for breaking news visit www.qns.com NOVEMBER 10, 2016 • The Courier SUN 37 Savoring the little things in life The world is upside down and passions are running high in every home, but something sweet and innocent goes on at the same time: Kids playing ball. My “big” grandchildren, all over 6 feet tall – Sam, Zac and now Ben – play football, lacrosse and basketball. My “little” grandchildren, all under 10 years old, play soccer, tag football, basketball and lacrosse, so I get vicarious pain and pleasure watching their joy, their victories, even their losses. Last weekend, 5-year-old Addy and 7-year-old Jonah joined me as we bundled up, with layers of clothes, hats and gloves, to watch their cousin “Big” Ben play in his high school’s football championship game at Randall’s Island. Ben, lucky number 2, was on the field for defense and offense because he’s so good! Ben, the last Broner to play for his beloved Dalton – he’s the “baby” – was to make history for the school, as a member of the first Dalton team to win every game in the season and then win its division championship too. We got to see him play his last two winning games thankfully, in still relatively warm weather. What angst, what pain, as I watched his mom’s face as the game proceeded. I always believe that it’s harder on the “viewer” than the participant. That was true as his parents watched with clenched teeth as the championship was won after ties and touchdowns. His mom had tears as she saw her son lead his team to victory. As one of the mothers said, “This was a team with a big heart and caring about each other.” It’s talent and teamwork that make a victory, and Victoria’s Secrets Ben’s Dalton team had both. They will cherish their victory for their school and themselves for the rest of their lives! With big, prideful eyes and joy, the “little ones” ran onto the field and hugged Ben as they congratulated him. They, too, learned a lesson about teamwork and they excitedly delighted in Ben’s victory. It was a great time on many levels – and, of course, I was a proud grandma! Maiella, LIC Italian dining on the water, is better than ever Victor offering a lemon meringue pie Dynamic $1500 off Lumineers $500 off Invisalign DENTAL WORK CALL FOR FREE CONSULTATION THE INVISIBLE WAY TO SOME EXCLUSIONS APPLY STRAIGHTEN TEETH Third Generation Dentist 175-15 Jamaica avenue, Jamaica 718-297-4100 • 718-297-4106 Victoria SCHNEPS-YUNIS [email protected] tweet me @vschneps LIC has become my home away from home because my children Josh and Elizabeth have run the LIC Flea and Food market eight months a year for the past four years. So I have seen many changes over the years as the community, particularly along the waterfront on Center Boulevard, has grown dramatically, bringing several fourstar dining places serving superb food and spectacular views of the Manhattan skyline. I had the pleasure of visiting Maiella, which sits just next to the Pepsi sign on the waterfront. One of the owners is Bobby Briskin, whose proud parents own Alicia’s Jewelers in the Bay Terrace Shopping Center in Bayside. The restaurant has evolved under the leadership of Executive Chef Raffaele Solinas. It is a casual yet elegant restaurant and I came hungry after seeing Josh Groban in in his new play “The Great Comet” at the reconfigured Imperial Theater-turned-Russian nightclub. More on that later. I began my meal, seated at a window table in the open, elegant space, with the creamy burrata appetizer wrapped in prosciutto melting in my mouth. I then sampled an assortment from the Salumeria menu with three different meats – bresaola, airdried beef top round, sliced thin; sopresatta picante, a spicy sliced cured pork sausage; and finocchiona, a sweet cured pork and fennel sausage – all served on a wooden board, perfect with our martinis! There are many choices of pastas and my favorite meatball and spaghetti is served with three meatballs in a tasty rich San Marzano tomato sauce. It’s great to share. For the entrée, my friend and I ordered the special sea bass presented in a hot clay pot smothered in shrimp, langoustine, mussels and clams, all in a light tomato sauce. Each fish is perfectly cooked and is a plentiful portion for sharing. The menu also offers nine different pizzas. Since no perfect meal is complete without dessert, we indulged in Maiella’s famous bread pudding with vanilla gelato surrounded by a dripping of chocolate caramel. Don’t leave without it! It’s delicious. There is valet parking and also a few blocks from the subway so it’s easy to reach. Try it. You too will love it! Maiella is located at 4610 Center Blvd. in LIC; 718-606-1770. It’s open for dinner Monday through Friday, 5-11 p.m.; Saturday, 4-11 p.m.; and Sunday, 5-11 p.m. There’s also brunch on weekends, 11:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m., Saturday and Sunday. Daniel Steinberger, the manager, prepared the pasta infused with homemade Sangiovese wine, tossed in a parmigiana wheel with truffle cream sauce. Outrageous! Ben with Jonah and Addy Ben with the Dalton team that won every game in the season, and its division championship, too!
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