Author: John Milovcic

Sometimes it’s nice to take a second and relax. Dinner is one of these times. Recently, the LIB team made it out to Bayside to try the Boro’s best Paella at Marbella’s Restaurant. We were not disappointed! We noticed something strange, almost extinct at Marbella. Customer walking in and being greeted by name and handshakes. Marbella is a cross section of the diverse community it is located in. Marbella is family owned. There customers are friends of the family. The rapport Marbella has with their customer base is obvious. Marbella Restaurant is a slice of the old world. They serve…

Lately the world has been focused on the differences that divide us. Politics, economic status and issues like that separates us. Let’s take a moment to discuss what unites us. For me the biggest element of togetherness is music. Music binds us. Last Saturday at the Crooked Rail, music did just that. In the past few years, my attention to music has shifted from the mainstream garbage that is played on the radio to the unpolished diamonds that is local independent music. Local music addresses the issues that are more relevant to us. It has a sound that defines us.…

Brooklyn is home to some of the greatest foods New York has to offer. Brooklyn is a beautiful array of Asian, African, European, South/ Latin American food. Park Slope is home to the best American Grill, the best burger joint in New York- Bonnie’s Grill. Located on a nondescript stretch of Brooklyn’s 5th Ave. Bonnie’s Grill doesn’t scream “look at me” like some of these other places do. The real beauty like in most cases lies on the inside. There is something satisfying about a good burger. It’s even better when surround by a non pretentious settings like Bonnie’s.…

Vamos a jugar en el sol. Let’s go play in the sun. We did just that Sunday celebrating DJ Theo’s 10 year anniversary. Theo lit up Tropix on the Nautical Mile in Freeport with an intense 10 hour epic set. This ten hour extended set was dubbed Theo Classics- Summer Classics. Theo at Tropix was as close to the days growing up hanging out at Neptune’s Sunday afternoons. The glorious sun beating down on us, cold drinks in my hand and high quality music played by Long Island’s best. Cancel all your plans- this is where you want to be.…

The best of the best came out Friday night for the final day of the Long Beach International Film Festival. This was a chance not only to for Long Island to socialize, it was a chance to meet celebrities, try some amazing cuisines from this incredible little island of ours and to break free from the mainstream dredge Hollywood is putting out there nowadays. It is a way we can tell the stores that are important to us. The Long Beach International Film Festival (LBIFF) hosted people like Larry Romano (The King of Queens, Donnie Brasco), Eric Coleman (New York…

Close the streets, add dozens of stages and invite 35,000 people from all points on Long Island- It’s time for Patchogue’s Alive After 5. AA5 is one of crowned jewels of Patchogue’s booming nightlife. Thursday night throughout the summer means Alive A Paint The Town at AA5 Patchogue’s best bars were well represented. Brickhouse Brewery, Village Idiot, Tap Room, Public House all had beer pens open and trust me the hops were flowing while people danced. Gallo was serving their amazing food. Village Cigar HQ had to set ups and the sticks were on point. Their house blend Exclusivo is…

Rivalry games are tough. They are the sports equivalent to fighting siblings. Whether it be Yankees- Red Sox, Giants- Cowboys, the games tend to be chippy, ugly games. The same characteristics apply to soccer. The Cosmos played quite possibly the ugliest game I saw this year to date. This was tight hard fought game that was scoreless until the 88th minute when lightning struck. The lightning came in the form of a header from Danny Szetela off the foot of Adam Moffat, propelling the Cosmos past NYCFC for the second straight year in the Lamar Hunt Open Cup. “The feeling…

Music transcends. Nothing speaks more to the soul than expressing our inner most desires over a guitar chords. It’s a time honored process. Long Island native SEE is doing just that. See is a 20 year old phenom from right here on Long Island. She has been writing original music since 15! She released her first single “Potions” this past May, and is releasing her EP June 24th. This budding jewel is incredibly confident and is driven by success. “I’d decided I wasn’t going to go to college; I wanted to do music full time. My parents were definitely freaked…

I am a fan of authenticity. Nothing makes me happier than an ethnic restaurant full of people of that ethnicity working in it. I hate Sushi restaurants with a blonde haired blue eyed host- even worse is a forced or awkward accent. I want to straggle some waiter who says “calamari” instead of “GAL-la-mar.” That’s why I love Connolly Station in Bay Shore. Connolly Station is the Irish pub of Irish pubs. All pubs pour Guinness. It’s a staple on most taps. All bar pour Jameson or Bushmills. The reason is because they are really good products. What is different…

The world is getting smaller every day. To some extent, food is at the core of this. We can learn from the way someone prepares foods. We are offered an insight that comes with ingredients used, cooking techniques and the role food can play in the family dynamic. No where is this more prominent than ethnic style foods. Recently LIB Magazine ventured to Hampton Bays and sampled Karamba. Karamba is a tropical escape located on Long Island’s South Shore. This is the ideal destination for us who love summer spent in the Hamptons. This Argentinean restaurant blends both the traditional…