New at Rowdy

    At Rowdy Hall in East Hampton, new on the menu at lunchtime is a “roast turkey gobbler,” which is a sandwich of fresh turkey breast on toasted eight-grain bread with stuffing, gravy, and onion-cranberry marmalade. It is served with baby field greens. Also new on the lunch menu is a chicken salad sandwich and a pastrami sandwich. At dinnertime, the Rowdy menu now offers a baked brie appetizer, and, as entrees, local swordfish, salmon, an all-natural pork chop, beef short ribs, coq au vin, and butternut squash lasagna.

Zokkon Opens

    Zokkon, a new sushi restaurant, is opening in East Hampton, in the Montauk Highway building where Bamboo, and most recently, Shiki, used to be. The space has been redone. Toyo, the chef and owner of Suki Zuki in Water Mill, is a partner in the venture.

Amazing FoodBook

    The Edible School Garden Group, a part of the Slow Food East End education committee, has launched a fund-raising campaign on Kickstarter.com to raise money to publish “The Nutritious Delicious FoodBook.” The book contains kid-friendly recipes and links to videos, including cooking videos for adults. It offers healthy meal options for families pressed for time, with dishes that can be prepared by children as young as 10, and includes tips on nutrition and cooking techniques from local chefs as well as recipes collected from among more than 18 Long Island school districts.

    The goal is to distribute 10,000 free copies of the interactive book, in various formats, to young children and their families, in an effort to change the way that people eat.

Topping Rose Brunch

    The Topping Rose House in Bridgehampton, with the celebrity chef Tom Colicchio at the helm and Ty Kotz serving as the chef de cuisine, is now open for lunch on Saturdays and Sundays from 10:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. On the menu are dishes such as the “Bridgehampton Town Fry,” with scrambled organic eggs, fried oysters, and chili dust, a croque monsieur, and mushroom risotto cakes with eggs, spinach, and bacon broth. In addition, a pastry basket can be ordered, served with apple butter, cinnamon butter, and fresh ricotta.

Winter Farm Shares

    The Quail Hill community farm in Amagansett has winter shares available. Vegetables that will be distributed from the farm’s root cellar and greenhouse between now through Feb. 23 include carrots, beets, potatoes, cabbage, ruta­baga, sweet potatoes, squash, garlic, greens, and more. Harvest pickup days will be biweekly, on Fridays and Saturdays. A family share is $360, while a single share is $225. Those interested can send an e-mail to Rharris@PeconicLandTrust. org.

Thanksgiving Options

    Those who want to get out, and stay out, of the kitchen on Thanksgiving may head to Michael’s at Maidstone restaurant in Springs, which will be serving from noon to 9 p.m.

    In Montauk, another option will be the Gulf Coast Kitchen at the Montauk Yacht Club, which will be serving a Thanksgiving Day buffet from 1 to 8 p.m. The price is $29.95 for adults or $16.95 for children ages 6 to 12. Little ones under 6 can eat for free.

Winter Prix Fixe

    Throughout the winter at Red/Bar Brasserie in Southampton, on Sundays through Thursdays excluding holidays or holiday weekends, diners may choose a two-course prix fixe for $29, or three courses for $34. Starter choices will include a soup or salad, braised pork belly, and local yellowfin tuna tartare, the latter two for a $2 supplement. Main courses included are fish of the day, rigatoni with Bolognese sauce, and sauteed calf’s liver.

Dinner and a Movie

    At the Plaza Cafe in Southampton, a $39.50 dinner and a movie deal includes a three-course meal and a ticket to the Southampton Cinema that can be used for any show. Tax and gratuity are extra. The special is offered on Sundays through Fridays, and on Saturday from 5 to 7 p.m. Main course choices include horseradish-crusted local cod, sliced flatiron steak, herb-marinated free-range chicken, and farfalle with fresh Gulf shrimp.

    I have great memories of family Thanksgivings. Of course, in the good old days, the women did all the cooking while the menfolk watched football. Afterward, as we all digested and got a bit slowed down by the big meal, the gents would return to the den to watch yet more football and the women would gingerly wash all the silver and special plates and glasses that only came out for this one day a year.

    Miraculously, I have only cooked one complete Thanksgiving meal in my entire life, and this one was for a less fortunate family living near us in Virginia. When I delivered it, I tried to loiter on their doorstep, smiling, waiting, shuffling my feet. What did I expect from them, a more profuse “Thank you for this Thanksgiving feast?” I even told my husband I wanted to go back the next day to make sure they enjoyed it, make sure my mashed potatoes were savory enough, my pie crust cooked through.

    For the next 16 years, our family always went to the in-laws’ farm in Pennsylvania. My measly contribution would be Susan Stamberg’s famous cranberry relish. Since I have moved to East Hampton year round, I have been cooking in restaurants every Thanksgiving. Therefore, we have accepted any and all invitations for the big meal.

    This year will be slightly different. My son’s friend Angus pronounced recently that the only thing that would get him out East would be to have Thanksgiving dinner with us at our new house in Sag Harbor. Sadly, once again, I will be working on Thanksgiving Day, cranking out pecan and pumpkin pies at the Living Room restaurant. But we will have a lovely Thanksgiving meal later in the day . . . catered.

    I have found that the problem with being a guest at a friend’s house is you have no leftovers. This year, we will have leftovers.

    Let us not forget the meaning of this day. My father, a disabled World War II veteran, always invited soldiers and veterans to our Thanksgiving meal. This year, let’s keep in mind and help those who have suffered more than we have from Hurricane Sandy. Serve one less pie and donate the money to the American Red Cross.

    Okay, I’m stepping off my soapbox now and back into the kitchen. Here are some recipes for some awesome side dishes to go with your turkey.

Click for recipes

Highway Diner and Bar

    The Highway Diner and Bar is now open on Montauk Highway in Wainscott. Created by David Kuperschmid and Gunnar Myers — the restaurateur behind the former Napeague Stretch restaurant on Napeague and New York City’s Tenth Street Lounge — the family-friendly eatery is in the space that formerly housed Rugosa. The building has undergone extensive renovations, and now offers a relaxed setting for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, or just drinks. The new restaurant is open daily from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m., with earlier breakfast hours to be added soon.

    Robert Gurvich is the chef. Most recently, he presided over the kitchen at Alison 18 in Manhattan, the latest endeavor by Alison Price Becker, with whom he opened the original Alison on Dominick Street. Mr. Gurvich also served up meals at Ms. Price Becker’s restaurants here.

    The menu includes classic diner favorites such as grilled cheese, Reuben, tuna, B.L.T., and turkey club sandwiches, a fried oyster po’boy, and burgers.

    There is breakfast all day, a variety of salads, soups and a vegetable chili, and starters such as braised beef tacos, crab cakes, and tuna tartare. For drinks there are soda fountain favorites such as ice cream floats and chocolate egg creams, along with smoothies and healthy juices such as a “Green Monster” mix of pineapple, kale, lemon, cucumber, and celery. Entrees include meatloaf, ribeye, grilled salmon, skate, linguine with clams and shrimp, and grilled vegetables with quinoa. A junior menu offers a list of foods popular with kids, for $7.

Extended Season

    Bostwick’s Chowder House remains open Friday through Sunday for lunch and dinner, starting at 11:30. Menu items that can be ordered for takeout or eating at the restaurant include fried and broiled seafood, raw bar items, fish tacos, chowders, steamed lobster, lobster rolls, and a “guppy menu” for kids.

Restaurant Week Take Two

    Long Island Restaurant Week has been extended through Sunday in order to give those who have been conserving gas, or who were hunkered down in advance of or after Hurricane Sandy, a chance to take advantage of the deal.

    More than 80 restaurants across the Island, including the 1770 House in East Hampton, will offer a three-course prix fixe for $24.95 each night of the promotion, except on Saturday, when the offer will only be extended until 7 p.m. A full list of participants is at longislandrestaurantweek.com.

    Steve Haweeli, the president of the Long Island Restaurant and Hospitality Group, announced that on behalf of participating restaurants, a donation will be made to the Interfaith Nutrition Network and the Family Service League, two Long Island organizations that are working to help people affected by the hurricane.  Additionally, Muse in the Harbor in Sag Harbor will donate 10 percent of its proceeds on Wednesday night to the American Red Cross.

Chefs to Appear

    Silvia Lehrer, the author of “Savoring the Hamptons: Discovering the Food and Wine of Long Island’s East End,” will appear at a “Taste of the Holidays” event at the Wolffer Estate Vineyard in Sagaponack on Sunday from 12:30 to 3 p.m. for a book signing and tasting of a recipe from the book.

    Colin Ambrose, the chef and owner of Estia’s Little Kitchen in Sag Harbor, will return by popular demand to give a class at the Old Whalers Church in Sag Harbor, as part of its East End Chefs series. On Nov. 28 at 6:30 p.m., Mr. Ambrose will demonstrate several ways to prepare Long Island duckling, including a pan-roasted duck with a stone fruit chutney. A dessert incorporating local fruits will conclude the meal. Wine will be served.

    The cost is $30. Space is limited, so reservations in advance have been advised and can be made by calling the church. Proceeds from the programs benefit the community house efforts at the church, through which community groups are provided space.

Thanksgiving Desserts

    Dolce Nirvana, an East Hampton baking business begun earlier this year, has introduced a line of prepared, frozen pies, all ready to pop in the oven and bake. In addition, Dolce Nirvana offers already made fruit pies — pumpkin, apple, apple-pear, and apple-cranberry-nut — pecan pie, and chocolate-bourbon-pecan pie, along with cranberry nut or chocolate-pumpkin bundt cakes, and a chocolate bourbon bombe cake. Also available are the bakery’s specialty, key lime pies, in their traditional incarnation as well as blended with mango or coconut, or as a key lime tequila cake.

    Orders can be placed online at dolcenirvana.com for pickup at the company’s East Hampton location, or the baked goods may be purchased at the Hampton Market Place store in East Hampton or on Saturdays at the Sag Harbor Fair Foods Market, held at the Bay Burger building on the Bridgehampton-Sag Harbor Turnpike from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. This weekend, the Dolce Nirvana folks will be one of the featured East End artisans at the Williams-Sonoma store in Bridgehampton, selling all of their wares at the store between noon and 4 p.m.

    Lucy’s Whey in East Hampton is taking orders for locally handmade fruit tarts for Thanksgiving desserts. Varieties include pear, apple, fig, and cranberry. The cost is $28 for a round tart, or $30 for a long tart. Orders placed ahead of time can be picked up anytime on Wednesday or between 9 and 11 a.m. on Thanksgiving.

And Turkey Dinner

    Among the numerous restaurants cooking up a Thanksgiving feast is the Living Room at c/o the Maidstone inn in East Hampton. Serving from 1 to 8 p.m., the cost is $85 for the meal, or $40 for a child-sized portion. Wine pairings can be included for an additional $45. The four courses include a choice among homemade squash ravioli, Peconic Pride oysters on the half shell, seasonal forest mushrooms, or pate, as one of two starting courses, and, as an entree, traditional turkey and fixings or Scottish salmon, grilled Angus hanger steak, or Swedish ham served with a pumpkin chutney.

   Thousands of potatoes still sit beneath the soil, awaiting harvest and root cellar storage at Quail Hill Farm in Amagansett, which, according to Scott Chaskey, produces 20,000 pounds of the vegetable each year. To be dug and stored over the next few weeks, the crop will go primarily to winter-share members of the farm’s community-supported agriculture program, although a few local restaurants will get some as well. Varieties still to be harvested include Kennebec, Bintze, and Keuka Gold.

    Mr. Chaskey, Quail Hill’s longtime farmer-in-charge, searches far and wide for the best-tasting and yielding varieties, such as Adirondack Blue, which is his personal favorite right now. “Twenty varieties have been standard for 20 years,” he said, with three to five new ones introduced at the farm each year, including blue, red, white, gold, Yukon, Carola, French red fingerlings, and Yellow Finn. Internationally, there are about 5,000 varieties of potato, Mr. Chaskey said.

    There are few crops that grow so abundantly, he remarked, in diverse conditions from sea level to 14,000 feet above. Whether simply boiled with butter or mashed with garlic and olive oil, Mr. Chaskey has enjoyed potatoes since his childhood in Ireland, where his mother prepared them at almost every meal.

    She was not alone. In the 1780s, farmers in Ireland grew potatoes because they fared well in poor soil and contained vitamins necessary for survival. When the crop failed in 1845, famine resulted, and many starved to death.

     Late blight is what caused the Irish Potato Famine, Mr. Chaskey said. It also killed a lot of his tomatoes this year, but it has never affected the potatoes. On the other hand, potato beetles, which eat entire plants, take a lot of his time and energy. Choosing resistant varieties makes a big difference, he said; he buys seed annually from a woman in Maine who tests crops in the far north and the deep south for signs of blight.

    Potato farming, which is down to 3,000 acres on Long Island from a high of 70,000, originated in South America, high in the Andes Mountains, and became a staple of North American farming in the early 18th century. Introduced by European settlers, who used the crop primarily as food for livestock and slaves, it was not until the early 20th century that cultivation began on a large enough scale to affect the local and national food supply.

    It started with horse-drawn plows, then, circa 1890, farm tractors, and finally, in the 1920s, the first harvesting machines, which were pulled by horses. Once mechanized harvesters arrived in the 1950s, potatoes became a primary crop, and potato barns filled the East End.

    These days, although Suffolk is still the state’s top agricultural county, much of the potato acreage has transitioned to grapes, despite their tremendously lower yield.

    Johanna Halsey of the Green Thumb in Water Mill is a descendant of one of the first and largest potato growers in the area, the Halsey family, who farmed 95 acres until after World War II, when the price plummeted. Family members kept harvesting potatoes until the 1980s, when the time and expense of hand-picking beetles off the tubers made it impossible, especially after they stopped using chemicals sprays in the 1970s.

    The increasing value of farmland as prime real estate also affected the production of potatoes in Suffolk, which plunged from its sixth-largest-county-in-the-nation ranking in 1969 to 49th in 1997, writes Wendy Chamberlin in “True East: Farming Ancestral Lands on Long Island’s East End.” High inheritance taxes made matters worse, she noted, as heirs were forced to sell their family farms.

    Observing that “the few farmers who remain here have prevailed despite the most appetizing monetary offers,” Marilee Foster, a fifth-generation farmer in Sagaponack, wrote that “rather than fold, we chose to improvise and continue,” in her book, “Dirt Under My Nails.” She and her brother still grow potatoes, among other crops. “By the nature of our profession . . . we farmers are able to respond to changes . . . be it weather, the market, a broken piece of machinery, or infestation of pests,” she said.

    Even in the aftermath of Sandy, still very much on the minds of those dealing with its effects or trying to help those severely affected, people still have to eat, and so Long Island Restaurant Week is on. Through Sunday night, participating restaurants will offer a three-course prix fixe for $24.95. On Saturday, availability is limited to before 7 p.m.

    Restaurants across Long Island are on board, and a list can be found at longislandrestaurantweek.com. Locally, the choices include the Living Room, 1770 House, and Nick & Toni’s in East Hampton, Muse in the Harbor in Sag Harbor, Gulf Coast Kitchen in Montauk, and Osteria Salina and Almond in Bridgehampton.

Golden Pear’s 25th

    The Golden Pear Cafe is celebrating its 25th anniversary with some special offers. Keith E. Davis opened the first Golden Pear on Main Street in Southampton Village, and went on to add three more locations, in Bridgehampton, Sag Harbor, and East Hampton. In a press release, Mr. Davis said that “this 25-year milestone is the result of teamwork, long hours, perseverance, and operating in a unique micro-economy that is the Hamptons.”

    Customers can avail themselves of a celebratory 10 percent off all purchases on Saturday and Sunday, or 25 percent off all purchases on Monday, when there will also be free cookies and apple cider at the cafes. A drawing will be held at 4 p.m. on Monday to select the winners of 25 $25 gift cards. Containers will be placed in each location for entries.

Thai Cuisine

    Bangkok-born Pui Boahirunya, a co-owner of Boa, a Thai Asian-fusion restaurant in Southampton, will talk about the cuisine of her native country and offer samples of some Thai dishes at the Rogers Memorial Library in Southampton  on Wednesday at noon.

    Admission to the program is free, but reservations must be made by Monday, either by calling the library or online at myrml.org.

Artists and Writers Night

    The second monthly Artists and Writers Night at Almond restaurant in Bridgehampton will be hosted by Jon Robin Baitz, a playwright, on Wednesday. Mr. Baitz, a Guggenheim Fellow and the recipient of Rockefeller Foundation and Drama Desk awards, has had his plays, such as “Other Desert Cities,” “The Substance of Fire,” and “Ten Unknowns,” produced at Lincoln Center, and has also produced a new version of Ibsen’s “Hedda Gabler.” He was a writer for TV shows including “Brothers and Sisters” and “The West Wing” as well.

    A family-style three-course dinner will be served at a cost of $40, which includes a glass of local wine or craft beer, tax, and a gratuity.  According to Jason Weiner, an owner of Almond and its chef, the event is “continuing the time-honored Hamptons tradition as an incubator of creativity,” and is designed to allow artists and writers an opportunity to exchange thoughts and ideas over a meal.

Thanksgiving Is Nigh

    Race Lane restaurant in East Hampton will serve a holiday meal from 4 to 7 p.m. on Thanksgiving Day, Nov. 22, for which reservations are being taken. The meal will include such appetizers as roasted pumpkin soup, baby beets, or endive and frisee salad; main courses including stuffed loin of pork, Montauk bay scallops, and, of course, herb-roasted turkey, and side dishes and desserts.

    Pierre’s restaurant in Bridgehampton has posted its Thanksgiving menu at pierresbridgehampton.com,  and is taking holiday reservations. The Pierre’s market will also have takeout Thanksgiving dishes available, and can cook turkeys for dining at home. Orders must be placed early.

Boa Thai

129 Noyac Road

North Sea

488-4422

Dinner nightly, closed Tuesdays

   The charming Boa Thai restaurant is a bit of a hidden gem.

    Remotely situated on Noyac Road in North Sea, it occupies the location that previously housed the excellent Wild Thyme. Upon entering, you face a bar with the ubiquitous large flat-screen TV, but that does not interfere with the atmosphere. The decor is simple and pretty, some traditional Thai embroidered and sequined wall hangings and a carved wood serene Buddha adorn the walls of the small dining room to the right. There is a long comfortable banquette on one side, along with some simple wooden tables and chairs.

    Service on the night of our visit was warm and welcoming. Alas, we were the only customers there, but this evening was in the wake of Frankenstorm Sandy and the fear of using up gas driving around had gripped all of us. As a matter of fact we felt downright giddy having the nerve to be out on the roads, and compared gas tank levels and service station horror stories over dinner.

    We began our meal with chicken satay, spring rolls, roti, tom ka kai, tao huu soup, and a special of the evening, steamed buns with pork belly. The appetizer portions were dainty, which was a good thing because the entrees were quite generous in size.

    The chicken satay was very nice, tender pieces of white meat on bamboo skewers with a mild, slightly sweet peanut sauce on them. Served alongside was the traditional garnish of cucumbers and red onion in a sweetened vinegar sauce. The spring rolls were okay, not memorable. They may have been a commercial frozen brand. They were filled with chicken, cabbage, glass noodles, and mushrooms and served with a sweet chili sauce. The roti, a traditional Indian flat bread, were more similar to Chinese scallion pancakes. They were tasty and chewy, a bit oily, served with a mild curry sauce.

    The two soups ordered, tom ka kai and tao huu, were excellent. The tom ka kai, a popular coconut milk-based soup with chicken, was rich and slightly sweet and tart. The tao huu was a lighter broth, fragrant with garlic and filled with chopped scallions, silky cubes of tofu, and ground chicken.

    The pork belly special was also very good, two steamed buns were filled with chunks of tender-crisp pork belly, arugula, and an odd but appropriate surprise, slices of hard boiled egg which added a nice texture and contrast to the rich meat and squishy bun. This was served with a sauce that tasted like a mixture between Sriracha (hot chili paste) and sweet chili sauce.

    For entrees we ordered the green curry with chicken, mussamun curry, pad thai kai, pad thai goong, and tofu stir fry. The green curry was very good, full of red and green peppers, slivers of tender bamboo shoots, sliced zucchini, and tender chicken. Best of all, it was full of Thai basil leaves which gave it a slight anise flavor. The mussamun curry was another winner. This was a generous piece of New York strip or sirloin steak cooked to the tenderness of short ribs, and full of spices like cardamom, turmeric, tamarind, and coriander. The coconut milk-based sauce contained cubes of potatoes and onions and the dish was garnished with peanuts and a drizzle of hot chili oil.

    Both versions of pad thai were very good, the pad thai kai full of chicken, fresh crunchy bean sprouts, and perfectly cooked rice noodles, not overdone. The pad thai goong had three jumbo shrimp, cooked just enough. F.Y.I., you can ask for your dishes to be made more spicy which we neglected to do. As in all good Thai restaurants you can also ask for additional condiments to doctor up your meal to your preferred heat level. In this case we got two little jars of condiments, one a delicious chunky sambal, the other some crushed dried chili peppers for maximum five-alarm hot, hot heat. The tofu stir fry was a less rich, somewhat virtuous dish of carrots, broccoli, tofu, cucumbers, and zucchini in a light garlic sauce. All of the curry courses came with steamed jasmine rice.

    Prices at Boa Thai are moderate. Appetizers, soups, and salads are $6 to $16, entrees are $18 to $26, and desserts are $3 to $6.

    For dessert we tried the green tea ice cream, mascarpone caramel ice cream, roti banana, and sticky rice with mango. The green tea and mascarpone ice creams were served in small scoops in martini glasses topped with whipped cream. Both were delicious. The roti banana was pretty good. Slices of banana were topped with the Indian flat bread, which had a layer of caramelized powdered sugar, giving it a bit of sweet crunch. The best dessert (and my favorite Thai dessert of all time) was the sticky rice with mango. Glutinous rice is cooked with coconut milk and sugar, then served in a warm mound with more warm coconut milk sauce and cool slices of ripe mango. This version was also topped with ground toasted sesame seeds.

    Boa Thai is an Asian fusion restaurant and the short menu does offer some Chinese and Vietnamese dishes, but the majority of dishes are Thai. The food is simple and fresh, served in a lovely atmosphere by a warm and friendly staff. It is worth seeking out.

      The annual fall Long Island Restaurant Week begins on Sunday. Diners will be offered a three-course prix fixe for $24.95 per person at participating restaurants across Long Island. The special, however, will only be available until 7 p.m. on Saturday. East End eateries that are offering the deal include Almond and Osteria Salina in Bridgehampton, Muse in Harbor in Sag Harbor, Nick & Toni’s, the 1770 House, and the Living Room in East Hampton, Gulf Coast Kitchen in Montauk, and Redbar Brasserie and the Plaza Cafe in Southampton. A full list of all the Nassau and Suffolk restaurants that are participating can be found at longislandrestaurant.com.

Slow Food Events

    Reservations are being taken for two upcoming events sponsored by the local Slow Food chapter.

    Foody’s restaurant in Water Mill will host a harvest dinner and author’s night on Nov. 10, with two seatings, at 6 and 8:30 p.m. The evening will feature Leann Lavin, the author of the newly published “Hamptons and Long Island Homegrown Cookbook,” who will discuss her book, which explores the farm to table movement, and the people who inspired her to write it.

    Bryan Futerman, the chef and owner of Foody’s, will prepare a dinner of duck liver mousse crostini, exotic-spiced Long Island cheese pumpkin soup, Falkowski farm oyster mushrooms, caramelized Peconic Bay scallops, Halsey Farm cauliflower, Long Island duck, rutabaga mash and local Brussels sprouts, and a dessert made with apples from the Milk Pail. Wines from Paumanok Vineyards and Thunder Island organic coffee will be served.

    The five-course dinner will cost $75 per person plus tax and gratuity and benefit Slow Food East End. Other donations will be collected for the Edible School Garden group’s Kickstarter.com campaign to pay for the publication of a book. Slow Food members and their guests, as well as donors, will receive a $10 discount. Reservations are required.

    Slow Food will also sponsor a “healthy families potluck” on Nov. 11 from 4 to 6 p.m. at the Hayground School in Bridgehampton.

    Nadia Ernestus, a Slow Food member who is a health coach specializing in raw food, will be the host of the evening, which will focus on how to incorporate healthy eating habits into everyday meals.

    The potluck is free. Those who attend have been asked to take a healthy dish, and their own beverages. A dessert of “surprise smoothies” will be served to top it off.

New Cupcake Flavor

    The Hamptons Cupcake Lounge has announced a new cupcake flavor just in time for fall. Called Sweet Pot, it is made with organic sweet potato puree and crushed pineapple and topped with cinnamon cream cheese frosting. The cupcakes can be ordered online at hamptonscupcakelounge.com.

   An interesting offshoot of the well-established craft-beer movement is growing at Rowdy Hall.

   Theo Foscolo, a manager of the East Hampton restaurant, made a batch of root beer for Rowdy Hall’s annual beer dinner in March. The reaction was positive, and Miss Lady Small Batch Root Beer was born.

    This summer, the Miss Lady brand — the namesake, Mr. Foscolo’s dog, also modeled for the label — was sold at the farmers market at Ashawagh Hall in Springs, and can also be found locally at Round Swamp Farm and Old Stone Market (formerly Marty’s), and at Brewtopia in Port Jefferson. It is used to make root beer floats at Rowdy Hall — Mr. Foscolo did the same at the farmers market, using Joe & Liza’s Ice Cream of Sag Harbor in both instances — and, he added, goes well with rum.

    With the summer behind him, Mr. Foscolo can point to modest but encouraging results. He sold more than 600 of the 22-ounce bottles, each sealed with a bottling wax reminiscent of that found on Maker’s Mark bourbon, and is receiving inquiries from, and shipping orders to, points across the country.

    Sarsaparilla, licorice root, and anise are the primary ingredients, said Mr. Foscolo, “and I use honey, brown sugar and raw sugar, and a little bit of molasses. I keep it as healthy as I can. People don’t realize that aspartame, high-fructose corn syrup — people are poisoning themselves every day they open up a soft drink. When people look at the ingredients, they say, ‘Wow, this is simple, you don’t have to sound out the words.’ That’s what people enjoy, especially in an area like this where people are a little more health-conscious. It is soda, but not like Coca-Cola or Dr. Pepper. It’s a nice alternative, a good, sweet treat that’s not going to poison you.”

    For those accustomed to mass-produced root beer, Miss Lady is certainly different, characterized by a smoothness lacking in its larger competitors. While certainly sweet, it provides a sharp and welcome contrast to the hyper-sugary soft drinks of larger producers. Children and, especially, parents have taken to it, Mr. Foscolo said.

    “People don’t want to drink bad beer anymore. People are opening their minds more to the craft-brewing process, whether it be soda, which is a completely untapped market. It’s really fun to see people’s reaction to it. It doesn’t taste the way root beer, in their minds, should taste, but this is the way root beer tasted 50 years ago. A lot of older people that come to the markets love it. You can see it in their eyes; it’s taking them back to the days of soda shops in Brooklyn. And the kids love it, it’s something different.”

    Miss Lady root beer is made in five-gallon soda kegs. The process, said Mr. Foscolo, who home-brews beer, is mostly about cleaning. “With any brewing, the majority of it is janitorial work. You don’t want to have any contamination with the product, the bottles, the packaging,” he said. “To brew it takes a half-hour to an hour. You put it in the keg, hook it up to a CO2 tank, and let it force-carbonate for about a week. The bottling and labeling is the hardest part. Many a night I was up until 3 or 4 in the morning the day before the market, getting everything ready for the next day.” Over the summer, Mr. Foscolo brewed about 30 gallons per week.

    He is contemplating more products based on the fruits of his labor. Speaking of fruit, a batch of raspberry soda he made last summer, using raspberries from Wesnofske Farms in Peconic, was a hit. “I’m going to continue to do that, especially with the seasonal fruits,” he said. While the sarsaparilla he uses comes from India, by way of an organic spice company based in Oregon, he is considering use of locally sourced honey for the root beer.

    He hopes to add 12-ounce bottles next summer and sell four-packs of Miss Lady in that more manageable size. But in the meantime, he said, “I’m looking forward to the winter so I can focus on expanding the company. I have a lot of ideas, a lot of things I want to be able to bring to the table next summer. This is really just the tip of the iceberg.”

    A taste of Miss Lady Small Batch Root Beer can be had at Rowdy Hall or by e-mailing Mr. Foscolo at [email protected].

    I have always loved Halloween. I love candy, I love being scared, and I love to wear costumes. Growing up in a small community in California, when our family went trick or treating, my brothers and I, all hopped up on sugar, would walk or run door to door and our parents would trail behind in the family station wagon. We knew all of our neighbors, and would end up at the Kuntsles’ house, our Swiss friends who would have an awesome Halloween party with popcorn balls and plenty of games like bobbing for apples.

    Perhaps I lacked imagination at that age, because every year I would wear the same costume. My mother would take the tail off of my favorite stuffed animal, a leopard, and sew it onto my leopard print pajama bottoms, et voila! On November 1, the tail went back on my poor abused toy.

    When we moved to the suburbs of Virginia, my brothers and I got a little more mercenary. We would beg our parents to drive us to the most densely populated subdivisions so we could collect maximum candy for minimal effort. We also firmly believed in the “trick or treat” rule. If you’re not home to hand out Kit Kats and Almond Joys, we will leave toilet paper in your trees or smash your pumpkin. Rotten kids, I know.

    According to the National Retail Federation, Americans will spend close to $72 per person on costumes, cards, and candy on Halloween; 73 percent will hand out candy, 47 percent will carve a pumpkin, 20 percent will visit a haunted house, and 12 percent will dress up their pets. Approximately 40 percent will wear a costume. Of that 40 percent I imagine the majority will wear either Obama or Romney masks and the rest will be Honey Boo Boo, the child beauty pageant contestant.

    When it comes to food for Halloween parties, this is a great holiday for using food coloring. Make deviled eggs and color the yolks a ghastly green. Make a Mexican seven layer dip and pipe a spider web design with sour cream over the top, plastic spiders optional. String cheese can be cut on the diagonal and topped with sliced almonds for fingernails. Or you could just go the Alfred Hitchcock route and serve an entirely blue meal. Blue is said to be the least appetizing color of all.

    If you want to be really junky, wrap strips of packaged crescent dough around hot dog halves to make mummies. Put crumbled Oreos and gummy worms on top of chocolate pudding to replicate worms in dirt. As for me, I like a good old-fashioned caramel apple.

    When you carve pumpkins for Halloween, don’t forget to save the seeds for toasting. You can also hollow out pumpkins and serve dips or soup in them. The best edible pumpkins are the pale orange squat ones known as “cheese” pumpkins. These also make the best pies.

    When my son was little, Winnie the Pooh was his favorite costume. We would tape up a plastic pumpkin bucket to look like Winnie’s “huny” pot. Now that he is a strapping young man, he leans more toward ghoulish and bloody characters, although this year his costume will be the self-deprecating comedian Louis CK. How a black T-shirt and baggy Dad-jeans constitute a costume I have no idea.

    Every year I try to come up with fresh recipes for pumpkin. This year I’m going to make a Thai-style pumpkin soup and caramel apples from scratch, not from melted Kraft caramels.

    Be safe this Halloween, don’t play any tricks, eat as much candy as you want . . . and then brush your teeth!

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    The Hampton Seafood Company, which has a lineup of daily soups and lunch specials, is offering free delivery to businesses in East Hampton Village between 11:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. from Mondays through Fridays. The shop also has two discount programs. A “loyalty card” allows customers who have their cards punched each time they buy something to claim a 15 percent discount after the 10th purchase.

    Teachers, emergency medical technicians, firefighters, and police are being offered another card that entitles them to a 10 percent discount on every purchase.

Celebrating Halloween

    Two Montauk restaurants will close for the season after holding Halloween parties this weekend. At Swallow East, those who come in costume to a party starting on Saturday at 9 will get their first drink on the house. D.J. Mr. Pockets (James Ryan) will play music, and there will be specials on mixed drinks for $5, shots for $4, and $3 for beer. The winner of a costume contest will receive a $100 gift certificate to the restaurant that can be used next year.

    At the Backyard restaurant at Solé East, a Halloween party will start at 8 p.m. on Saturday and feature free bar food, entertainment, and “witches’ grog.” Admission is free, and the inn will offer specially priced rooms that night.

    Rowdy Hall in East Hampton, which stays open all year, will have its 13th annual “Rowdyween” party on Wednesday — Halloween — from 8 p.m. to midnight. A $30 fee at the door will admit those in costumes only, and include a free drink and passed hors d’oeuvres. Drink specials will include $5 draft beers and $5 well drinks, and there will be a D.J. spinning tunes. A total of $500 in prizes will be awarded for the best costumes. Tickets can be purchased in advance for $25 online at eventbrite. com.

The Hideaway

    Montauk’s hidden-away Mexican spot, the Hideaway, which is at Diamond Cove Marina, is still serving throughout the fall. It is open on Friday night beginning at 5, as well as on Saturday and Sunday for lunch and dinner, beginning at noon.

Specialty Pizzas

    At Nick & Toni’s in East Hampton, the fall brings a menu of wood oven-baked pizzas, offered on Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Sunday nights. Choices include a margherita pizza with tomato, basil, and house-made mozzarella, pizza with eggplant, pesto, and arugula, and a “Romano” pizza with tomato, olives, capers, anchovy, and ricotta. Also, a pizza with butternut squash with ricotta and caramelized onions, and one with house-made sausage, fontina cheese, and tomato.

Race Lane

    Race Lane restaurant in East Hampton has a new fall menu. It offers bites at the bar, a nightly prix fixe, and specials on Monday, Thursday, and Sunday nights when pro football games are played, featuring two-for-one bites and cocktail, beer, and wine specials. Race Lane serves nightly except on Tuesday and Wednesday.