Wolffer Kitchen

4 Amagansett Square

Amagansett

631-267-2764

Summer hours: Dinner, seven days; brunch, Saturday and Sunday

As we near the end of the summer season (waaaaaah!), I have been reflecting on how many really very good restaurants opened this year. The new Wolffer Kitchen in Amagansett is most certainly one of them. 

This sister restaurant to the one in Sag Harbor has moved into what was the Meeting House. The Meeting House was very good, but the expanse of white tile and hard surfaces made it a most noisy place to dine.

The changes are subtle but noticeable. Structurally, everything looks the same. You enter through an attractive covered patio by the front door and to the right are an open kitchen and high tables with stools. To the left are a long bar and flowery banquettes. Beyond that is a small dining alcove, perfect for romance or parents with screaming babies. Some of the walls are pale aqua and the light fixtures have huge rattan shades or abalone shell spheres. I wouldn’t call it “Bohemian,” as they do, but it’s certainly stylish.

We got lucky on the night of our visit: We were seated on the outdoor patio, which thankfully has overhead heaters. We began our meal with crispy shrimp, grilled calamari, zucchini noodles more zoodles!), and naan bread with hummus and olives. 

The crispy shrimp were very good. The three huge, split, and flattened shrimp were in a sturdy, crisp batter, and sitting on a salsa of papaya, mango, cantaloupe, and diced red peppers. The shrimp was drizzled with gochujang, a sweet-spicy Korean condiment that pretty much makes everything taste better. The grilled calamari salad was warm and excellent. The rings and tentacles were tender and smoky, tossed with arugula, orange slices, chilies, and some tiny, red, pickled peppers that tasted like peppadews. We all loved this dish. 

The zucchini noodles were a combination of zucchini and summer squash with diced tomatoes and plenty of garlic. This appetizer was okay. We thought a dash of salt might help it. The naan bread with hummus was excellent. The naan was nicely crisped and smoky from the wood-burning oven, and the hummus had a good balance of lemon and tahini with the puréed chickpeas.

For entrees we tried the scallops, cauliflower rice, black lentils with coconut red curry, and littleneck clams with more zoodles. 

The five scallops were perfectly seared, caramelized on both sides but not overcooked, served on a bed of super fresh, sweet bicolor corn kernels mixed with shiitakes and other mushrooms, a bit of wilted kale, and drizzled with a buttery sauce. Most excellent. The cauliflower rice was rather bland with a few shreds of kale and some orange zest. The black lentils were more successful: rich and creamy with coconut milk, the red curry flavors not overpowering. 

The littleneck clams were in a smoky red broth full of diced chorizo, chickpeas, and shredded zucchini. The clams were teeny and sweet and tender, and the broth was out of this world. A slice of toasted baguette was almost enough to sop up the broth.

The service that evening was excellent. Our waitress, Cornelia, knew her stuff and offered wise recommendations. The prices are moderate and the menu has many interesting options for vegetarians and vegans, which is not only necessary nowadays but quite admirable. There is something for everyone. 

It is also worth mentioning the wine list, which is about 80 percent Wolffer wines with nary an Italian or French bottle on the list. There is a smattering of Spanish and Argentinian and a few from California and the Pacific Northwest. The markup of wines at most restaurants is two to three times the wholesale price. At Wolffer Kitchen you can get some of winemaker Roman Roth’s fine wines at very reasonable prices — many bottles are only $44.

Prices are $12 to $35 for raw items, salads, tapas, vegetables, and legumes. Wood oven items and main dishes are $24 to $45, and desserts are $12.

For dessert we sampled a banana s’mores sundae, flourless chocolate cake, and carrot cake, all are made in house. The banana s’mores sundae was very entertaining and very large. The banana slices were topped with ice cream, marshmallows, chocolate and caramel sauce. It was described as bananas foster sauce, but that would have been boozier. Maybe this was the PG version. The bowl was rimmed with graham crackers, and the marshmallows torched like the traditional campfire treat. 

The flourless chocolate cake was a good rendition of what now seems to be a restaurant staple: gooey in the middle, made with a fine bittersweet chocolate, served with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, and artfully drizzled with chocolate and raspberry sauces. The carrot cake was two slices of roulade, thin cake rolled up jellyroll style with the filling inside. My guest who ordered it was not impressed, but I thought it was quite good. The cake was moist with carrots and shredded coconut, the filling lighter than the usually dense cream cheese frosting.

Midway through our meal, my friend Steven remarked, “This is the perfect marriage of environment, good food, nice weather, and dining outside.” Amen.

Quail Hill Farm in Amagansett will hold its annual Great Tomato Taste-Off on Saturday from 9 a.m. to noon at the farm. The farm has been growing old favorite varieties of tomatoes along with some new ones — 42 types in all, including cherry, paste, and standard tomatoes in all shapes, sizes, and colors — and those who attend will be able to sample and rate the tomatoes. 

Volunteers are being sought for help harvesting tomatoes and setting up tomorrow, as well as for the event on Saturday; those who can lend a hand have been asked to contact Jane at [email protected]. 

Restaurant Cookout

An all-American cookout at Baron’s Cove in Sag Harbor on Sunday will feature burgers, hot dogs, barbecued chicken, and bratwurst on the grill, prepared by Matty Boudreau, the chef, and his team, between 1 and 5 p.m. The Jon Divello Trio will play music live from 2 to 5 p.m. Also on the menu will be pretzel bites with beer cheese, sliders, and clams casino. 

On Tumbleweed Tuesday — the day after Labor Day next week — Baron’s Cove will offer a selection of small plates for its happy hour menu from 3 to 7 p.m. and feature a new cocktail, the Reposado Smash, made with reposado tequila, chile liqueur, blackberries, basil, and lime juice. 

Fresh Fish Competition

On Wednesday at Navy Beach restaurant in Montauk, a Hook ’Em and Cook ’Em dinner will also serve as a competition among 14 chefs from Barcelona Wine Bar and Restaurant locations across the country. Along with Christopher Lee, the James Beard Award-winning chef at Navy Beach, they will go out fishing for fluke, striped bass, and bluefish, and then use their catch of the day to prepare a family-style meal that includes local produce and other seafood. It will be served along with Montauk Brewing Company beer and Paumanok Vineyards wine, and canapés provided by the restaurant. 

Diners will be asked to vote for their favorite course. The cost is $100 per person for the 7 to 10 p.m. event. A portion of the proceeds will benefit the Navy SEAL Foundation. Tickets can be reserved on the Eventbrite website by searching for “Hook ’Em and Cook ’Em.” 

North Fork Foodie Tour

Tickets are on sale for the 11th annual North Fork Foodie Tour, an opportunity to visit 20 sites and get a glimpse behind the scenes at farms, wineries, and other places that produce local artisanal foods and beverages.

The self-guided tour will take place on Sept. 10 starting at 10 a.m. at the Peconic Land Trust Agricultural Center at Charnews Farm in Southold. Tickets are $25 per adult (free for children ages 12 and below). Among the places that can be visited will be the Catapano Dairy Farm, Sang Lee Farms, Greenport Harbor Brewery, North Fork Hops, Southold Bay Oysters, Browder’s Birds, Macari Wines, Goodale Farms, and Lavender by the Bay. There will be activities such as tastings, demonstrations, and games throughout the day, as well as talks on topics such as using herbs and wild plants, and on developing a pickle business. 

Tickets are on sale at $100 each for a “hook ’em and cook ’em” event at Navy Beach restaurant in Montauk on Sept. 6. Fourteen chefs from Barcelona Wine Bar locations nationwide will spend a day fishing for fluke, striped bass, and bluefish and then prepare a meal from their catch. The main dish will be served along with vegetables from Amagansett’s Amber Waves Farm, seafood from Dock to Dish, beer from the Montauk Brewing Company, and Paumanok Vineyards wine. Diners will be asked to vote for their favorite course. 

A portion of the proceeds from the dinner will benefit the Navy SEAL Foundation. Tickets can be reserved on Eventbrite.

Bistro Eté

760 Montauk Highway

Water Mill

631-500-9085

Bistro Eté is a little jewel. It is the kind of place I’m not sure I want to share with you because it is tiny and charming and the food is a delicious mash-up of French, Middle Eastern, and Greek . . . oh, let’s just call it Mediterranean cuisine. 

This newish restaurant is where Muse once was, tucked into that most bizarro of commercial real estate wastelands, the cluster of white, usually empty, buildings in Water Mill.

The small space opens up with a bar across from the entrance and a small dining room to the right. Silver-dipped crown bulbs adorn the walls, casting the light back on the walls with no glare into the room. There are a few herb plants here and there, some tiny framed works of art hang on the walls, and the tables and chairs are unadorned wood. It is deceptively simple and plain, which makes it relaxing.

Upon being seated you get a basket of warm rolls, brushed with a bit of herbed olive oil. We began our meal with roasted eggplant, roasted Brussels sprouts, grilled tomatoes, and duck wings. 

The roasted eggplant was pretty as a picture, just like the cover of Yotam Ottolenghi’s vegetable book “Plenty.” It was a large, tender slice of eggplant topped with some drizzles of faintly yellow yogurt seasoned with just the right amount of saffron. A sprinkling of pomegranate seeds gave the eggplant some tart crunch. 

The roasted Brussels sprouts salad was a unique combination of quartered sprouts and cubes of grilled Halloumi cheese with a tahini dressing and more pomegranate seeds. Halloumi cheese originated in Cyprus, which is where the restaurant’s chef, Ari Pavlou, hails from. It is a salty, chewy cheese, usually made with sheep and goat milk, and can be grilled or fried without losing its shape. It was a welcome and unusual addition to the earthy sprouts.

The grilled tomato appetizer was also excellent. You can season a mediocre toma to with salt and pepper and top it with cheese and cook it and, chances are, it will taste pretty good. It was very evident that this dish started with excellent, ripe, local tomatoes. They were topped with very good Asiago cheese and accompanied by a dainty, delicately dressed green salad. 

The duck wings were crazy good, the five “lollypopped” wings were coated in a sweet, slightly spicy glaze, like jerk seasoning, and served on top of a peppery curried slaw.

For entrees we ordered zucchini “zoodles” with tomato sauce, a striped bass special, and sea scallops. The zoodles were a big hit, raw and slightly crisp but warmed, and the tomato sauce was fresh, simple, and perfectly seasoned. 

The striped bass was bathed in a rich, creamy champagne summer truffle sauce, which sounded risky but worked. It was served on top of a dollop of mashed potatoes and sautéed spinach. The scallops were also excellent — five cooked-just-enough sea scallops served with a slightly sweet curry sauce and timbale of rice with sautéed spinach. And a few more pomegranate seeds. They like pomegranate seeds here.

The service on the night of our visit was excellent and not just because our waiter, Scott, is a former colleague from my years as pastry chef for 95 School Street and the Laundry restaurants. He is charming and knows his stuff. The prices at Bistro Eté are moderate to expensive, but closer to moderate when you consider the fine quality of the food. Soups, salads, and other starters are $10 to $26, main dishes are $28 to $38, sides are a mere $8, and desserts are $12 and all made in-house, as are the ice creams.

We tried zucchini cake, orange sorbet, mint chip ice cream, and a peach tart. The zucchini cake was the only one that did not greatly impress. It was in muffin form, cut into three slices layered with whipped cream. It just wasn’t very zucchini-y. The orange sorbet was very good, light and refreshing, and the mint chip ice cream was superb and “made with mint from the chef’s garden.” Usually I am a fusspot about my mint situations; spearmint is for cocktails, peppermint is for ice cream. But this ice cream had a perfect balance of the two. Plus the chocolate chips were very bittersweet, making this a grown-up’s mint chip ice cream. 

The peach tart was one of the best I’ve ever had. It had a most delicate, buttery, sugary crust that was paper thin and crisp. The filling was frangipane, an almond pastry cream mixture, and it was topped with super-thin slices of peach. The tart was perched on a generous mound of whipped cream.

The dessert menu also offers some to-go items: a pint of ice cream, candied orange peel, truffles, and more. We departed with the candied orange peel, which was delicious and is something rarely seen outside of Europe. A nice touch.

One of my guests is vegetarian, the other is currently avoiding dairy products, and isn’t that just the way things go these days? Neither of them found the menu difficult to navigate, nor did they have to make any special requests. The menu is seasonal and heavy on vegetable offerings.

By the end of our meal I started thinking, “Hmmm, maybe this would be a nice birthday dinner location. . . .” I hope I can get in.

Walking through the Sag Harbor Farmers Market the other day, I decided to try some of the more peculiar and obscure vegetables. There were some bright yellow striped globes nestled in with the heirloom tomatoes and squash, so I assumed they were some kind of unusual hybrid squash. Turns out they are lemon cucumbers, one of the more ancient varieties. When cut into, the flesh is bright white and the seedy part is pale lime green. Beautiful!

Next to the register of the Open Minded Organics tent are the mushrooms . . . aaaaand what looked like smooth cauliflower. These oddballs are lion’s mane mushrooms, a.k.a. pom pom blanc or yamabushiitake. I grabbed one of those along with some yellow oyster mushrooms and fairytale eggplants, those tiny purple and white eggplants the size of fat fingers. At the Quail Hill tent there were some splotchy purple and yellow potatoes, their markings similar to a pinto pony. “Those are ‘masquerade’ potatoes,” Sara explained. “Yellow potatoes masquerading as purple ones.”

Next stop was Amber Waves’s Amagansett Farmer’s Market, where I picked up some okra and tomatillos. Okra and grits are two things that most Southerners love and Northerners hate. I love okra, both for its slimy abilities to thicken a gumbo when stewed, and even more when battered and fried. (If you have a garden, you should grow okra, even if just for the flowers, which resemble hi biscus, a close relative.)

After getting all these beautiful and unique vegetables home and arranging them on a platter and admiring the odd shapes and textures and purple, yellow, green, white, and orange colors, it was time to cook. I was out of cornmeal so I substituted panko breadcrumbs for the okra, which worked beautifully. After slicing them up into one-inch pieces, I dipped them in flour, then beaten egg, then panko breadcrumbs seasoned with Creole spices. After frying for 5 to 10 minutes, I served them with a yogurt dip spiced up with more Creole seasoning. By the way, okra is full of fiber and vitamins A, C, and K.

Tomatillos are easy and fun to play with. Most salsa recipes using tomatillos suggest cooking them first. Not necessary! Just remove the papery husks, throw them in a blender with half of a small onion, a jalapeno pepper, one or two garlic cloves, cilantro, and salt, and you have a fresh, raw salsa in seconds. The tomatillos are more tart than tomatoes, which makes them a perfect compliment to rich, cheesy enchiladas or chicken quesadillas. They are also full of pectin, which firms up the sauce to an almost gelatinous texture after a few hours.

Next, I tackled the mushrooms, specifically the peculiar, spongy, brain-like lion’s mane mushroom. These mushrooms have also been described as looking like “tribbles,” the furry, friendly creatures that once starred in various episodes of Star Trek . . . but I digress.

I researched some recipes and thought it would be best to keep it simple. I sautéed the slices until the water was released and they were golden brown, then added a bit of butter. The texture was strange and stringy and rubbery and the flavor a bit odd. At first it tasted rather like a commercial cake mix, slightly sweet with a chemical aftertaste. Then, I swear to God, it tasted like Dunkin’ Donuts hazelnut coffee. The slices also resembled fried sweetbreads, which was a bit off-putting. 

I wasn’t too crazy about this mushroom so I moved on to the yellow oyster mushrooms. After snipping them from their root-stem, I sautéed these in butter. They were absolutely delicious, tender and mild-flavored. They would be great in any stir-fry, as tempura, or mixed with other mushrooms into a risotto or pasta.

The fairytale eggplants were the best surprise of all. I cut them in half, doused them with Arlotta hot chili oil and sprinkled them with a little bit of Goya adobo seasoning, my favorite cheat ingredient, then roasted them in the oven. They shrank quite a bit, became soft like roasted garlic, and had a sweet, spicy flavor. 

Some of these exotic delicacies were quite pricey and, once cooked, significantly reduced in size, so I decided that some of them, when heavily seasoned, could become more of a condiment than a side dish. The spiced up fairytale eggplant, for example, would be excellent in small doses with grilled meat or fish.

Shishito peppers, which are ubiquitous in Japanese restaurants these days, are so easy to cook at home and just serve with cocktails. Simply toss them in a pan with a few teaspoons of oil, place over medium-high heat, and cook, tossing occasionally, for 5 to 10 minutes, until blistered in a few places. It’s a good idea to use a splatter screen for this, they can spit and make a mess. Sprinkle with salt and serve immediately.

In spring and early summer we have fiddlehead ferns, ramps, and scapes. Soon we will have husk cherries and other unique and unusual offerings at the farm stands. So while it’s fun to enjoy our predictable bounty of corn, tomatoes, zucchini, watermelon, and stone fruits this time of year, it’s even more fun to experiment with these other vegetables that resemble everything from mouse-sized food to aliens from outer space.

Click for recipes

Those looking for a way to toast the solar eclipse can find a special cocktail at the Coast Kitchen at the Montauk Yacht Club on Monday. The $13 cocktail, which consists of vodka, lemonade, and a Chambord float, will be available that day only.

Poke, Man, Go

Sammy’s Restaurant and Bar in Montauk has opened a new grab-and-go window for Hawaiian poke bowls, raw fish (typically tuna) that is cubed and tossed with seasonings and blended into a bowl of greens and other ingredients.

In addition to a number of set combinations such as Maui Wowi (ahi tuna, greens, sweet onion, cucumber, daikon, seaweed, tobiko, ginger dressing, and crisp wonton), patrons can also put together their own bowls from a base including rice, sesame noodles, or greens; a protein including tofu and chicken; vegetables, dressing, toppings, and crunch: wontons, onions, parmesan, or jalapeno crisps, or toasted peanuts. The bowls range in price from $12.95 to $14.95.

Ancient Chinese Secrets

A chance to learn Chinese cooking with Karen Lee, the author of five cookbooks and a caterer and cooking teacher based in New York City, is coming up in Amagansett, where Ms. Lee will teach a session on Aug. 27 at a private residence. Participants will earn how to stir-fry without having anything stick to the wok and how to make Chinese dishes that are lower in fat and salt, and tastier, than those served in Chinese restaurants. 

The tentative menu includes barbecued Cantonese spare ribs using Niman Ranch pork; Sichuan diced chicken using D’Artagnan chicken, which cooks will learn how to bone and how to make stock from; shrimp with cucumber; rice noodles with fresh and pickled vegetables (instruction will be given in making those, too), and homemade plum sauce and spicy mustard. 

Space is limited, and the cost is $120. Registration can be done online at karenleecooking.com or by calling 631-267-3653. Students can provide their own wine to accompany the meal, which will be shared on the night of the class.

Imagine a farm that starts at 85 feet across, narrows to 50 feet, and goes back far enough to fill a total of 1.4 acres. Sort of like an extra-skinny railroad flat in New York City, or a much attenuated flag-lot oasis. 

That is what Darryl and Pamela Glennon’s Spring Close Farms Nursery and Farm Stand in East Hampton is like. At the front, just inside the fence from a shaded parking area, is a koi pond, then the farm stand itself, where the couple sell all sorts of things they grow in their long ribbon, some in large containers and pots, some in hay bales and straw bales, and then, at the back, fields.

The property was once part of Pheasant Run Stables, until 1985, when the whole thing, less than 12 acres, was subdivided. Mr. Glennon, who had a nursery business for many years, has owned and been farming his own strip there since 2003.

They bring in fresh mozzarella and feta from Goodale Farms in Aquebogue, and whatever else people might request that they do not already grow. But they do grow northern highbush blueberries, alpine strawberies, tomatoes, basil, beets (white and red), garlic, mint, peppers, zucchini, blue potatoes and fingerlings, summer squash, melons, sunflowers, zinnias, and oakleaf hydrangeas.

“Farmers share with one another what’s available,” Mr. Glennon said. “If we don’t grow the best, we know where to buy the best.”

The couple also engage in what they call hobby farming. Ms. Glennon experiments with growing things like kohlrabi and 20 different varieties of tomato, including the Speckled Roman, the Indigo Blue Beauty, and the Ukrainian Purple. She also grows cucamelons, which look like miniature watermelons but are actually exceptionally small cucumbers or Mexican mini-sour gherkins — they can be slipped onto the edge of a martini glass.

In addition to produce, they also have a “nice little nursery selection of ornamental trees,” Mr. Glennon said, such as deodar cedars, Japanese maples, and varieties of purple fountain beech trees, most of which are deer-resistant. He has the growing plants protected by six-foot fences, but as the driveway extends all the way to the back of the property, inevitably deer walk in. Unlike many other growers, however, “I love the deer coming through,” Mr. Glennon said.

There are other animals: Olivia the 20-year-old ostrich, a miniature horse, Rosie the mellow potbellied pig, who came from Rita’s Stables in Montauk, and two goats.

One of Mr. Glennon’s goals is to transform the whole place into a park-like garden, he said. He has applied for permits for two greenhouses and has been experimenting with growing cucumbers, peppers, and Swiss chard in straw bales, and potatoes, tomatoes, and eggplants in hay bales, as it seems like a more efficient, less labor-intensive way to produce crops. 

He is also playing with the idea of using his koi in an aquaponics venture, a system of aquaculture in which the waste produced by the koi, which winter over, would fertilize the plants he would grow hydroponically, which in turn would purify the water. A medium made of shredded stuff from coconuts mixed with potting soil would be needed to hold the plants in place.

His goal is to generate between 75 and 250 pounds of produce a week from a 1,200-square-foot system. He said he wants to begin with a 10-by-20-foot starter. If, in the process, he comes up with an especially beautiful koi that someone wanted to buy and keep in a pond with other fish, so much the better.

The Slow Food East End chapter has a potluck dinner planned for next Thursday at Myron and Susan Levine’s residence in Sag Harbor. Reservations are required and can be made at slowfoodeastend.org. The event is open to both members and nonmembers, with a $15 or $20 per person fee, respectively. Attendees are also expected to provide a dish made from seasonal local ingredients and large enough to serve six to eight people. Additional details are avail­­able on the website. 

On Sept. 24, Slow Food East End will hold its annual meeting and community potluck supper at the Quinipet Camp and Retreat Center on Shelter Island. Participation is free and open to all. The event provides an opportunity to learn about the group, its events, educational programs, and goals, and to meet the candidates for Slow Food East End’s board. 

Shellfish Taste and Tour

Fresh local oysters will be served paired with wine during a tour of the shellfish hatcheries at the Suffolk County Marine Environmental Learning Center in Southold on Friday, Aug. 18, from 6 to 8 p.m. Tickets are $50 and can be reserved at eventbrite.com. Information on efforts by Cornell Cooperative Extension, the sponsor of the marine learning center, to upgrade the facility is available at goodcircle.org/project/ wonders-never-cease. 

Summertime Option

Inlet Seafood restaurant and sushi bar, perched on the second floor overlooking the mouth of Montauk Harbor and Block Island Sound, is open nightly and features a water view from every table. Sushi specials are available. Lunch is served at Inlet daily from noon to 4 p.m., and dinnertime begins at 4:30.

The families of the Organic Krush founders — Fran Paniccia, James Tchinnis, and Michelle Walrath — have played an important role in what they do and the food they offer at their shops in Woodbury, Lake Success, and now Amagansett.

Organic Krush opened at the former Mary’s Marvelous location in Amagansett in June. Ms. Walrath is a summer resident of Montauk, and heard from a customer in Woodbury that the Mary’s space would be available. She loved the idea of an Organic Krush closer to Montauk. “We are really excited to be here, it is a great town with great personalities and energy and we are looking forward to the upcoming months,” said Ms. Walrath. The owners plan to keep the store open year round, with a delivery service starting in the fall.

The owners feed their customers they way they would feed their families, and the takout shop sells smoothies, cold-pressed juice, oatmeal, acai bowls, gluten-free and vegan treats, and wraps, salads, and bowls — all of them 100 percent organic.

Along with such dishes as a spicy Korean barbecue bowl, Thai tofu, coconut shrimp, and fish tacos, the menu includes a selection especially for kids with choices like chicken B.L.T.s, quesadillas, and a Monkey Roll-Up with almond butter, bananas, and honey on a whole wheat tortilla. Kids’ meals range from $8 to $10; breakfast items are $12 and under, acai bowls are $11, with all sorts of add-ons available, smoothies start at $8, and bowls, wraps, and salads cost between $12 and $15.   

Mary’s Marvelous, which still has a location on East Hampton’s Newtown Lane, was much beloved in Amagansett, where it first opened. Ms. Walrath is hoping to follow in its footsteps and “continue serving our customers the way Mary’s Marvelous did . . .  . we have found a lot of people who care a lot about the food we are selling, and I am hoping that this continues in our new location this summer.”

The shop is open seven days a week from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m.  

Elaia Estiatorio

95 School Street

Bridgehampton

631-613-6469

Dinner nightly, closed Mondays

Everything about our recent meal at Elaia Estiatorio in Bridgehampton was a delight. From the simple but elegant renovation of the space at 95 School Street to the food to the dinnerware to the friendly staff, the evening was everything one could hope for.

When a manager stopped by our table to greet us, one of my dates for the evening was convinced we had been found out as reviewers. Not so. Chris, or Datenight, as I call him here, is simply still recovering from his traumatic experience a few weeks ago at Le Bilboquet. We assured him that hospitality and friendliness are usually (hopefully!) the norm at a dining establishment.

Elaia Estiatorio is light and white with tall windows all around, skylights, and a huge U-shaped bar. It is divided into two dining rooms. To the right of the entrance, all of the tables are along a wall of banquettes, comfortably cushioned with a pale beige striped fabric. There are some pretty blue and grey plates displayed up high along the walls and some black and white photographs here and there.

A basket of slices of excellent bread was delivered to our table along with a bowl of olives and little bocconcini-sized balls of yogurt to spread on the bread. We began our meal with a variety of spreads, the skordalia, melitzanosalata (eggplant), and fava. We also ordered some fried haloumi cheese, spanakopita (spinach pie), grilled octopus, and keftedes (meatballs).

All three of the spreads were excellent. The skordalia, which is a garlicky potato puree, was light and a bit lemony. The eggplant was slightly chunky with flecks of parsley and cilantro, and the fava spread, made with yellow split peas, was slightly sweet and topped with pickled red onions and capers. They were served with thin, salty olive oil crackers.

The fried haloumi cheese was served as little rectangular logs on top of a sweet grape compote. The spanakopita was as good a version as we’ve ever tried. The filo dough was crisp and thin, the spinach filling was fresh whole leaves mixed with just the right amount of feta and dill. The grilled octopus was also one of the best renditions of this dish. It was super tender and very smoky from the grill. It was served with more of the fava spread, pickled onions, cherry tomato halves, and a few drops of good olive oil and vinegar.

The meatballs were another winner, four tender, fluffy, moist, and perfectly seasoned meatballs on a pool of good tomato sauce and topped with some kefalograveira cheese, a salty sheep’s milk cheese similar to Parmesan or pecorino.

For entrees, we ordered roast chicken with lemon potatoes, grilled lamb chops, baked stuffed eggplant, and leg of lamb cooked in parchment paper. We all agreed that our meals were like going to a good friend’s house for Sunday supper: rustic, tasty without being fussy, simply just right.

The roast chicken was perfectly cooked, tender, and coated with herbs, and the Greek lemon potatoes were an excellent rendition of this classic side dish. The grilled lamb chops came out medium rare as ordered and were beautifully seasoned, served with briam, a combination of potato slices, zucchini, and eggplant.

The stuffed eggplant was a lovely presentation of a small eggplant half stuffed with caramelized onions, peppers, onions, and pine nuts and topped with some Manouri cheese. A side of zucchini wedges was as carefully prepared as every other thing we tasted. Ellen declared it “a fabulous vegetarian dish.” A vinegary red pepper sauce on the plate added some nice zip to the eggplant.

The parchment-wrapped leg of lamb was another beautiful presentation, the charred paper constructed into a perfect round pouch. When opened and emptied onto the plate, the aroma of lamb and herbs wafted up. The lamb was melt-in-your-mouth tender and the potatoes, carrots, and onion served with it had absorbed all the marvelous juices.

As our meal progressed, we noticed how beautiful all of the settings were — some blue-gray pottery, some white stoneware, hammered flatware, small vases on each table with wild flowers, everything adding to the atmosphere and charm. The service on the night of our visit was excellent, which was quite remarkable considering the restaurant had been open for only three weeks.

The wine list is all Greek wines, so we needed help figuring out the grape juice situation. Our waitress, Crystal, was knowledgeable and helpful.

Prices are moderate to expensive. Spreads, salads, and appetizers are $11 to $25, main dishes are $26 to $55, sides are $11, and desserts are $14.

For dessert we tried the baklava, a yogurt with fruit, ekmek kadaifa, and galaktoboureko. The baklava was rolled filo dough filled with walnuts and honey syrup, rather than the usual layered in a sheet pan and cut into squares or diamonds. It was crisp and lightly cinnamon-y.  The yogurt was a rich, creamy swirl topped with sour cherries and toasted sliced almonds. Ekmek kadaifa is comprised of threads of kadaifa (similar to filo dough) baked beneath a milky custard seasoned with vanilla and cinnamon and topped with fresh whipped cream. This was also drizzled with some syrupy cherries. Galaktoboureko is a semolina custard baked in layers of filo dough. This one was delicious and fresh, garnished with a candied orange slice.

Most Greek desserts are super sweet and syrupy and these were no exception, but each one was absolutely divine.

We completed our festive meal in the spirit of the place with glasses of tsipouro, a clear brandy made from grape skins, similar to grappa or marc.

My friend Alex asked a question halfway through our meal that I had never been asked before: “What makes a successful restaurant out here; one that can last all year round?”

 I started to point around the room, “food like this, the little things like these flowers, the friendliness of the staff, warmth and hospitality, atmosphere. This. Just this.”

Elaia Estiatorio is a brand spanking new restaurant. It was filled with happy diners by the time we left, and we all agreed that this is a place with staying power, a place that we would look forward to coming back to.