The title of this post is a little misleading, I'll admit. If you're expecting a listing of the allegedy haunted spots that exist in our little hamlet, you'll be disappointed, although I could swear that whenever I'm in the McDonald's on the corner of Commack Road and Vanderbilt Parkway, I can feel the presence of Rosie O'Donnell, as if millions of Big Macs suddenly cried out in terror and were suddenly silenced.
What I mean by the "mysterious" parts of Commack can be summed up by this statement:
I ate at last summer.
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Not a very Earth-shattering (or even Commack-shattering) admission, except that it was actually the very first time I'd eaten there, quite a remarkable fact considering:
- I've lived in Commack for more about 92.5% of my life
- I've eaten out at many restaurants all over Long Island
- I like ribs
The Spare Rib was never my first option for ribs. I've had ribs at other Commack restaurants including and and , as well as non-Commack venues including Smokin' Al's in Bay Shore.
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Strange, right? I mean, the restuarant is in a very high-profile location and I drive past it at least a couple of times a week, and even though the restaurant's slogan is "We Ain't Just Ribs," I always assumed it was, in fact, "just ribs" for many of its patrons.
There Is a Point to This Story
And that point is: Despite being a longtime Commack resident, I haven't been to every single venue in Commack. There are pockets of places that I've probably drove past a million times, but I've never had any reason or motiviation to patronize.
Until last summer, The Spare Rib was one of those places. Here are a few others:
(6145 Jericho Turnpike). Want proof that I've never been here? I was calling this place "Crown" Shoes until I looked up the Web site. According to the site, Craft "is a family-owned and operated business that has served the community for over 40 years." I did not know that! It's large sign is one of the more noticeable things on the Commack stretch of Jericho Turnpike, but I have never, ever been there.
Everything in that strip mall east of Craft sandwiched between the paneling store and the lighting store. My parents' Commack basement could have been the poster-child for paneling (among other things), but that was in the 1970s, so I'm impressed that a store called is still around. Sure, they sell more than just paneling (including moulding, ceilings, and laminate and hardwood flooring), but that's like having a store that sells computers and calling it Typewriter World.
That really old historic (486 Town Line Road). Probably because I'm not Methodist. However, I have dropped off stuff in the next-door thrift shop. Perhaps you're the proud owner of my kids' gently used Sesame Street table.
White Castle (2237 Jericho Turnpike). Who am I kidding? I've been there like a million times, much to the disappointment of my cardiologist.
The Commack Cemetery (450 Town Line Road). For years I've wanted to check this place out, mainly because there's more than at, say, White Castle. I could be wrong, however.
What places in Commack are you ashamed (or proud) to admit you've never visited?
