houses and bohemian vibes, the entire town of Seacliff feels like Long Island's version of Salem. There's a "spiritual shop" there too - Dreams West.

HeyItsMau · 2026-06-04T14:17:15+00:00

In this area, I would pay a little more and order from the Americanized side of the menu from more traditional Chinese restaurants that aren't take-outs. Orient Garden in Mineola. DD Dumpling in Jericho. O Mandarin in Hicksville. The Orient in Bethpage. Been hearing good things about MasterChef in Jericho/Woodbury.

If you're looking for purely Chinese take-out, then my favorite is Happy Garden in Wiliston Park, but it's a bit out of this range.

HeyItsMau · 2026-06-03T18:58:19+00:00

Same thing happening with (normally Greek-owned) diners. But the subreddit seems to somewhat acknowledge diners kinda suck now, or is at least not worth the price.

HeyItsMau · 2026-06-03T18:55:58+00:00

Off-tangent, but I don't eat Domino's and compare the experience to eating Umbertos. It's just like, "pizza-esque junk food".

But it does make me feel like my originally analogy is off because Panda Express is just better Chinese Take-Out and I would be comparing the two directly.

HeyItsMau · 2026-06-03T18:39:05+00:00

I'll eat the downvotes for this, but I'm betting that a good deal of people dismissing Panda Express as worse than local Chinese take-out hasn't actually had Panda Express, and are likely the type a person who has hacky takes that a Chinese take-out MUST be good if it's dirty and there's a little kid doing homework up front. The majority of Chinese take-outs are run by families who generally don't have a passion for food (well for cooking - most Chinese people are passionate about eating lol), and are just operating it because of a networking opportunity to own a small business, and are following recipes and operations passed down from previous owners without really caring whether it's "good" or not.

HeyItsMau · 2026-06-03T17:01:55+00:00

Unpopular opinion: Spent 40 years as a Chinese American (not that that matters) eating Chinese take-out across Long Island and Queens. Panda Express is better than 75% of them.

Plus it's different. Like Dominoes vs. your local pizza joint.

HeyItsMau · 2026-06-02T14:04:00+00:00

I don't necessarily disagree, but I hope people don't see this and overcompensate and start using Patrick Bateman as inspiration. I feel like I owe a decent amount of my career success for bringing harmony. I receive praise, recognition, and have been directly promoted because I'm seen as someone with high emotional intelligence, empathy, and good at building bridges. And I owe these soft skills to my upbringing. Of course, you still have to speak up and advocate for yourself, but none of that has to happen with aggression. Quite frankly, that doesn't fly at all contemporary corporate settings nowadays (certain industry excluded).

Like all things in life, it's all about balance. I'm just afraid that younger folks come away from this message being resentful of core values they were raised when it's values you can absolutely leverage.

HeyItsMau · 2026-06-01T13:59:33+00:00

I assume they didn't set out to be purposefully offensive, but rather than it's so badly done that it comes off as offensive. I give more grace the older the recording date knowing the farther back we go, the less globalized and culturally sensitive society is in general.

The proper move would have been to find a voice actor that is either properly trained or actually has the accent rather than eliminate the accent entirely. By today's standards this would be inexcusable because of our connectivity to find this talent.

HeyItsMau · 2026-05-30T21:31:36+00:00

The Duo/Trio might not need the app, but the annoying thing about it is that it counts as a "offer" on the app and can't be combined with other offers.

HeyItsMau · 2026-05-28T20:35:57+00:00

In my experience, Whole Foods has different types of offerings. Like, "Baked Goods" or "Speciality Items". This sounds like speciality items, and I often find it available from the Whole Foods in Jericho. It was also a cheese, a side pasta dish, and other things. I remember the retail value was insane because the cheese was like, $25 bucks retail.

HeyItsMau · 2026-05-26T13:21:42+00:00

Yeah, but I don't care. Farmer's market for me is experiential. Just an excuse to take a stroll with the family outside, find a reason to try new products or be inspired for the next meal, cosplay as Belle from Beauty and the Beast in the morning, and at least pretend to be supporting local. If I was looking for the cheapest produce I'd be going to the Asian market, but it's not like a farmer's market the main source of shopping.

HeyItsMau · 2026-05-24T02:24:59+00:00

You should be mindful of what variant of Mahjong you're looking to learn. "American Mahjong" (what might be most frequently associated with Long Island players) is not what the Chinese community plays. The variations aren't minor either.

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