Saaz

1746 County Road 39

Southampton

259-2225

Lunch and dinner daily

To say this end of Long Island lacks ethnic restaurants would be the understatement of the year. You can find seafood and burgers and pizza and “farm-to-table” restaurants galore, and pay mightily for any of them. But Indian or Thai? Okay, there’s Boa on Noyac Road, but it closes for the winter. Happily, this has changed with the recent arrival of Saaz, a lovely Indian restaurant on County Road 39 in South­ampton. Previously home to Greek Bites and Spiro’s, which were quite good Greek restaurants but shortlived, Saaz is attractive and friendly and, best of all, serves good Indian food.

The exterior is fairly nondescript, but the inside has been spruced up with murals of Ganesh (the elephant-headed Hindu deity), peacocks, and some very bejeweled lovers. There is a small bar and seating area to the left of the entrance, a comfortable beige and white dining room with gold curtains to the right, and a tented patio dining area outside. Pretty lanterns hang inside the tent, and amber-colored votives are on each table. Although there are two flat screen TVs over the bar, the sound is off and soothing Indian music can be heard throughout the restaurant instead. Whew.

The staff are as friendly as can be, from the greeting at the door, through service, to your departure. Even the waiters who aren’t waiting on you are delighted you are there. So refreshing.

As soon as you sit down you get some crisp, salty poppadum with little dishes of cilantro chutney and a spicy cumin-laced sauce for dipping. We began our meal with lamb samosas, vegetable samosas, and stuffed ragda patties. The lamb and vegetable samosas were pretty good, the pastry thick but light and crisp without being greasy. They were filled with ground lamb, potatoes, and peas. We also ordered some mango chutney and onion chutney for slathering on our samosas and other dishes during the meal. The mango was pretty standard, sweet and slightly salty, the onion chutney was finely diced onions in a sweet bright red sauce.

The stuffed ragda patty, a mashed potato patty on a bed of tangy yogurt sprinkled with chick peas, chutney, spices, peas, and cheese, was also good. The combination of sweet, tangy, soft, crunchy, cool, and hot, which can often be found in Indian cooking, was well represented in this dish.

For entrees we ordered saag paneer, yellow daal, tandoori chicken, kadai lamb curry, chicken tikka masala, coconut rice, and garlic naan.

The saag paneer, a combination of spinach puree with cubed, mild Indian cheese, was okay. It was fresh tasting, but the spinach puree was more like baby food texture. The yellow daal, yellow lentils cooked with onions, garlic, and ginger, was an excellent version — just a bit soupy and nicely spiced.

The tandoori chicken arrived on a huge oval platter and was an entire chicken, cut into serving pieces, and was easily enough for two people for a mere $20. It was very tender, mildly seasoned, and I think my friends are lucky they got to take home the leftovers. The kadai lamb curry, a Pakistani style curry with green peppers, onions, tomatoes, and green chilies in a thick gravy, was excellent, full of rich flavor with tender chunks of lamb.

The chicken tikka masala was also delicious. Tender strips of white meat chicken were served in a thick red coconut milk sauce with fenugreek. We got a big bowl of plain basmati rice, which is the perfect accompaniment with these saucy dishes, but the coconut rice was even better. The same extra long-grain basmati rice was flecked with cilantro and had just a bit of coconut milk for richness.

The garlic naan was also great — nice and chewy with a bit of smokiness from the tandoor oven — brushed with some garlic oil and sprinkled with parsley. All of the naans, parathas, pooris, and rotis are made in house.

Part of the fun of Indian food is sharing and pairing, playing with your food, sampling a bit of bread with a chutney or spicing up your tandoori chicken with the onion relish. The variety of vibrant colors, different temperatures and textures, soft and soupy or crisp and crunchy, all make the experience interactive, or, more appropriately, entertaining. If you are a vegetarian, you have hit the jackpot. There is such a great selection of vegetable options in Indian restaurants, from okra to eggplant to chickpeas and lentils, peas and potatoes, tofu, cauliflower, the choices go on and on.

Our waiter, Rohit, was delightful. He pretty much asked us about 23 times if we were enjoying our meal. He offered suggestions from every category and made sure our water glasses were always full.

For dessert we tried the kheer and paan kulfi. The kheer, a kind of soupy cardamom-flavored rice pudding, was good, although looser than most. It was super sweet, as it always is, and was full of crunchy bits of toasted pistachio nuts.

We were intrigued by the paan kulfi offering, as it was described as betel leaf ice cream. Betel nut and betel leaves are considered to be either close to cocaine in their effect, or medicinal and good for you, depending on who or what you believe. I figured at the very least it would energize us for the long drive home, just like a shot of espresso or piece of dark chocolate might. It was a pale green molded ice cream, cut neatly into four portions topped with pistachio nuts. It had a slightly tart flavor, but beyond that, we couldn’t quite describe it. Kathleen suggested a cross between green tea and pistachio ice cream, which is close enough.

The prices at Saaz are very reasonable. Soups, salads, and appetizers are $6 to $15, entrees are $14 to $36, rotis, pooris, and naans are $3 to $6, desserts are $7. This was the first meal I have had on the East End recently where four people could dine heartily, with a few beers, for under $50 each.

I was very fortunate a few years back to spend some time in India. The food, the culture, the people, everything about the country was mesmerizing, gentle, beautiful. When I get a serious hankering for Indian food I explore new places in New York City. Frankly, I’ve never been blown away, even by the more high-end Indian establishments. Saaz is a quite good, exceptionally welcoming restaurant that I hope gets the business it deserves. If you live in Southampton, it offers free delivery!

In researching the meaning of the word “saaz” I found numerous translations, from “sea” to “melody” to “musical instrument.” The restaurant’s motto is “the symphony of spices,” so lets go with melody. From now on, when I venture west, I am going to Saaz.

Nick & Toni’s Brunch

Sunday brunch is served at Nick & Toni’s in East Hampton weekly from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., with an a la carte menu that includes specialty brunch cocktails.

Bistro Date Night

Thursday is date night at the Harbor Bistro in East Hampton, where a sunset view is included along with a complimentary glass of wine with each entrée ordered.

Football Season Specials

During football game screenings on Sundays and Thursdays, the Indian Wells Tavern in Amagansett will offer a bar menu of $6 items, along with $6 pints of beer and $4 cans of Pabst Blue Ribbon or Miller Lite. During Monday-night games, a “burger, brew, and wings” special will be offered at the bar and in the dining room for $17.

Townline BBQ in Sagaponack has also instituted football season specials, which will be offered on Thursdays and Fridays between 3 and 8 p.m. and all day on Saturdays, Sundays, and Mondays. Mondays at the restaurant are also industry days, when those in the restaurant biz will be offered discounts. The deals include discounted cocktails, shots, and beer, and snack food specials.

Seafood Festival

This weekend will draw seafood lovers to Montauk for the hamlet’s second annual Seafood Festival at the Montauk Marine Basin and Uihlein’s Marina. On Saturday and Sunday from noon to 5 p.m., rain or shine, chefs from local restaurants, caterers, and vendors will be on hand offering all kinds of sea fare, from lobster rolls to seafood crepes, chowder, sushi, tacos, and raw shellfish. Local beers and wine will be available, as well as some landlubbers’ grub: burgers, hot dogs, and steamed corn. There will be dessert stations as well.

The festival, which is sponsored by the Montauk Friends of Erin and the Kiwanis Club of East Hampton, will also include live music and activities for young and old, as described elsewhere in this issue.

Snail Supper

Slow Food East End is taking reservations for a “snail supper” on Sept. 21, which will mark the group’s 10th anniversary. Attendance at the potluck is free, though participants have been asked to take a favorite slow-food dish to share, serving six to eight, along with a serving utensil and their own beverages.

The event will be held at the Havens House barn on the Shelter Island Historical Society grounds from 4 to 7 p.m. Those who wish to attend can sign up at the slowfoodeastend.org website. Volunteers are being sought to lend a hand with set-up and clean-up, and can offer their help by sending an email to Linda Slezak at [email protected]

Fall at Topping Rose

The Topping Rose House restaurant and inn in Bridgehampton has some special offers of interest to foodies this fall. A “Swirl, Sniff, and Sip” special available until Nov. 3 includes one night’s accommodation, breakfast for two in the restaurant, and a walking tour of the Wolffer Estate vineyard in Sagaponack featuring a “hands-on winemaking experience” and a wine, cheese, and charcuterie tasting. The cost is $999 plus tax and gratuity.

A “Harvest in the Hamptons” special, for $659 plus, offers a one-night stay with breakfast, along with a three-course dinner and apple or pumpkin-picking at the Milk Pail farm in Water Mill. Visitors may take home an apple pie or a pumpkin pie, or apple or pumpkin butter made from their harvest by Topping Rose’s pastry chef.

Lunch and Recital

A champagne lunch and recital at the American Hotel in Sag Harbor on Sunday will celebrate the hotel’s decade-long support for the Judy Carmichael Trio, which will perform. The cost is $150. Reservations may be made at JudyCarmichael.com.

Mexican Celebration

La Fondita in Amagansett will have some specials on its takeout menu tomorrow through Sunday in honor of Mexican Independence Day. They include tamales with chicken, pork, or poblano peppers; chicken in red mole sauce, and, for dessert, chocolate churros.

Sustainable Fisheries and Lunch

A forum on sustainable fisheries taking place at the Coast restaurant in Montauk on Sept. 20 will include a series of panel discussions moderated by Paul Greenberg, the author of two books on sustainable fisheries, and a light lunch prepared by Tony Berkho, the restaurant’s executive chef.

The forum, from 12:30 to 3 p.m., is sponsored by Concerned Citizens of Montauk; admission is free but reservations are required and may be made by emailing Deborah Klughers at dklughers @preservemontauk.org.

Meet the Winemakers

A series of dinners at Noah’s restaurant in Greenport will celebrate the harvest season with a focus on East End vineyards. Representatives of a particular winery will be on hand for each dinner to discuss the wines paired with a five-course meal. The cost is $95 plus tax and gratuity; members of the featured vineyard’s wine club will receive a 10 percent discount. Reservations have been strongly recommended for these Sunday-night events, which begin on Sept. 28 with Kelly Urbanik of Macari Vineyards and Wines.

I love tuna. I love it in all of its incarnations, from the ice cream scooped blob on a deli sandwich to the fattiest slice of sashimi to seared on the grill and dabbed with a wasabi aioli. I like the cheap canned tuna at the supermarket and the fancy Italian tuna from a glass jar. I like it raw. I like it cooked.

However, it is important to point out that tuna bioaccumulates toxins, most notably methylmercury. While the Food and Drug Administration and Environmental Protection Agency insist that it is still okay for pregnant or nursing women and young children to consume one can of tuna per week, Consumer Reports disagrees. Why take chances? Instead it recommends other healthy but lower-mercury fish such as wild and Alaska salmon, shrimp, sardines, tilapia, and scallops.

Now that we’ve gotten that out of the way, on to the deliciousness of tuna. There are quite a few tribes of Thunnini. Albacore is the variety most used as canned “white” tuna meat. Most are caught in the open waters of the Pacific Ocean. Skipjack is mostly sold as canned “light” tuna and comes from the Pacific Ocean around Hawaii. It is also caught in Mexico, Ecuador, and South Korea. Yellowfin is marketed as frozen or fresh loins or steaks and is often mixed with skipjack in light canned tuna. Bigeye, also known as ahi in Hawaii, is served fresh and is often used in sushi and sashimi. The Atlantic bluefin is the most prized of all, especially in Japan. Capable of swimming as fast as 43 miles per hour, this fish can grow to 14 feet in length and weigh more than a horse.

According to a March article in National Geographic, “In January 2013 a single bluefin tuna sold in Tokyo for $1.76 million.” The price, the magazine said, was “part publicity stunt, part Japanese ritual: The first tuna on the auction market each year is subject to a bidding war that’s over the top, even by Japanese standards,” but it is nevertheless an example of “how much 21st-century Japanese have come to treasure maguro, bluefin sushi.”

It is important to pay heed to warnings of overfishing and possible depletion to the point of extinction. And while tuna also contains many remarkable health benefits, it is also wise to eat it in moderation.

If you are a fan of raw tuna, either prepared as sushi, sashimi, in a tartare or ceviche, make sure that you buy it at its utmost freshest. Tell your fishmonger (or friendly fisherman buddy) that you will be serving it raw.

Tuna is also excellent when cooked like a rare steak, seared on both sides over high heat and left very rare in the middle. Grilling is also an ideal method. Probably one of the few bad ways of preparing tuna is to fry or deep fry, rendering it pale and dry. On the occasions when I have overcooked a tuna steak, I simply save it for the next day, flake it up, and turn it into a fresh tuna salad with minimal mayo, a hint of curry powder, and a bit of mango chutney.

When using canned tuna, why not try making a good old-fashioned tuna noodle casserole? Nobody makes them anymore, and they are as comforting as a bowl of mashed potatoes. Don’t use canned creamy soups as the sauce; make your own bechamel and add some sautéed onions and celery to the whole shebang. Another simple dish that requires no cooking, just the opening of two cans and a bit of chopping, is an Italian tuna and white bean salad. It is no more than a drained can of cannelini beans, flaked canned tuna, some chopped Vidalia (or other mild onion), fresh lemon juice, parsley, and olive oil.

Let us enjoy this local delicacy, on occasion, with appreciation.

Click for recipes

Fall at Fresh Hamptons

Fresh Hamptons in Bridgehampton is reinstating its lineup of weekly dinner deals, now that the summer high season is over. Sundays will be family nights at Fresh, with a $59 dinner package that will provide enough for two to four adults, or two adults and two to three children. “Manly Mondays” will start off the workweek with New York State grass-fed beef burgers or veggie burgers served at the bar or the restaurant’s communal table, with a draft beer or glass of wine, for $10. Tuesdays are taco nights, offering a family-style taco dinner for $19 per adult, or $10 for kids under 12, and on Wednesdays bottles of wine originally priced at $100 or less are half price. Thursdays bring a three-course pizza dinner, featuring a choice of toppings, for $18 per person.

The Gig Shack

In Montauk, 668 the Gig Shack will shift to its autumn hours on Monday, after a break during Labor Day week. From now until Columbus Day, the restaurant will serve lunch and dinner beginning at 11:30 a.m. daily, except Wednesdays.

Georgica No More

Georgica restaurant in Wainscott has closed its doors and is reportedly to be sold.

EatHamptons Address

An email address given here last week for EatHamptons, a catering company formed by Mark Fahrer, a chef, has been changed. The current email is [email protected].

Noah’s at Vineyard

Noah Schwartz, the executive chef at Noah’s restaurant in Greenport, will be cooking up flatbreads and other items that will pair well with wines in a wood-fired oven at Jamesport Vineyards. Such items as marinated olives, crab-stuffed deviled eggs, and a warm lobster roll, along with flatbreads with a variety of toppings, will be available at the vineyard on Fridays from 5 to 8 p.m., Saturdays from 5 to 7 p.m., and Sundays from noon to 6 p.m. until the end of November.

Katana

La Maison Blanche Hotel

11 Stearns Point Road

Shelter Island

749-1633

Dinner from 6 p.m., through

at least Labor Day

What is the best number of people to bring along for a restaurant review? Logic would suggest the more the merrier; you get a chance to try more dishes. But my recent experience at Katana on Shelter Island, with eight human, adult people, suggested otherwise. We were a regular little United Nations of know-it-alls — Chinese, African-American, British, friends who had lived all over Asia, and a cookbook author. All I ask of my guests is that we get a nice variety of food, they don’t ask me in front of the waiter what they should order, and, oh, please, let me taste the four desserts we ordered before you consume every drop. More on that later, or should I say, less on that?

The restaurant is a seasonal pop-up at La Maison Blanche on Shelter Island, a pretty inn that’s Victorian on the outside, chic and European on the inside. There is a little pool in back, a big wraparound porch with a gazebo, pentanque courts out front, Ping-Pong, and bikes to ride down to Crescent Beach. For a few years it had a pretty good French restaurant. This season it has Katana, a somewhat Indonesian-Japanese restaurant, serving the only sushi on Shelter Island.

On the night of our visit we sat out front on the spacious and pretty porch. Oops, I forgot to mention to my guests that you don’t start off by arguing with the waiter over the wording on the menu. This is supposed to be stealth dining, not loaded-for-bear, I-know-more-than-you-do umbrage. Sigh.

We began our meal with clam chowder, mussels, summer rolls, chicken gyoza, and bulgogi (Korean tacos). The clam chowder, referred to as “Kiki’s famous,” was pretty average for “famous.” It was rich and creamy. Standard stuff. The mussels were very good, cooked in a lemon grass and coconut milk broth with a bit of chili oil heat. The vegetable summer rolls would have been better if the rice noodle pancake hadn’t been soaked for too long. The rolls kind of fell apart when you picked them up. The filling was good though, a combination of mango, cucumbers, peppers, and vermicelli noodles — crunchy and sweet. The chicken gyoza were excellent. You could taste every ingredient. The dumpling wrappers were perfectly cooked, and a hint of citrusy lemongrass came through. The bulgogi were also excellent — two taco shells filled with little chunks of ribeye steak, a bit of cabbage and daikon radish for crunch, and a delicious drizzle of soy-lime dressing.

For entrees we ordered Java gado-gado, miso-glazed halibut, panang chicken curry, fluke sashimi, and tuna and avocado salad. The gado-gado, called “Indonesian Cobb salad” on the menu, was a good rendition of this dish, traditionally a cool combination of potatoes, green beans, cucumbers, hard-boiled eggs, and tofu. This one had the addition of spinach and fried shallots. The peanut dressing served with it was just right, with a creamy consistency and just a bit salty.

The miso-glazed halibut was another winner. The halibut was perched on top of grilled asparagus and had a slightly spicy red curry sauce on it. The clever addition of crisped wonton wrappers filled with truffled mashed potatoes was divine, if nontraditional. The fluke sashimi (sometimes called usuzukuri) was super fresh, with thin slices of fluke in tart ponzu sauce. The tuna and avocado salad, “Sleeping Dragon,” was one of the more beautiful platters of the evening. Thin slices of avocado were wrapped around slices of tuna, filled with salmon caviar. Another coil of avocado slices was wrapped around spicy tuna with a dollop of seaweed salad. The platter had two little pools of a light miso sesame oil dressing garnished with red and orange tobiko (flying fish roe).

The panang chicken curry (the dish that one guest insisted was incorrectly identified because it was a green curry, blah blah blah) was good, just not very exciting. Panang curry is a milder, often peanut-based curry popular in Malaysia. The chicken was tender and it was mixed in with peppers and bok choy and served with steamed brown rice.

The service on the night of our visit was good, but I got the sense that our waiter doesn’t like waiting tables. He was knowledgeable and efficient, but eye contact and smiles were not a part of his repertoire.

We ordered desserts, which our waiter said were not made in-house: mochi, mango creme brulee, and cheesecake. At this point, my friend Mitch and I left the table to play no more than 10 or 15 minutes of petanque. I lost. Mitch insisted he tried to let me win, but my playing was just too . . . well, it’s a silly game, anyway. Upon our return to the table we saw lots of empty dessert plates. “You took too long!” they cried like petulant children. “Do you all remember why we came here? So I could taste the food? I’m supposed to be working here!” said this petulant reviewer. Oh, well. The review of the desserts from my dining companions was “the cheesecake was okay,” “there was a piece of mango on the plate,” and “we don’t know what flavor the mochi was.” Not so helpful.

The prices at Katana are reasonable, and the chef only serves sustainable fish in accordance with the Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch list, an admirable philosophy. The wine list is short and also reasonable. Most bottles are in the $40 to $50 range. Prices are $9 to $16 for appetizers, $24 to $44 for entrees. Sushi and sashimi are $10 to $24. The aforementioned, never tasted desserts are $9. The restaurant is open through Labor Day, but has a lease for longer and may continue later into the fall if its reservation lines stay busy.

We had a delightful time at Katana in a pretty setting. It’s wonderful to see sushi and Indonesian style dishes on charming little Shelter Island. But no way am I ever bringing so many experts on future reviews!

North Fork for Foodies

The eighth annual Foodie Tour of the North Fork will take place on Sept. 7. Sponsored by the North Fork Reform Synagogue, it will include visits to farms, vineyards, and beverage and food producers, where there will be cooking demonstrations, talks, and tastings.

The synagogue website, northforkreformsysnagogue.org,  has details. The event, with tickets at $25 (children 12 and under can attend for free), will take place from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The self-guided tour begins at the Peconic Land Trust’s agricultural center at Charnews Farm in Southold.

Food TV

The George Hirsch Lifestyle show will be aired on WLIW-TV, Channel 21, on Mondays at 7:30 p.m. beginning on Labor Day. This week’s episode will feature visits with Scott Chaskey, farmer and director of Quail Hill Farm in Amagansett, and Joe Realmuto, the chef at Townline BBQ in Sagaponack.

Asado Lamb Roast

A garden party and lamb roast will start at 4 p.m. on Monday at c/o the Maidstone Inn in East Hampton. The Living Room restaurant there will prepare an all-you-can-eat feast with appetizers, lamb, sauces, salads, and more. The cost is $75 per person, or half that for kids 12 and under. Alfredo Merat and Radio Europa will perform.

New Caterer

EatHamptons is a new catering company founded by Mark Fahrer, a chef whose clients have included the Food Network, the James Beard Foundation, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and the Trump family. Among Mr. Faher’s specialties are churrascaria (Brazilian barbecue), Indonesian rijsttafel (a rice table), and regional African cuisines. The chef can be contacted at EatHamptons@ gmail.com.

Stonecrop Wines, a small New Zealand vineyard owned by Sally Richardson and Andrew Harris of Montauk, recently released its first  pinot noir rosé. The vineyard also produces sauvignon blanc and pinot noir, both of which can be found in restaurants and wine stores around the East End.

Mr. Harris and Ms. Richardson began the venture in 2002, when they purchased 20 acres in Martinborough, New Zealand, a small town known for it’s pinot noir production. The couple hand-planted pinot noir and sauvignon blanc vines in 2003 and released their first vintage in 2006. Each April, they make the trip from Montauk to New Zealand to help handpick the grapes, often bringing friends along to help. Alexis Moore is the winemaker, and a viticulturist oversees the vineyard on a day-to-day basis.

The vineyard takes its name from the dry river valley in which it is located. The vines grow in soil filled with a type of glacial stone called grey wacke. According to Mr. Harris, this soil is ideal.

“You want the vines growing in fairly non-fertile soils,” he said, “You want them to put all their effort into growing the fruit and not a lot of leaves.”

The couple began planning for the 2014 rosé about a year ago. They wanted to take advantage of the opportunity to make and release a rosé in the same year that the grapes were picked. “You can do that with rosé because it’s not a complex wine. It’s light, it’s fresh, and it doesn’t need to spend a lot of time in the winery,” Mr. Harris said.

Of the three pinot noir clones grown on the vineyard, they chose clone 777 for their rosé, which is originally from the Dijon region in France and contains floral characteristics without being overly sweet.

“We wanted a really blush rosé, something very light and crisp and dry. We wanted to avoid the sweet rosé style,” Ms. Richardson said. The rosé is described as containing “aromas of rose petals and mandarin peel” and having a “crisp, refreshing finish.”

The grapes for the rosé were handpicked on April 3. It was bottled on June 6. Of the 250 cases produced, 240 were shipped to New York and arrived in early August. Stonecrop’s rosé is served at Meeting House in Amagansett and the Coast and Backyard at Solé East in Montauk. It can be purchased for $16 to $18 at a number of local wine stores, including Atlantic Wines and Liquors in Amagansett and Montauk Liquors and Wine.

The rosé is likely the last addition to the Stonecrop family of wines. Mr. Harris and Ms. Richardson like being a small vineyard. “We have no intention to expand on the production that we have. We are very happy with the style and quality of wine that we are able to produce off those 20 acres,” Mr. Harris said.

The other vineyards in Martinborough are similar in scale and production to Stonecrop. There are about 35 of them, and most use the bottling plant in the town square. The couple has gotten to know many of the other local winemakers, and there are few secrets and little competition due to the fact that there are no commercial producers in the area.

Stonecrop is accredited as a Sustainable Winegrowing New Zealand vineyard, meaning it is committed to conserving natural resources and using natural farming practices. Mr. Harris is the pioneer of a unique sustainable practice, one that takes advantage of New Zealand’s 30 million sheep.

“We bring the neighbors’ sheep into the vineyard when the grapes are still very hard and green, and they eat all the leaves around the bunches of grapes,” he said. “This ensures that we get the right sunlight exposure to the grapes. . . . It’s a very sustainable practice that doesn’t require any mechanization.”

It is a relationship that is ideal for all parties involved. Mr. Harris said, “The sheep are happy because they’re eating leaves which are quite delicious, the farmer is happy because his sheep are being fed for free, and there’s also a bit of natural fertilization that takes place.”

It is, however, important to choose the right sheep. “Not lambs, not big sheep,” Mr. Harris said, “They have to be the right size so that they eat just above the fruiting line.”

Wine Tastings

A sommelier will lead participants through weekly wine tastings this month at Wainscott Main Wine and Spirits on Fridays from 4 to 7 p.m. and Saturdays from 1 to 4 p.m. Each week the tastings center on wines from different regions, different varietals, and at different price points, and will include at least one of the shop’s more than 50 rosé wine offerings.

Bottles of rosé are on special at the shop, with various discounts offered on wines from around the world. Single bottles will be available at case prices. Wainscott Main plans to continue wine tastings through September and to renew its weekly wine workshops with a fall series beginning in October.

Brunch Prix Fixe

At Ruschmeyer’s in Montauk, a prix fixe brunch is offered on Saturdays and Sundays from 10:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. for $20.

Cooking Class

A cooking class in Amagansett next Thursday from 6 to 10 p.m. with Karen Lee, a New York City caterer, cookbook author, and teacher, will center on a menu of zucchini pancakes with raita, sauteed local scallops with an Indian dry rub, parchment salmon with ginger-saffron sauce, and lemon rice pilaf. There will be a “seasonal surprise,” and dessert will be poached peaches in red wine and pecan cookies with Oreo cream.  Participants, who are limited to 12, will make and eat the meal. They may take their own wine. The cost is $115 per person. Those who wish to register may do so online at karenleecooking.com.

Food Institute

The Amagansett Food Institute has received its second annual grant of $20,000 from the Long Island Community Foundation for its Farm to Pantry program.

The institute works with local farms to collect surplus produce that is sold to Long Island Cares, and other buyers, for distribution to more than 600 Long Island food pantries. So far this year, more than 12,500 pounds of produce have been distributed through the program. King Kullen in Bridgehampton donates recycled produce boxes for the effort.

Seawater Grill

Gurney’s Inn

290 Old Montauk Highway

668-2345

Lunch and dinner daily

Gurney’s Inn is, without a doubt, in one of the most spectacularly beautiful locations on the East Coast. Perched on the whoopsy-daisy, up and down, twisty-turny Old Montauk Highway, it sits high above the Atlantic Ocean, sprawling, majestic, and sadly, a little run down. It would probably take more than $100 million to turn this place into a world-class spa on a par with Canyon Ranch or Miraval, which is what some billionaire should do for the place. Steve Case, do you hear me? In the meantime, some renovations and improvements have taken place, most very nice.

One of the improvements is the revitalization of the Sea Grille, now called the Seawater Grill. It is still massive, a huge dining room, bar, and plenty of outdoor seating right on the ocean. There is a white piano outside (Oh dear, imagine what the salt air does to the strings!), a firepit, fleecy monogrammed blankies to protect against the cool evening breeze, an outdoor fish tank, a beach concierge, and more umbrellas and chairs on the beach than Antibes in August. Whew. The indoor dining rooms are attractive, with some creamy beige Ikat print banquettes, pretty chandeliers, bits of barnboard siding here and there. But really, the superstar is the view of the ocean. If you’re lucky, as we were on a recent evening, you can enjoy the view, the sunset, the breeze, and everything that is glorious about a summer evening in Montauk.

The Seawater Grill has a new chef, but the menu is oddly comforting in its retro selections like linguini fra diavolo, chicken Parmesan, melon and prosciutto, chowder, and chopped salad. It seems smartly geared towards a broad clientele basis — families staying at the hotel and tourists — and it is conscious of the huge volume the kitchen must produce.

The basket of warm pretzel rolls and a dish of whole grain mustard butter you get upon being seated is a delicious combo, but it definitely makes for a salty, salty bite. We began our meal with the coconut curry mussels, oysters Rockefeller fritters, and truffle mac and cheese. The coconut curry mussels were delicious — a dainty portion of Prince Edward Island mussels in a rich, coconut cream broth. The oysters Rockefeller fritters (three for $16) were good but not crisp. They had a good bit of bacon in them, spinach wrapped around and a few fried leaves on top, all in a rich bechamel sauce. The truffle mac and cheese seemed like an odd appetizer especially since it was so rich and a huge portion. It was quite good, topped with breadcrumbs, and very thick and creamy. It was close to melted cream cheese consistency.

For entrees we had a Montauk roll, sesame crusted tuna, and eggplant-Parmesan-stuffed heirloom tomato with melted burrata cheese. The Montauk roll was very good — shrimp tempura with avocado topped with warm rock shrimp tempura. The shrimp tempura was well executed, but the rock shrimp got soggy from the addition of spicy mayo. The sesame-crusted tuna, ordered medium rare, had to be sent back for a bit more cooking, but once it came back, quite promptly, it was perfect. We all agreed it was a fine, fine piece of tuna and my friends Jane and Steve know their tuna. It was a big portion — fat wedges of tuna with black and white sesame seeds, some wilted baby bok choy, and a miso glaze. We also liked the eggplant-Parmesan-stuffed tomato because it wasn’t oily like some eggplant Parmesan can be, and we all thought the tomato sauce was light and fresh tasting. Melting burrata is a crime in my book; you kind of lose the creamy interior contrast to the more substantial exterior cheese, but it worked with this dish.

Our waiter Ashley was delightful, funny, and fun, and the service was good. For desserts we ordered the rainbow cookie sandwich, flourless chocolate cake, and apple crumb pie. Ashley also brought us a s’mores pizza to try. The rainbow cookie sandwich was cute. It was layers of rainbow-colored cake with a hint of almond flavor with a nice vanilla ice cream scoop in the middle. The apple crumb pie was fair. The flourless chocolate cake mediocre, just not a lot of quality chocolate flavor.

I am sorry that Ashley gave us the s’mores pizza because it was ghastly. It was a flatbread pizza, large and rectangular, with melted Nutella, marshmallows, and a sprinkling of graham cracker crumbs. It seemed as though the propane gas from the grill had permeated the crust. Two of us took small bites, chewed them, and had to spit out the icky-tasting dough. When two out of two grownups have to spit out their food in public, that is sad and embarrassing.

The prices at Seawater Grill are moderate to expensive. Raw bar items are $15 to $24, appetizers are $17 to $23, salads and soups are $12 to $19, sushi rolls are $17 to $28, entrees are $26 to $49, sides are $9 to $11, and desserts are $10 to $17. The wine list is thorough; you can get a bottle for as low as $40 or as high as $1,500. (This one would be for those who avail themselves of the beach concierge, the oceanfront Bedouin tents with daybeds, and take selfies all day. Whee!)

I adore Gurney’s Inn. The saltwater pool is restorative and the ocean views spectacular. The food has improved since the Sea Grille days, but it would probably take an Alain Ducasse or Eric Ripert to make it comparable to the setting. For now, they’re on the right track but with a ways to go.

Contessa’s Cookbooks

Ina Garten’s extensive cookbook collection, housed at her East Hampton residence, where she also has space for a test kitchen and shoots of her “Barefooot Contessa” Food Network TV show, are featured in the September issue of Food Network magazine. The issue is on newsstands now. A list of Ms. Garten’s go-to cookbooks is online at foodnetwork.com/inaslibrary.

At Harlow East

Sunday evenings bring barbecue to the back bar at Harlow East, a new restaurant this summer in the former B. Smith’s space on Long Wharf in Sag Harbor. For $25 each, diners get grilled goodies, from barbecue beef to brisket and bratwurst, corn on the cob, and a glass of beer or rosé. Live music takes place each week as well. It all begins at 7 p.m.

Cheesemonger Comes East

Those who love the cheeses and accompaniments offered at Lucy’s Whey cheese shop from the Chelsea Market in New York City (and formerly of East Hampton) can get their fill on Fridays and Saturdays this month, when Lucy Kazickas will open a pop-up shop at the Lieb Cellars tasting room in East Hampton from noon to 7 p.m. The wine shop is at 26 Park Place, in the Reutershan parking lot in East Hampton Village. Ms. Kazickas will bring a selection of cheeses, fruit tarts, and the shop’s popular Montauk marlin dip, along with other items. Those who wish to request particular cheeses or other items from the store may place special orders by contacting Ms. Kazickas by Thursday of any week at [email protected].

East End Chefs

George Gounelas, the general manager and chef at the Old Stove Pub in Sagaponack, will present the next East End Chefs cooking class at the Old Whalers Church in Sag Harbor. On Tuesday at 6:30 p.m., Mr. Gounelas will demonstrate how to make Greek dishes, including a beef or lamb gyro with tzatziki sauce, along with Greek salad, and an ice cream sundae with homemade cold fudge sauce for dessert. The cost is $20. Wine and water will be available for purchase. Space is limited; reservations may be made by contacting Lillian Woudsma at [email protected].

Harvest East End

A red-letter day for foodies and oenophiles is coming up on Aug. 23, when the annual Harvest East End takes place, this year at the McCall Vineyard and Ranch in Cutchogue. The fund-raiser organized by the Long Island Wine Council brings together 40 East End winemakers and 30 chefs for a wine tasting and auction and some local fare. V.I.P. tickets, and general admission tickets, at $125 each, are available. Details can be found at harvesteastend.com.

Chinese Cooking

Karen Lee will offer a class in authentic Chinese cooking on Wednesday at an Amagansett residence. The author of three Chinese cookbooks, Ms. Lee, a caterer and cooking teacher, was an apprentice to Madame Grace Zia Chu, who introduced authentic Chinese cooking to American cooks. The menu will include shu mai, ginger beef, shrimp with cucumber, Sichuan green beans, cilantro rice, and baked custards with strawberry sauce. The cost is $115. Students may bring their own wine. Reservations may be made at karenleecooking.com.