Awarded the Snail

Estia’s Little Kitchen in Sag Harbor has received the Slow Food organization’s Snail of Approval award from the international group’s East End chapter. The award recognizes businesses that exemplify the Slow Food ideals regarding local, sustainable, and seasonal food. Estia’s owner and chef, Colin Ambrose, was an early advocate of the farm-to-table philosophy; he has been a member of the Quail Hill Farm community-supported agriculture collective for two decades, has tended his own kitchen garden, and has been a supporter of Slow Food and of the Edible School Gardens program. 

Other East End restaurants that have earned the Snail of Approval include Nick and Toni’s in East Hampton, Noah’s in Greenport, the North Fork Table and Inn in Southold, Love Lane Kitchen in Mattituck, and 18 Bay restaurant on Shelter Island. 

Farm Memberships Open

Memberships are available for the 2016 season in the community-supported agriculture program at Balsam Farms in Amagansett, at fees ranging from $500 for a 15-week season of weekly produce deliveries to $860 for a 26-week season. Add-on deliveries, of cheeses, bread, flowers, fruit, or eggs, can be arranged for additional individual charges of up to $253 for the long season. The season begins on May 27, and payment in full must be made two weeks beforehand.

The items in the weekly share are chosen by the farm, according to what is available, and may include a food product such as Balsam pickles, tomato sauce, jam, or pesto. A list of what was provided to members during last year’s season can be found at the farm’s website. Those who sign up by March 15 will receive a free hat or T-shirt and a shopping bag. 

Assorted News

A new Jack’s Stir Brew Coffee shop will be opening in Sag Harbor. The company, established in New York City in 2003, has a location in Amagansett in addition to its five Manhattan shops.

The Shagwong in Montauk is being rehabbed — brought back to its past, according to a press release, with its original interior decorations, such as vintage Montauk photographs, returned. An updated menu has been promised, however. 

Having previously dedicated a whole column to my idol, Edna Lewis, her “Taste of Country Cooking” and numerous accomplishments, it’s time to focus on some other significant African-Americans who have contributed greatly to the cuisine of our country.

It is a fact that every president who has lived and worked in the White House was cooked for and served by African-Americans. There was a brief blip on the radar, of Jackie Kennedy firing the kitchen staff and bringing in all French chefs, but this changed back immediately when Lyndon Johnson became president. He brought along with him Zephyr Wright, who cooked for his family from 1942 to 1969. He consulted her on the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, and he gave her his pen after signing the Civil Rights Act of 1964, saying, “You deserve this more than anyone else.”

F.D.R. had Lizzie McDuffie and Daisy Bonner, Benjamin Harrison had Dolly Johnson, George Washington had Hercules, and the Trumans, Vietta Garr. Often a fancier chef would cook for state dinners and other big events, but the beloved home cooks prepared the family meals on a day-to-day basis. F.D.R. even had Daisy whip up some sweet and sour pig’s feet for Winston Churchill.

The first African-American chef to be offered the job of White House executive chef was Patrick Clark, who turned down Bill Clinton’s offer. Marcus Samuelson was the first black guest chef at the White House under the Obama administration.

Mr. Clark, probably the first black superstar chef, cooked all over the world and settled in New York to cook at such landmarks as Regine’s, Odeon, and Cafe Luxembourg. His last post, before he died at the age of 42 awaiting a heart transplant, was at Tavern on the Green, where he made his famous grouper on a bed of mashed potatoes with frizzled leeks and chive oil, lemon pudding, and very truffled twice-baked potatoes.

There are a few African-American cooks on TV, the Neelys, offering down-home, Southern-style cooking on the Food Network, along with Roble Ali, Gerry Garvin, Ron Duprat, Herb Wilson, and Tre Wilcox.

If gorging on “classic” soul food fare such as the Neelys’ pork-barbecue-stuffed baked potato, spicy fried wings, and grilled pound cake sundaes is not your idea of nutritious eating, then how about paying some attention to Bryant Terry, cookbook author and activist? Mr. Terry lives in Oakland, Calif., where he is an advocate for urban farming. His latest book, “Afro-Vegan: Farm Fresh African, Caribbean, and Southern Flavors Remixed,” teaches us how to recreate some beloved dishes with less fat and no meat. He points out that the roots of African-American cuisine are healthful ingredients such as mustard, turnip, kale, and collard greens, butter beans, and sugar snap peas, black eyed peas, and sweet potatoes.

Marcus Samuelsson, born in Ethiopia and raised in Sweden, became executive chef at Aquavit by the age of 24. He was the youngest chef to earn a three-star review from The New York Times. And what about our very own B. (Barbara) Smith, who had a number of eponymously named restaurants, including in Sag Harbor. She is arguably the first lifestyle and entertainment expert, along with being a model and author.

Living and working in Washington, D.C., most of my life gave me a bit of education about Southern and African-American cooking. From Lisa I learned how to season a cast-iron skillet and make the best fried chicken and Johnny cakes. Bill and Faith taught me how to accompany Chesapeake Bay crab cakes with Tabasco sauce, lime wedges, and mustard. Charlene has taught me the importance of lots of fresh herbs, and I have the utmost respect for the lowly catfish, a muddy bottom feeder if ever there was one.

On occasion, my NPR colleagues and I would make a pilgrimage to the Florida Avenue Grill, the world’s oldest soul food restaurant. Seated with people from the neighborhood would be congressmen and lobbyists, senators and pastors, gorging on macaroni and cheese, collard greens, and what I have since learned is called “cop cobbler,” an appallingly sweet combination of glazed doughnuts topped and baked with canned peaches. The food was cheap and satisfying.

How far have we come since Lyndon Johnson begged Zephyr for more fattening food and her response was, “I am going to be your boss for a change?” Not far, I’m afraid. There are more African-American cooks and chefs than ever before, but still not enough. Here’s hoping we can steer away from the stereotypes of chitterlings and greasy beans, Aunt Jemima and Uncle Ben. Go ahead and call me Rachel Dolezal, but if you ask me, this is (soul) food for thought.

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February is usually the time when many restaurateurs take a break, resting and recharging before the preseason begins and before summertime, when they hit the ground running. 

But Inlet Seafood in Montauk, despite the chilly waters it overlooks, bucked the trend by reopening last weekend after an earlier break. It is now open Fridays through Mondays for lunch, dinner, and Sunday brunch.

Those restaurants that have stayed open so far seem to be drawing crowds, especially on long weekends.

Winemaker Dinner

Richard Olsen-Harbich of Bedell Cellars will be on hand at Nick and Toni’s restaurant in East Hampton next Thursday for a five-course dinner paired with wine. The menu will start with local oysters followed by pan-seared diver scallops, local rabbit ravioli, and wood-roasted lamb loin. Poached pears will be served for dessert. The cost is $95 per person plus tax and gratuity. Reservations are a must. 

North Fork Coffee

The Hampton Coffee Company opened its fourth espresso bar and cafe last month in Aquebogue. The company, which has shops in Water Mill, Southampton, and Westhampton Beach, is marking its 22nd year in the East End community. Its new North Fork location is in a 1940s-era former garage and service station.

Lecture Series

Tickets are on sale for the Peconic Land Trust’s spring lecture series at Bridge Gardens in Bridgehampton. The Sunday afternoon programs, which start at 2 p.m. and run through April, begin with “The Cocktail Party,” a talk on March 6 with Vaughan Cutillo of the Montauk Brewing Company, Michael Kontokosta of Kontokosta Vineyard, and Noah Schwartz, the chef at Noah’s of Greenport. Admission to each is $25, or $20 for Bridge Gardens members; tickets for the entire series, which includes talks on March 20, April 3, and April 17, are $90, $70 for the garden’s members. 

 Series tickets include a one-year subscription to an Edible magazine — either the East End, Long Island, Brooklyn, or Manhattan version. Space at the lectures is limited, and prepaid reservations are required.

On a snowy day, one phone call can take care of several needs: a plowed driveway, and some hot, savory clam chowder for lunch or dinner. The Clamman in Southampton not only has lunch specials of platters and sandwiches, with a free soup included with the purchase of any lunch entree on Tuesdays and Thursdays, but is offering driveway plowing or walkway clearing, and will deliver chowder at the same time. 

Eat and Vote

While the presidential election is still some time away, it is Oscar season, and,  in its annual tradition, Rowdy Hall restaurant in East Hampton offers customers an opportunity to predict the winners of this year’s Academy Awards. Diners can receive an Oscar ballot along with their dining check, and mark their choices. Whoever correctly predicts the most winners at the Oscar presentations on Feb. 28 will receive a $50 gift certificate and two vouchers to the East Hampton United Artists movie theater. 

Valentine’s Event

This weekend’s “Shuck Em” Valentine oyster brunch sponsored by Slow Food East End will feature a variety of shellfish from local waters and dishes made with East End-sourced ingredients, from Mecox venison loin to pancakes served with cranberries from Napeague’s Walking Dunes, chicken cracklings from Browder’s Birds on the North Fork, and grilled Montauk squid.  The brunch takes place on Sunday from noon to 3 p.m. at the Art of Eating in Amagansett. Reservations, which are first come first served, must be made by tomorrow at slowfoodeastend.org.  The cost is $125 per person, or $110 for Slow Food members. 

Cafe Max is offering a $40, two-course Valentine’s Day dinner.

Wine Dinner

Wolffer Kitchen in Sag Harbor is serving dinner on Tuesdays through Sundays. Reservations are being taken for a Feb. 21 wine dinner with Miguel Martin, a winemaker at Palmer Vineyards, which will feature five courses paired with wines.

Highway Restaurant and Bar

290 Montauk Highway

East Hampton

631-527-5372

Open six nights for dinner, 

closed Tuesdays

Lunch Saturdays and Sundays

In the interest of full disclosure, I must confess that I have been to the Highway restaurant and bar’s Thursday Thai night three weeks in a row. It is that good.

The restaurant is in a spot that has changed hands and chefs so many times in the last five years that it’s hard to keep track, but this time it just fiddled with the name a bit. So what, who cares: Those in charge at this point know what they’re doing.

I’ve often said that restaurants out here could serve Alpo in the summertime and the flocks would come regardless. But find a way to bring in locals, who may be on a budget, through the long winter months and you might succeed. Highway restaurant and bar offers reasonable specials during the week, a chicken pot-pie night, a pasta night, and now a $35 three-course Thai meal on Thursday nights.

One of the aspects of the physical space that was never terribly appealing was its large, nondescript size and shape, a big, drafty L-shaped interior. Now one side is curtained off in winter, and the central dining room has a huge freestanding gas fireplace dividing the bar from the front dining area. There are comfortable banquettes with pillows and generously spaced tables.

The first time I went for the Thai meal, there were three appetizers, three entrees, and two desserts. The last two times there were four appetizers, four entrees, and three dessert choices. For those who may not want to avail themselves of the frequently fiery options, the restaurant offers a few items from the regular menu.

Of the appetizer choices the wing bean salad is my favorite. It is a crunchy, salty, spicy, light mixture of chopped “winged” beans, possibly blanched briefly, with peanuts, coconut, pork, shrimp, kaffir lime leaves, and Thai basil. It is simple and complicated at the same time, with all the flavors coming through and the freshness of each ingredient very apparent. 

The stir-fry chicken with baby corn is another winner. It is a masterful blend of chicken, chili peppers, wing beans, onions, dainty bits of baby corn, and Thai basil — salty but beautifully balanced. The Thai fish cakes are also outstanding, two sturdy little cakes filled with a white fish, ginger, garlic, and more. Alongside them is a bundle of sweet-tart vermicelli rice noodles with carrots, a wedge of kaffir lime, and some cucumber slices. 

Kaffir limes are a warty, knobby fruit also known as “porcupine orange.” The flavor is something between limes, lemons, mandarins, and mystery. The fresh leaves are also used in Thai dishes and add a flavor similar to cilantro, almost soapy but addictive to those who love it. 

 The only appetizer that didn’t send me into paroxysms of taste-bud ecstasy was the chicken satay. It was good, just not as exceptional as the other dishes. Two skewers of white meat chicken were nicely marinated with lemongrass and grilled with a tame peanut sauce on the side and some sweet, mild cucumber and chili-flecked vinegar.

For entrees we tried chicken with cashews, crispy chili beef, green chicken curry, and halibut yellow curry. I noticed on our second visit that chopsticks are part of the place settings, not traditional in Thailand but requested by some patrons. Some of the dishes, such as the chicken with cashews and crispy beef, were leaning toward Chinese food, but were still highly seasoned with Thai ingredients. 

The chicken with cashews is full of tricolored peppers, onions, scallions, and Thai basil. The cashews have roasted burn marks on them, and there is a hint of salty fish sauce. The crispy beef is shredded beef, crunchy and chewy at the same time, with some julienned carrots, fennel, and more basil.  

The curry dishes come out of the kitchen in bowls with lids, which are removed with a flourish, the scent of coconut milk and spices wafting up. The green chicken curry was tender white meat in a nice, somewhat sweet and spicy broth, with little rings of fiery red peppers, giving you the choice of how hot you want it. The halibut yellow curry was a beautiful presentation, the chunks of halibut cooked just enough and also sturdy enough to complement the sauce, full of sweet and hot red peppers, Thai basil, and shreds of fresh ginger. (A previously tried flounder in curry was too delicate for the formidable spices.) Every dish comes with a little bowl of perfectly cooked sticky rice.

     Every time I have gone to Highway restaurant and bar for Thai night it has been packed. Even better, it was packed with familiar faces, there’s Ken and Jeanmarie, Carl and Mary, Bill and Abbie, Suzy and Michael! It is a happy clubhouse filled with people who appreciate something different, and more important, something authentic, executed with great care and understanding of the layered nuances and flavors of Thailand.

The two handsome gents you will see scurrying about are Adam and Henri, consummate professionals I worked with at the Living Room restaurant at c/o the Maidstone when I was pastry chef there. The service (on all three visits) was friendly, efficient, and knowledgeable. 

Two of the dessert offerings are house-made coconut sorbet and a lemongrass rice pudding with pineapple confit. On our third visit the menu also offered a pear and cashew gyoza with house-made banana ice cream. Coconut sorbet is my favorite, simply because I am mad for coconut. The lemongrass rice pudding was a tad watery on my first visit, but more flavorful and substantial on the second.

 The pear cashew gyoza reminded us — that is, my fellow chef and friend known as Cookie Monster — of when new chefs take over a restaurant and take stock of what was left behind, trying to figure out how to use it up before they start ordering new supplies. “Take these wonton wrappers and nuts and make something.” In other words, they were a bit odd and perplexing. The presentation, however, was lovely, especially the bruleed baby banana half and the creamy, perfect banana ice cream.

Thai food is my absolute favorite cuisine, so much so that I questioned my insanely ecstatic reaction to finding it here on the East End. But I assure you, after having been to Highway restaurant and bar three times (so far), and having been to Thailand, this is as authentic, delicious, and boldly flavored a meal as you will find outside of Bangkok.

Despite this week’s snowfall, a sure sign of spring is the announcement of a seeding workshop at Quail Hill Farm in Amagansett on March 19 from 10 a.m. to noon. Participants will work side by side with Scott Chaskey, the farm’s director, and Layton Guenther, its manager, to plant a variety of seeds in trays destined first for the farm’s greenhouse and eventually to its fields. 

Participants will also learn  how to create compost from kitchen and garden scraps and use it to enhance soil. They will be invited to return on May 21 when the seedlings go into the fields. The workshop will take place rain or shine.

Looking for diversion during this quiet time of year? On Wednesday, and again on Feb. 24, Page restaurant in Sag Harbor will host PaintNite, an opportunity to eat, drink, and paint. An instructor will be on hand to guide participants through the artistic process of creating a painting of the night, from 7 to 9 p.m. Information is available at paintnite. com, or on the restaurant’s website. 

Valentine’s Day Plans?

A jazz brunch on Valentine’s Day at Page will feature the Peter Martin Weiss trio playing standards from noon to 3 p.m. That evening, from 5 to 10, those who have reservations for a romantic dinner at Page will receive a free glass of Champagne or rosé.

In East Hampton, the Living Room at c/o the Maidstone will serve a “lustful prix fixe” this whole month, featuring dishes made with “aphrodisiac ingredients.” A three-course meal will cost $44. A special Valentine’s weekend dinner will include three courses for $84, and on Saturday at the inn, there will be late-night burlesque. 

A getaway option for those on the East End mainland and beyond is available at the Chequit inn on Shelter Island and its Red Maple restaurant, which will be serving seasonal cocktails and dishes. Entrée additions will include a baby lamb chop with roasted potatoes and haricots verts in a cherry reduction sauce and striped bass in a potato crust with wild mushrooms and leeks with lemon sauce. Special desserts will include heart-shaped petit fours, chocolate whiskey tart, and a flight of different flavored Whoopie Pies. Rooms will be available at the Chequit for overnight stays.

Super Bowl Plans?

Townline BBQ will make a day of it on Sunday with drink and food specials during the big game. Plans include a whole roasted pig, and raffles during each quarter of the game. 

Those who are thinking of Townline takeout for Sunday have been asked to order in advance. 

Inlet Reopens

Inlet Seafood in Montauk will reopen on Friday, Feb. 12, and serve lunch, dinner, and Sunday brunch that weekend and the following weekends.

But how does it taste? 

I know that’s the number-one question on your mind about the new, history-in-the-making, right here on Long Island, this-recipe-was-formulated-by-the God-of-all-fish-cookery-Eric Ripert(!), etc., etc. Dock to Dish Montauk Fishburger introduced at the Bridgehampton School on Friday. Well, you’ll just have to wait a few paragraphs.

First, a bit about our hometown heroes, saints, and angels who made this happen. One day in 2012, Judiann Carmack-Fayyaz, an environmental design teacher and co-founder of Bridgehampton’s Edible School Garden program, was having coffee with Sean Barrett, co-founder of Dock to Dish, the first community supported fishery (C.S.F.) in New York and the first restaurant supported fishery in the country. They wondered why our abundant local bounty of nutritious fish isn’t on school lunch menus. Enter Bonnie Brady, executive director of the Long Island Commercial Fishing Association, the chefs Joseph Realmuto, Jason Weiner, and Sam and Kat McCleland; Stefanie Sacks, a culinary nutritionist, and Katie Baldwin, a co-founder and farmer at Amber Waves in Amagansett, and the ball got rolling. They brought in some big guns, Eric Ripert of Le Bernardin, who developed the fish burger recipe, and Dan Barber of Blue Hill to help formulate the bun recipe. The wheat for the buns is grown at Amber Waves and the buns are baked by Carissa Waechter’s Carissa’s Breads in Southampton.

At an assembly the day before the first fish burgers were served to the entire school, kindergarten through 12th grade, the school superintendent, Dr. Lois Favre, told the children that in her 32 years of education she had never seen people so committed to a project. Ms. Brady said she had been trying to implement such a program without success for many years until now.

Ms. Sacks asked the kids to raise their hands if they cared about nutrition and most of them did. She asked them to raise their hands if they cared about the environment. Oh, well, maybe that word is too big for kindergartners. A short video from ABC’s “The Chew” featuring Mr. Barrett’s Dock to Dish was shown next. This being the era of fast-paced, get your attention TV, the segment was titled “Slim and Sexy,” and had exciting, dramatic footage of fishing and filleting and loud music and the ubiquitous Hamptons montage of girls in sundresses drinking rosé on the beach. 

By this time I was squirming along with the youngsters. Mr. Weiner cracked some jokes about being the only chef with the guts to stand up and talk in front of the kids.

Then came Friday, the moment of truth, history in the making. The Bridgehampton School cafeteria is more like a beautiful dining room, with a tall ceiling and bay windows looking out onto playing fields and the school greenhouse. There are posters all around encouraging kids to be healthy, “eat your colors,” and “live well, eat well.” The refrigerator contains Snapple and ham and American cheese sandwiches on kaiser rolls. Baby steps, people, baby steps.

I arrived before the feeding frenzy to talk with Daniel Pacella, the school chef, and his right-hand woman, Fay Gholson. Said Mr. Pacella: “I hope it works.” Said Ms. Gholson: “Some people will like it. Maybe if they put cheese on it, they’d like it. We’ll see.”

The first fish burgers were not exactly the Eric Ripert version, which contains striped bass and some soigné accompaniments like shaved fennel, roasted tomatoes, and garlic aioli. These fish burgers were made with winter skate and were served with tartar sauce, romaine lettuce, and sliced plum tomatoes with coleslaw and sweet potato fries on the side. More kid-friendly, to say the least.

Were the fish burgers a hit? Did the kids actually ate them? I would have to say a resounding yes. They were a huge success. And by that I mean that probably about 70 percent of the kids ate the fish burgers. Amelia loves fish and ate her tomato first. Saevion didn’t like it, but he tried it. Kudos for that! Luis loved it and ate an orange when he was finished. Constantine said, “I liked it because I like fish and it’s healthy for you.” He then asked for Luis’s tomato. 

Eustorgio, clearly a budding gourmand, assembled his into a sandwich with all the fixings and informed me that he likes to make salads at home with “lettuce, onion, cabbage, nuts and seeds, and ranch dressing.” Max piled coleslaw on his and gave it an enthusiastic thumbs-up. Probably one of the more touching moments was when a high school student said she didn’t like fish but would try it in honor of her father, a fisherman who recently passed away. She liked it and said thank you. 

Throughout the lunch hours Mr. Barrett, Mr. Weiner, and the McClelands stood at the front of the room, beaming. Mr. Weiner got the kids worked up with a “Gimme an F!” “F!” Gimme an I!” “I!” and so on. Mr. Barrett got a bit emotional, recalling the years it took to get this project going, and now here it was, right in front of him, kids eating local, sustainable, wild-caught fish. “I’m having a moment,” he said. “Today is a dream come true.”

When the teachers and administrators got a taste, the fish burger garnered more raves. Coach Carl Johnson topped his with hot sauce. “I’m from the South,” he explained. Robert Hauser, the assistant superintendent, declared it delicious with no more than lemon on it. Ron White, president of the school board, loved it so much he had to leave before he was tempted to grab a second. “I’ll take my wife to Almond and get the adult version.”

Fish burgers are being served at Almond and other restaurants, and they sell out consistently. It is a brand-new work in progress. Mr. Barrett will provide whatever fish is seasonably available. Next will probably be scup, then golden tilefish, black sea bass, tuna, fluke, flounder, and so on. Each chef involved in the project will take turns coming up with a complementary sauce and side dish each month. The fish burger will be served the third Friday of every month. Mr. McCleland is working on a blackened version with remoulade.

And what did this fusspot restaurant critic think of the Montauk Fishburger? I though it was outstanding for several reasons. First and foremost, it was geared toward children. It wasn’t fishy tasting or moist or flaky or exotic, things that we adults might look for in a fish dish. It was dense and compact, with a texture closer to a hamburger, something the kids would like. The buns are nutritious, but soft. Again, more appealing to children.

These people are genuine hometown heroes and it was an honor to bear witness to history in the making. Schools across the Island and around the country are now lining up to try to do what this team is doing. The words I heard repeated over and over were “community and family.” As Ms. McCleland put it, “We are very fortunate to be a part of such a small but powerful movement working to change the way our children eat and the way they think about their food.” Amen, sister!

Now, gimme an F-I-S-H-B-U-R-G-E-R!

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Heartwarming Valentine’s

For those whose Valentine’s Day forecast calls for a dinner out, the 1770 House in East Hampton will present a four-course tasting menu option for the holiday, featuring a dozen “amorous and warming” dishes, according to Michael Rozzi, the 1770 House chef. The winter dishes to be served will follow Mr. Rozzi’s philosophy of building “like a crescendo,” beginning with “small bites and lighter flavors” and growing into “big full flavors and multilayer dishes.”

First-course bites will include oysters on the half shell, smoked salmon and caviar crostini, and beet tartare; they will be followed by items such as Maine lobster bisque and cumin and honey-braised pork belly with black truffle risotto. Among the entree selections will be rack of lamb, day boat halibut, and duck breast with spiced sweet potatoes, bok choy, and dried cherry glaze. A selection of house-made desserts will top everything off, and the restaurant’s wine director will be on hand to recommend selections by the glass or bottle. The cost of the dinner will be $85 per person.

February Ladies Night

A once-monthly ladies night at the c/o the Maidstone inn on East Hampton’s Main Street will take place on Tuesday from 6 to 8 p.m., when all cocktails and wines by the glass will be offered at half price in the lounge. The February get-together will feature Tracy Anderson, a fitness entrepreneur, and Stefanie Sacks, a “culinary nutritionist” who is the author of “What the Fork Are You Eating?” There will be a raffle, with the book and a fitness class as prizes, and an opportunity to purchase the book as well as exercise DVDs by Ms. Anderson. Only cash will be accepted. 

Those interested in attending must R.S.V.P. by tomorrow to soulmanager@ themaidstone.com. The restaurant will also offer a gluten-free prix fixe dinner that night for $34.95.

Winter at La Fondita

New menu items and specials for the winter season are on the menu at La Fondita, the Mexican takeout shop in Amagansett. They include calabacita con elote, zucchini cooked with corn and tomato, topped with queso fresco, roasted and seasoned butternut squash, a Friday special of chicken or beef fajitas, and a Saturday night special of pork ribs cooked in tomato salsa served with rice, refried beans, and handmade tortillas.

Cappelletti

3284 Noyac Road

Noyac

631-725-7800 

Open daily, 9 a.m. to 10 p.m.

If you have ever been to Il Monastero (R.I.P.) in East Hampton, or Il Capuccino in Sag Harbor, or had a sandwich from Espresso or pasta from Cappelletti on Noyac Road, you have had food made by the Tagliasacchi family. If you haven’t, then you live under a rock and you are missing the best garlic knots, focaccia sandwiches, and their delicious, mysterious dressing “like Caesar without the anchovies,” which could keep a swarm of vampires at bay for centuries. If I were to try to explain the restaurant/Italian deli empire and experience and background of this family, it would take up this entire review. In a nutshell, Luigi Tagliasacchi and his wife, Robin, now own and operate Cappelletti, serving all these iconic gems and more.

Cappelletti appears small from the outside but is a swarming warren of rooms, open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner seven days a week. The front is the take-out area, very neat and clean and organized despite the volume they produce and sell. To the right is a dining room, with another dining room beyond that. On the night of our visit, some of the Christmas decor was still in place in the window, a phantasmagorical display of white tulle and feathery angel wings and cotton-fluffy faux snow with twinkly lights all around. It was quite a fetching sight on this dark, curvy part of Noyac Road.

We were greeted warmly and led to the back room, which has the same mustardy-color walls (giallo Napoli — Naples yellow) as the exterior of the restaurant. There was a fireplace with floppy-eared garden bunnies, olive jars, big mirrors, and some beautifully executed nude paintings and drawings by Robin Tagliasacchi.

Upon being seated you get a basket of the garlic rolls, after which I was ready to ask for the check. They are fresh, oily, and coated with coarsely chopped garlic and parsley. For starters we ordered the baked stuffed clams and a wedge salad with crumbles of bacon and gorgonzola cheese. The dressing comes in a squirt bottle, which didn’t fit into my purse, so I politely left it there. The salad, like all things here, was enormous, probably a third of a head of iceberg lettuce. We noted that the bacon was fried a la minute and crisp, not limp leftovers from breakfast. The baked stuffed clams, three large ones, were reminiscent of the ones that used to be served at Spring Close House, densely bready and garlicky, but full of clams and drizzled with butter before baking. 

For entrees we ordered the penne with Bolognese sauce, eggplant parmesan, and flounder. I asked our waiter for as light a flounder preparation as they could manage, and he suggested Francese, not on the menu but he’d be happy to get it for me. Very nice. The penne Bolognese was respectable, or “damned adequate” as my father used to say. The eggplant parmesan was very good, and the portion was definitely enough for two people. The eggplant was sliced thin, battered and fried but not too oily, and there was a good ratio of sauce and cheese. 

The flounder dish was pretty much a slab of fish, easily three quarters of apound. It was served with mashed potatoes, or more like smashed potatoes with skins on. Underneath the fish were some very good, just-cooked to al dente, broccoli florets and string beans. The flounder had been battered and had a good bit of lemon butter sauce, but this is probably as “light” a dish as you can get in a Northern Italian-style restaurant. The side order of spaghetti with tomato sauce that came with the eggplant was nice, a bit sweet.

Our waiter, Corrado, was exceptionally solicitous. He kept offering to adjust the thermostat for us. The teenager was cold (they never dress right) and we old bats were hot (no need to explain, right, ladies of a certain age?). 

The prices at Cappelletti are moderate. I would say bordering on expensive (my flounder dish was $29.95), but because the portions are so huge, I’ll stick with moderate. Some of the menu descriptors are “chunks,” “crumbles,” and “sticks.” I would extend them to include “gargantuan,” “colossal,” “mammoth,” and “behemothic.” Salads, appetizers, and sides are $6.95 to $16.95; salmon, chicken, veal, and other entrees are $16.95 to $32, pastas are $16.95 to $29.95, desserts are $6.95 to $8.50.

Just a few of the desserts are made in-house, so we only ordered two, the tiramisu and cannoli. The tiramisu (shockingly!) was a dainty portion served in a coupe glass. It was good, you could taste all the elements, a bit of espresso and brandy in the soaked ladyfingers/spongecake, fresh mascarpone, and a fine dusting of cocoa powder. The cannoli (commercial shell, homemade ricotta filling) was very good, the shell crisp and cinnamony, the filling lightly sweetened.

Cappelletti is a friendly, family-style restaurant, an institution. Any restaurant that is open year round for locals and offers good value is a winner in my book.