Dan's Papers - August 17, 2007

Hungry after a day at the beach? Longing for a sweet treat during your lunch break? Candy Kitchen is a great choice for any of your dining needs and here is an insiders guide on what to order at the this Hamptons establishment.

While Candy Kitchen is known for their delectable homemade ice cream, it also boasts great food that will satisfy any palette. When you walk into the restaurant, sit yourself down in one of the booths along the wall or opt to sit at the counter.

The first important decision is what to drink. While soda is always a safe bet, why not try a lime rickey? This drink consists of cherry syrup, lime juice and seltzer. Or you can make a milkshake out of any of the Candy Kitchen's 20+ ice cream flavors. The hot seller is the black and white milkshake, but you can make your own creation by mixing strawberry and banana or using your favorite flavor. If none of those tickle your fancy, Candy Kitchen also offers ice cream sodas and egg creams. If you're looking for a lighter option, try the restaurants lemonade that is made fresh to order or the unsweetened ice tea.

Now comes the problem about what to order? With a large menu and breakfast served all day there are tons of choices to make. An ever popular dish is the grilled chicken over Greek salad. Presented in a large bowl with tomatoes, cucumbers, feta, olives and onions along with a delicious dressing, this is a great choice for lunch or dinner. The club sandwich is also a great choice. Number one underneath the Triple-Decker Sandwiches headline, this club is a delicious treat made with sliced turkey, tomato, bacon and crisp lettuce sandwiched between your choice of toasted white, wheat or rye bread.

Another favorite is the tuna sandwich. You can customize it to make it your own by adding lettuce, tomatoes, onions or cheese. Cheeseburgers and Hamburgers are also hot sellers and are not to be missed for your lunchtime menu. Made any way you like, you can also make your ordinary burger into a deluxe burger. This plate comes with French fries, lettuce, tomato and cole slaw.

While there are tons of sandwich and salad options for lunch, don't forget the Candy Kitchen's delicious breakfast options that are served all day. You can choose from two eggs served any way you like with ham, bacon, sausage, Canadian style bacon or corned beef hash. There are also plenty of omelette options and you can also design your own. You can also choose from a bunch of breakfast sandwiches, pancakes or French toast.

Not looking for a heavy meal? Candy Kitchen can also deliver. On the breakfast menu, pick from melon, grapefruit, or fruit salad and you can add cottage cheese. For lunch, choose from the Health Salad, made with cottage cheese and fruit or the Diet Plate, made with fruit, cottage cheese and a hamburger. Salads will also give you a healthy option at the Candy Kitchen and with lots of them to choose from, you can't go wrong.

Now that you've dug in with some delicious entrees, you have to sample the famous ice cream. I know what you're thinking...its lunch time. There's no dessert with lunch! But at the Candy Kitchen, there's always room for ice cream. And yes, their ice cream is homemade. If you're a purist, you can choose to have a scoop of your favorite in either a cup or a sugar or wafer cone. For those who are more adventurous, mix flavors together in a sundae cup and add your own toppings. You can choose from hot fudge, marshmallow, butterscotch, cherry topping and more. Oh, and don't forget the chocolate or rainbow sprinkles, whip cream and cherry. If you have a real sweet tooth, try the Candy Kitchen's banana split with two to three scoops of ice cream. As a side note, the Candy Kitchen does not offer low fat ice cream or frozen yogurt. If you're going to go for ice cream, might as well go all the way.

That's pretty much all you need to know to have a fabulous and fulfilling lunch at the Candy Kitchen. You could even come back and do it all over again for dinner as they have the same menu all day. And don't forget to dress up a little; you never know which celeb you might run into. Richard Gere, Paris Hilton, Sarah Jessica Parker, oh my!