East End Eats: The Annex, Wainscott's Secret

With the price of restaurant meals on the South Fork following the stock market climb - that is, through the roof - when diners find a place that gives good value for money, they are often tempted to keep the good news to themselves.

One well-kept secret is the Annex in Wainscott, which, while it caters largely to gays, increasingly draws others to its good food and attractive renovated barn, where they are made to feel completely welcome.

When the present owners took over a few years ago, the seating area was enlarged. Now, a striking brass-railed staircase soars above the bar to an additional dining area on the second floor. There is also an attractive glass solarium which provides extra dining space on the ground floor.

First Impressions

First impressions count: Water glasses were immediately filled with iced water freshened with a little lemon juice, the bread was excellent, the martinis gargantuan, and the presentation throughout was pretty.

The appetizers we tried were all exceptionally good, particularly the soup of the day - a spicy fresh tomato which had, I think, a cooked base thickened with cream to which finely chopped, fresh (and good) tomatoes had been added. As soups go, it was as good as you can get.

For $8 you can get a plate of calamari that would easily do as a main course. The coating was light and crunchy, the calamari tender and not chewy, and it was served with a spicy rouille that I would dearly like to copy at home it was so good.

Imaginative

The other two appetizers were also very imaginative - the sauteed exotic mushrooms with fried goat cheese over greens were full of unusual flavors and textures. The asparagus, prosciutto, and goat cheese tortilla wrap was also a winner, though the pretty green tortilla was a little on the heavy side.

Several dishes were served with salad and, even though the days of iceberg lettuce served with chunks of hard tomato and unpeeled cucumber are behind us almost everywhere, it's worth mentioning its high quality, freshness, and delicate dressing.

Moving on to the entrees, we tried sliced steak on toasted garlic bread. Served medium rare as ordered, with very garlicky bread (made with real garlic - no cheating), sauteed red onions, and exceptional french fries, at $12 this is a bargain.

One of the specials of the day was salmon wrapped in a golden shell of overlapping paper-thin potatoes. When the shell was cut, the imprisoned juices of the perfectly cooked salmon were released in a heady aroma - delicious. It was served with, for me, a rather-too-healthy mixture of barley and wheat.

The only dish we were disappointed in was the pasta of the day. It looked wonderful, with its giant shrimp, sausage, and little bow ties, but it turned out to be lackluster. The veal milanese, on the other hand, was fine, with lightly breaded, tender cutlets, garlic smashed potatoes, and the most attractive presentation of a variety of salad greens.

The Annex's generous portions left us little room for dessert. We tried just one, a key lime pie, which was only so-so, and an excellent cappuccino.

Conversation Possible

There is a thoughtful, well-balanced wine list from which we chose a well-priced and well-liked 1993 Robert Mondavi cabernet sauvignon.

It also should be mentioned that the dining room has excellent acoustics. What a pleasure to be able to hear the conversation at your table even in the midst of a lively, chattering crowd!

Given the quality of the food and the prices - appetizers between $6 and $10 and entrees running from $10 for a burger to a high end of $21 - the Annex and its chef, Darlene Smith, deserve to be more widely known.