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.

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.

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.”

The Winner Is . . .

East Hampton Gourmet Food got the top “outstanding new product” award for its gluten-free lentil rice crispbread at the 2014 sofi (specialty outstanding food innovation) Awards at the Summer Fancy Food Show in New York City on June 30.

The shop’s entry beat out 449 other contenders in its category to win what is considered the Oscar of the food world. Over all, 2,737 products were entered into the 32 awards categories of the Specialty Food Association competition. The finalists were selected by a panel of specialty food professionals from organizations such as Whole Foods, Dean and DeLuca, and FreshDirect, and the winners were determined by votes cast by 275 buyers at the food show.

Bastille Day at Pierre’s

Pierre’s restaurant in Bridgehampton will celebrate Bastille Day on Saturday with tastings all day of Nicolas Feuillatte champagne and oysters, as well as a specialty summer cocktail made with Cointreau and Botanist gin. There will be live clarinet and guitar music throughout the day, and Pierre’s staff will appear in period costume.

Montauk Pearls

The growers of Montauk Pearl oysters, harvested in the water off Rick’s Crabby Cowboy Cafe on Montauk’s East Lake Drive, are celebrating the oyster’s rise in popularity over the last few years with a daily shellfish happy hour at the restaurant. From 4 to 6 p.m. a dozen oysters or clams cost $12.

Lobster Night

Wednesday is lobster night at the Bell & Anchor in Noyac, with a three-course special offered beginning at 5:30 p.m. and featuring various options for a lobster entree. They include lobster garganelli, a steamed 11/2-pound lobster, and butter-poached lobster claws with filet mignon.

Bar Bites

Monday through Saturday from 5 to 6:30 p.m., and on Sunday beginning at noon, the Harbor Grill in East Hampton offers a selection of bar bites for $6 or $8. They include corn fritters, cheesy bread, zucchini sticks, cheese quesadillas, baked clams, and two kinds of chicken wings. More than 40 kinds of beer are available to wash it all down.

Dining and Fireworks

Reservations are being taken at the Harbor Bistro for dinner seatings on July 19, when the Great Bonac Fireworks Show can be seen in the skies from the restaurant’s waterfront perch. Weather permitting, Mamalee Rose and Friends will perform outdoors that evening beginning at 6, and the backyard area will have a beer-and-wine bar set up with a seating section for fireworks viewing. Dinner seatings are available beginning at 6 p.m.

Karen Lee Returns

Karen Lee, a New York City-based cooking instructor, caterer, and the author of five cookbooks, including “The Occasional Vegetarian,” will give a cooking class in Amagansett next Thursday from 6 to 10 p.m. Students will prepare and eat marinated and grilled local sea bass with papaya relish, marinated and grilled split organic chicken with a dry rub, quinoa pilaf, roasted zucchini and red peppers, a seasonal side dish, and sour cherry tart with creme chantilly. The cost is $115 per person; participants can bring their own wine. The session is limited to 12 students. Reservations can be made at karenleecooking.com.

Foodies Weekend

Numerous East End restaurants, food purveyors, and chefs will participate in the GrillHampton competition and the Taste of Two Forks event this weekend.

Among those to square off at GrillHampton tomorrow night at Sayre Park in Bridgehampton from 8 to 11 are Peter Ambrose of Peter Ambrose Events, Arthur Wolf of Smokin’ Wolf, Emanouil Aslanoglou of the Old Stove Pub, and Victor Tapia of the Palm in East Hampton. The event will be hosted by Robert Irvine of the Food Network’s “Restaurant: Impossible” and include music by the Nancy Atlas Project. Tickets are $120.

At Taste of Two Forks on Saturday night at Sayre Park, Anna Pump of the Loaves & Fishes store, a chef, baker, cookbook author, and innkeeper at the Bridgehampton Inn, will be honored for her contributions to the East End culinary world. Among the local restaurants participating are Bay Kitchen Bar, Fresno, the Living Room, and Smokin’ Wolf in East Hampton, 668 the Gig Shack, Lynn’s Hula Hut, the Westlake Fish House, and the Harbor Raw Bar and Lounge in Montauk, Fresh Hamptons in Bridgehampton, Doppio Artisan Bistro and Page at 63 Main in Sag Harbor, and the Bell & Anchor in Noyac.

Numerous artisanal food purveyors will also be on hand, and there will be wines from local wineries. The event begins at 6:30 p.m. for V.I.P. ticketholders (at $240), and at 7:30 p.m. for those with $160 general admission tickets. Ticket packages for both events are available. A portion of the proceeds will be donated to All for the East End, which benefits East End nonprofits. Information and tickets are available at danstasteofsummer.com.

What to Eat, and How

The Amagansett Food Institute and the Amagansett Library have teamed up to present “A Place on Your Table,” a series of food-related events beginning tonight at 7 at the library. The program will feature the Dock-to-Dish community-supported fishery program and Amagansett Wine and Spirits for a discussion of “what’s fresh, how to prepare it, and what goes with it.” The evening will include a tasting. The program is free, though reservations with the library are a must as space is limited.

Iced Coffee

Red Thread Good Coffee, a Sag Harbor-based woman-owned company that donates a set portion of the sales of its coffee, concentrates, and coffee beans to a charity, has launched a line of cold-brewed iced coffee in different flavors using organic, fair-trade beans. Along with the company’s other products, it is sold at Sylvester & Co. in Sag Harbor, the Amagansett I.G.A., the Red Horse Market, East Hampton Gourmet, and Dylan’s Candy Bar in East Hampton, and the Old Stone Market in Springs.

The beauty of the restaurant Yama Q in Bridgehampton is that it doesn’t need a review by me or anyone, good or bad. It doesn’t need to have a tattooed, surfer-celebrity chef profile in Hamptons magazine. You won’t read about Beth and Howard Stern slurping miso soup and chomping on burdock salad on Page Six of the New York Post. Nor is it likely that as the Kardashians cut a visible and terrifying swath through our charming villages this summer they will ever cross the threshold of Yama Q. Yama Q is pure and quaint, virtuous, quiet, and fine.

It is a tiny restaurant, with 12 small tables inside and a sushi bar with a few stools. The walls and ceiling are rough-hewn boards, the floor stone. There is a chalkboard with daily specials and a few black and white photographs on the walls. It is closed on Sundays, even in summer. If you blink on your way to hot yoga or the Candy Kitchen, you might miss it. It is the little freestanding, shingled building next to Bobby Van’s.

The night of our visit was one of those hot, muggy evenings. The air-conditioning was kaput but not a single guest complained. The windows and doors were opened and it was all okay. I think that says something about the kind of people who enjoy going to Yama Q — not high maintenance, just here for the food.

We began our meal with spring rolls (actually summer rolls because they weren’t fried), a soft-shell crab special, pork dumplings, and burdock root salad. The spring/summer rolls were absolutely delicious, filled with sweet beets, carrots, mango, cabbage, romaine lettuce, and cucumber. The peanut dipping sauce was just right, substantial and flavorful. The soft-shell crab was also excellent, the crab crunchy from a dusting of cornmeal, served with a small salad on the side and perky ponzu sauce.

The pork dumplings were the best of all. They were folded into pretty pockets and the filling was delicious on its own, but the rich and meaty dipping sauce made them even better. The burdock root salad, usually not one of my favorite items because it can be a bit tough, was also very good. Burdock, similar to lotus root, is a member of the daisy family. This version was crisp and just a bit salty and sweet, shredded and topped with carrots.

From here we moved on to the duck quesadilla, chicken teriyaki, red Thai curry stir-fry, salmon avocado rolls, and some yellowtail sushi. The duck quesadilla was somewhat disappointing because it didn’t have much duck or ducky flavor to it, mostly the jack cheese came through. It was prepared in a nicely baked (not fried) whole wheat tortilla and had excellent guacamole, salsa, and sour cream on the side.

The chicken teriyaki was good but the sliced chicken could have had more flavor. The vegetables were perfectly stir-fried and tasty — bok choy, carrots, red onion, and snap peas. Once we added a bit of ponzu, the chicken improved. The red Thai curry stir-fry with brown rice was very good, although I prefer a bit more spice and Thai curry flavor. The lime wedges served on top helped give this dish a bit more spark. The brown rice was, and always is, excellent here.

The salmon avocado rolls were excellent. It’s hard to review a simple sushi roll; all you ask for is that the fish be fresh, the rice delicately seasoned, and that the roll doesn’t fall apart. These rolls were perfectly prepared. The yellowtail was also just right, mild and buttery.

The service on the night of our visit was great. Our waitress, Babette, was charming and cheerful and the chef-owner’s son Maki was making the rounds, greeting guests. Sushi is expensive everywhere, but I would say the prices at Yama Q are moderate. Starters are $3 to $14, vegetable rolls are $4.50 to $8, sushi rolls $8.50 to $12, entrees are $15 to $28, sides $4 to $11, and desserts are $6 to $9. It doesn’t have a full bar, just a short wine, beer, and sake list that is reasonably priced.

For desserts we tried the blueberry almond streusel pie, banana tempura, and gingerbread. All were great. The blueberry pie had a nicely made bottom crust, crunchy sweet streusel, and good filling. The banana tempura (who invented that, anyway???) was well executed if you like deep-fried fruit. It was crisp and not too greasy. The platter was thoughtfully adorned with a plentiful array of other fresh, sliced fruit, including apples, kiwi, and oranges. There were also two strawberries cooked in tempura batter that were oddly delicious. The gingerbread, which seemed to us an interesting dessert to serve at this time of year, was absolutely perfect — moist and gingery. I hope Yama Q does serve it year round.

The chef-owner, Hisao Shiroyama, has been in the restaurant business on the South Fork for almost 30 years. There are plenty of other sushi restaurants out here nowadays that come and go, change names, and charge more.

“Yama” means mountain in Japanese. “Hisao”: long lived man. Long live the chef and the little mountain that is Yama Q!

Montauk Eats

A Taste of Montauk, the Montauk Chamber of Commerce’s shindig celebrating Montauk restaurants and local wines and beers, takes place on Saturday from 6 to 9 p.m. at the 360 East restaurant at Montauk Downs. In addition to live music by Ocean Dream, there will be bites by the Westlake Fish House, 668 the Gig Shack, Backyard at Solé East, East by Northeast, the Seawater Grille at Gurney’s, Joni’s, Swallow East, Gulf Coast Kitchen, the Montauk Shellfish Co., and Turtle Cove Café. Tickets are $65 in advance from the chamber, or $75 at the door.

At Topping Rose

The Topping Rose House in Bridgehampton is offering a Ladies Who Lunch package on weekdays that includes a 60-minute facial or massage, at a Naturopathica spa outpost at the inn, followed by lunch in the restaurant from a special menu. The cost is $135 per person, plus tax and gratuity, and includes a glass of Topping Rose House rosé wine.

Topping Rose continues its weekly pig roast and barbecue on Sundays through August, beginning at 6 p.m. The three-course family-style menu is paired with wine selected by Roman Roth of Wolffer Estate. The event takes place regardless of weather, with an indoor area used in inclement conditions. Reservations have been suggested, as space is limited.

From noon to 2 p.m. on Monday through Friday at Topping Rose, the lunch choices include a $35 prix fixe with three courses and choices of items such as snow pea, radish, mizuna, and ricotta salad with preserved lemon vinaigrette, and a strawberry sundae with cream cheese ice cream and shortbread. Fruits and vegetables grown at Topping Rose are used.

Pantigo Farm Stand

Sam Lester, of the former Pantigo Farm Co. in East Hampton, will open a new farm stand tomorrow on Montauk Highway in Sagaponack. The new stand, called simply Pantigo, will be open from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. tomorrow through Sunday. It is located on the north side of the highway, just east of the Wolffer Estate vineyard.

Summer Wine Options

Lieb Cellars, which has a tasting room in East Hampton, has packaged several of its wines in kegs and boxes that are easy to transport for outdoor summer events.

Lieb’s 2013 Bridge Lane rosé, chardonnay, and merlot are available in 19.5-liter recyclable kegs. They contain the equivalent of 26 bottles, are priced lower than the cost of individual bottles, and, according to the winery, stay fresh for up to two months after tapping. The Lieb Cellars 2012 Bridge Lane red and white blends are available in three-liter boxes (equaling four bottles), which are said to stay fresh when refrigerated for six weeks.

Prix Fixes

The Bell & Anchor in Sag Harbor offers two and three-course prix fixes nightly between 5:30 and 6:30. Two courses are $30, while the three-course special is $35. Sample menu choices include brandade, chowder, arugula salad,  fish of the day, and steamed mussels and fries. Other choices are available at an additional fee.

Early birds who land at the Harbor Bistro in East Hampton between 5 and 6 p.m. on Thursdays through Sundays may order a three-course prix fixe for $19 plus tax and gratuity. Appetizer choices are lobster bisque or a mixed greens salad. Entrees available are a vegetable stir-fry, orecchiette Bolognese, and a crispy lobster “bundle,” served with citrus slaw, spiced sesame aioli, and a Thai chile glaze. Dessert may be profiteroles, ice cream, or sorbet.

Farm Memberships

Memberships are available at the Peconic Land Trust’s Quail Hill community farm in Amagansett. Summer shares, which began in early June and run through mid-November, are $895 for families and $450 for individuals. The cost will be pro-rated for those who sign up now.

A share in the winter vegetables produced at the farm, which runs from mid-November through next winter, costs $395 for families and $250 for singles. At Quail Hill, members visit on designated picking days and gather their own vegetables from the field.

Shuko Beach

Shuko Beach is the new sushi restaurant in the former Highway Diner and Bar space in East Hampton. Nick Kim and Jimmy Lau, the chefs, formerly worked at Neta in New York City, and opened Shuko NYC last fall. Specialty dishes include whole roasted fish and local vegetables served family-style. The restaurant is serving lunch and dinner daily.

La Brisa

752 Montauk Highway

Montauk

668-8338

Breakfast, lunch, and dinner daily

La Brisa in Montauk is just that: a breeze. If you don’t like paper plates and picnic tables and wobbly stools and loud music, maybe this isn’t your cup of tea, or shot of mezcal. I found it delightful and I am an expert on Mexico, having been there . . . once.

La Brisa is located where the Plaza Diner used to be, and is modeled after the taquerias you find all over Mexico. Right on the Plaza, it offers primo people and tourist watching from the wraparound floor to ceiling windows or the numerous turquoise picnic tables under shady trees outside.

The decor is simple and charming, lots of white, with turquoise walls, retro logos, fresh pineapples ripening on shelves by the bar, and bags of masa harina, cans of chipotles, various chilies, and dried herbs lining the back wall.

On a recent visit we opted for the outdoor picnic tables, as the inside only offers high backless stools at small tables, and the music was inexplicably loud for Sunday lunch. We began with guacamole, fluke ceviche, and corn on the cob. The guacamole was very good and a bit mild, probably a necessity for gringos. It was chunky, full of onions, cilantro, and lime juice. If you want it spicy, there are three excellent sauces on each table to amp up the heat. The chips served with it (all tortillas are made in-house) were excellent, thick and crunchy with a whisper of mild chile powder on them.

The fluke ceviche was also delicious and a good-sized portion for $16.95. It was cool and super fresh, full of cucumbers, tomatoes, and lime juice and served on a bed of guacamole with chips on the side. The corn on the cob was superb, the corn roasted, then coated with chipotle mayo and sprinkled with cotija, a crumbly salty cheese reminiscent of mild feta. The corn was sweet and not overcooked; often this classic Mexican street treat can be starchy and dull. It was served with a wedge of lime to give it a bit of tang.

From there we moved on to the crispy local tilefish taco, vegetarian taco, chicken taco, and a side order of rice and beans. The tacos come three to an order and they are small but seem to be the right amount. The crispy fish taco was delicious, topped with lots of cabbage and moistened with a bit of chipotle mayo. The vegetarian taco contained sweet potatoes, black beans, and a bit of red sauce. It was okay; I would have appreciated a bit of crunch in it, perhaps some cabbage or pico de gallo. The chicken taco was good, just a bit bland. The chicken was shredded and topped with pickled red onions. The three sauces offered in squirt bottles at each table allow you to doctor up your taco to your liking. All three are great.

One is a dried chile de arbol, tart and smoky with a bit of heat. Another is a hauntingly delicious and sweet chipotle hibiscus. The third is a creamy, green concoction of chiles and tomatillos, muy caliente! (Under the label Vista Hermosa, they are available for sale, and I bought all three.) The rice and beans were excellent, perfectly cooked and seasoned black beans with garlic-cilantro infused green rice. It was a small portion but was a mere $4.95.

La Brisa has a tiny, reasonable menu and serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Breakfast items are $7.95 to $10.95, starters are $4.95 to $16.95, tacos are $10.95 to $24.95. There are creative and not terribly expensive cocktails such as the Paloma, a tart and refreshing mixture of fresh grapefruit juice, tequila, and lime. Beer, wine, sangria and many aguas frescas are offered as well. There are no desserts.

The service on the day of our visit was great, from the manager to our waitress, Pilar, to the chef, Luis, coming out of the kitchen to share a recipe for cochinita pibil. (He saw me purchasing the sauces and a block of achiote paste.)

The food and atmosphere, especially outside under the majestic maples, is fun and family-friendly. La Brisa is indeed, a breeze.

Peter Ambrose, a well-known East Hampton chef and caterer, has moved on from the Hampton Seafood Company and opened Pete’s Endless Summer Taco shop in the former Food & Co. spot on Pantigo Road in East Hampton.

The takeout shop, open from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesdays through Saturdays and 11 to 6 on Sunday, has a menu listing numerous specialty tacos, from braised Long Island duck with kimchee slaw, hoisin barbecue sauce, and duck crackling, to nori-brined applewood barbecue chicken, fish tacos, a vegan taco, and “Chef Peter-style” pork carnitas tacos, served with apple habanero chutney, slaw, and lime crème. Taco salads are available, along with side dishes, and tacos of the day.

Weekly at Solé

The Backyard Restaurant at Montauk’s Solé East has a lineup of specials on different nights of the week. Mondays are Mexican night, featuring a la carte specials on Mexican-themed dishes; Tuesdays the restaurant offers two-for-one pasta dishes, and on Wednesday there are discounts on bottles of wine. On reggae night, Thursday, when Winston Irie performs, Red Stripe beer is on special.

Edible School Cookbook

The Edible School Garden Group of the East End has published the “Delicious Nutritious FoodBook.” The project was supported by a Kickstarter campaign and members of Slow Food East End. The book will be made available for purchase at locations, such as farmers markets, to be announced on the Slow Food East End Facebook page.

A Slow Food “snail supper” will be held at Judiann Carmack Fayyaz’s residence in Southampton tomorrow to celebrate the book’s publication. The meal is a potluck, with dishes and beverages featuring local products. The cost, $20 for Slow Food East End members and $25 for nonmembers, includes a copy of the book. Proceeds will be divided between the Edible School Gardens and Slow Food groups. Reservations may be made at slowfoodeastend.org/snail-supper-foodbook/.

Trendy Cocktails

At Almond restaurant in Bridgehampton, a new cocktail menu includes house-made bottled cocktails and cocktails created and served on tap. Among the bottled choices are an apricot-ancho spicy Manhattan, a lavender-pear concoction with gin, Channing Daughters vervino, pear liqueur, a lemongrass-infused cosmo, and a honey Negroni.

New at Rowdy

New items on the menu at Rowdy Hall in East Hampton include crab and corn hush puppies, fried oyster tacos, house-pickled vegetables, grilled hanger steak salad, seared tuna salad, poached lobster salad, and lobster roll.

Fresno Prix Fixes

Two prix fixe dinners are available from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m., Sunday through Thursday, at Fresno restaurant in East Hampton. Two courses — appetizer and entree — are $30, and three courses, which include dessert, are $35. Tax and gratuity are additional. Among the choices are, as starters, chicken liver paté with pickled beets and rye toast points, smoky chipotle and chickpea hummus with grilled flatbread and marinated olives, and artisanal baby greens salad. For entrees diners may choose from chicken Milanese, orecchiette with sausage, broccoli rabe, and white beans, moules frites, burgers, or pan-seared Scottish salmon.

At least once a summer a friend will call me with the discovery of a newer, better, easier way to cook corn. It involves a microwave and is guaranteed to remove all of the silk.

Last summer it was Steve, whose helpful hint was a wet paper towel. This week, Barbara called to explain the following method: You place an unhusked ear of corn in a microwave oven and cook for four minutes. You slice through the stem end, then slip the corn cob’s chemise and underpinnings off from the top/silk end. Voila! One ear of cooked corn. Congratulations. Now you can repeat this process 24 more times if you have a big ol’ passel of friends coming over for dinner.

Here are my problems with these methods. One, I do not have a microwave oven. Two, microwaved foods simply don’t retain heat, so by the time you’re done, you have some cooled off corn. Three, have you ever tried to cut through the stem end of an ear of corn? It’s not easy, and with the wrong knife, it can be treacherous.

To cook corn for a crowd, you may just have to go out on the back porch and shuck. No need to boil corn, you can steam it in a few inches of water, just stack the ears Lincoln log style and poke them around a few times while cooking. Cook for about five minutes and do not salt the water.

My latest favorite ways to cook corn are Mexican style on the grill and in Thai corn fritters (with corn cut off the cob). I have experimented with the Mexican corn recipe and have found that the more labor-intensive method is the best. That is, you need to peel back some of the husk, remove the silk, fold the husk back as best you can, soak in lightly salted water for 10 minutes, grill, then peel. The smell of the husks getting charred is heavenly, and this permeates the ears with wonderful flavor.

Alternatively, you can shuck the ears completely beforehand and then grill, but this won’t achieve that smoky flavor. You can also wrap each shucked ear in foil with the seasonings (butter, salt, smoked paprika, herbs, whatever) already applied to the corn.

As for the mayo-chipotle coating traditionally used on the grilled corn recipe, I have been experimenting with a lighter version, using a slathering of Greek yogurt mixed with the spices. The yogurt adds some tang that you would get with the squeeze of lime juice used at the end. However, it also wants to slide off the hot corn, being a bit watery . . . so this is a work in progress.

As I have already written quite a few previous columns about corn, its amazing history throughout many cultures, and have described the many types — dent, flint, pop, sweet, and so on — this week’s column is purely dedicated to recipes for sweet corn.

Here are my current favorites. And please remember, it is essential to get the freshest corn available, as the sugar starts turning to starch immediately after picking. Our local farm stands understand this; many of them pick the corn twice a day for maximum freshness, and they keep the delicate ears nicely protected under umbrellas and burlap to prevent drying out.

Click for recipes

Chefs Dinner

The annual Chefs Dinner at the Hayground School in Bridgehampton takes place Sunday. A V.I.P. dinner in honor of Tom Colicchio, a four-star chef, and Lori Silverbush, a filmmaker, will be prepared by Alfred Portale and Eric Ripert, among other chefs. Tickets are $1,000. 

Those cooking will also include Christian Mir of the Stone Creek Inn, Claudia Flemming of North Fork Table and Inn, Jason Weiner of Almond, Josh Capon of Lure Fishbar, and Alfred Portale of Gotham Bar and Grill.

A live auction will be held, with prizes including a tasting dinner for 12 at Mr. Ripert’s Manhattan restaurant, Le Bernardin, with dishes handpicked by the chef and paired with wine; five nights in Paris and at a beach house in Kenya; Broadway theater tickets; a Hamptons garden tour, and an East End chefs package, including restaurant gift certificates and a catered, casual home party.

Local Products

The folks from Vine Street Café on Shelter Island and Blue Canoe Oyster Bar & Grill in Greenport are producing sauces, pickles, preserves, and smoked meats and fish that are being sold at local farmers markets. They will also be available online at bottlehousefoods. com.

Harvest Sea Salt

On Aug. 9, the South Fork Natural History Museum in Bridgehampton will present a hands-on workshop featuring instruction in harvesting sea salt from the Atlantic. Michele Martuscello, the founder of Shelly Sells Sea Salt, will join Molly Adams, a museum educator, for a 10 a.m. session on a Southampton beach. Reservations may be made by calling the museum.

Class With Karen Lee

At a cooking class tonight at an Amagansett residence, Karen Lee, a New York City caterer and cookbook author, will teach students how to prepare a meal beginning with crostini with white bean puree and rosemary oil, followed by herb-crusted local fluke, seared tuna with sautéed vaegetables, sauteed corn with red onion, a “seasonal surprise,” and blueberry crumb cake and crème chantilly for dessert.

Dinner will be the payoff for the maximum of 12 students, who will actively participate in the 6 to 10 p.m. session. The cost is $115; students may take their own wine. Reservations may be made at karenleecooking.com.

Additional cooking classes with Ms. Lee, which focus on cooking for taste and for health, will take place on Aug. 20, with a Chinese menu, and on Aug. 28.

Country Supper

The Peconic Land Trust will hold its annual “Through Farms and Fields” supper on Sunday on Shelter Island. Individual tickets for the “country supper,” which will be hosted by Richard Hogan and Carron Sherry, are $350; groups of tickets for “friends,” “patrons,” and “benefactors” go up from there. The event will honor Barbara Slifka for her “conservation legacy,” and include online and silent auctions and live music. The event begins with a reception for patrons and sponsors at 4 p.m., with general admission at 5. 

Dining With Piano

Diners at the American Hotel will hear standards by Gershwin, Porter, Kern, and Sondheim, among others, on Wednesdays through Sundays in August, when Lee Glantz performs beginning at 6:30 p.m.