East End Eats: Dining At The Harbor Rose

There's so much more to say about the Harbor Rose in Sag Harbor than just a description of the food.

First of all, there's the atmosphere of the place, which manages to evoke everyone's fantasy of that little European hangout they're going to find when they have the time and money. The spacious bar area is furnished with big, comfortable, rather seedy furniture and has an imposing counter that looks as if generations of serious drinkers have given it a patina of long stories and short drinks.

There are books on the wall and a chess set on a table in the window. On a recent night, a mother was playing chess with her young daughter - it's the sort of place where a mother could comfortably do that - and there were two tiny babies accompanying their parents in the dining room.

Winsome Loo

When renovations were under way, it was discovered that the Shell Lubrication sign, which had been on the facade of the building when it was a gas station long ago, was still there. It has been incorporated into the decor, with the exception of the first three letters, which were removed and stuck on the door of the ladies room.

Talking of atmosphere, half of you should go and have a look at this same ladies room, which has to be the most charming on the East End, with a tailor's dummy covered in dried rosebuds, an exquisite kimono, and evocative photographs.

My first introduction to the Harbor Rose was brought on by curiosity to see what its winter Wednesday night "artists' dinners" were like. Advertised as being three courses and "all the wine you could drink" for $20, we were skeptical as to how good it would be. It turned out to be a spectacular bargain - a fine salad, perfectly cooked cod with a mixed-bean dressing served with green beans and mashed potatoes, and chocolate cake - served at long tables where everyone talked with their neighbors.

Test Of Skill

There's a consensus of opinion that the Harbor Rose's mashed potatoes are in a class of their own, but the feat of serving fresh green beans cooked to the second of perfection to 30 or 40 people at once is a sure test of the kitchen's skill.

On a recent Saturday evening, the Harbor Rose had all tables filled by 8:30. The tables are not jammed together but are comfortably far apart, which helps with the noise, which does get a little overwhelming at times.

Wines by the glass are very reasonable and there is a selective, well-chosen wine list with very good prices. We chose a 1994 SagPond merlot which met with the favor of all.

John Dory Wins

Two or three wines are showcased and discussed in a conversational way on the regular menu, which is an original touch - as is the idea of listing food as "small dishes," "medium dishes," "large dishes," and "side dishes," with prices to match, instead of dividing the menu more conventionally.

The mixed salad was bouncingly fresh and delicate, and large enough to share between two, as was the Caesar salad. The crab cake (also available as a main dish) has to be right up around the top of my ratings list of East End crab cakes: sweet, velvety, and crabby in a crunchy but very light shell.

The cold linguine in a hot peanut sauce with sesame seeds and snap peas was a slight disappointment. The sauce was just fine but the linguine were too cold, clumsy, and heavy - it needed a more delicate pasta.

We tried large and medium dishes, old faithfuls and the more exotic, specials and regulars. The winner was voted a dish of John Dory, a sweet, fine-textured fish flown in fresh daily from New Zealand. It was served in a burnt lemon butter and caper sauce with rice and asparagus and was outstanding.

Poultry Paradise

The steak, though pricey, was perfectly cooked and served with superior french fries. The tuna steak was also adjudged perfectly cooked and of a superior cut. The chicken had obviously spent its days in some aristocratic free-range poultry Eden, because it tasted like chicken used to before the whole chicken population was incarcerated. As mentioned before, the Harbor Rose does its customers proud with its mashed potatoes and vegetables.

The Tuscan fish stew, a sinus-clearing bowl of garlicky mussels, scallops, and different fish in a tomato-based broth, was one of the dishes listed as "medium," but it turned out to be almost too large to finish.

If you are lucky, lobster ravioli may be on the list of specials. Nearly a pound of fresh lobster divided into two large ravioli, it is served with a creamy sauce and a whole peeled tomato and is delicious. It would also make a fine appetizer divided between two - which is one of the nice things about this mix-and-match menu.

Delectable Duck

If you don't mind putting calorie concerns out of your head for the meal, the Harbor Rose's delectable duck confit, though hardly a health food item, is highly recommended. The duck is packed with herbs and spices and marinated in its own juices before being fried, so it's crisp on the outside and falling-off-the-bone tender inside. It's served with a healthy salad of young greens and homemade french fries. (It's also just $17.)

Dessert gets a mixed review. The raspberry creme brulee was all that it could be, with a divine texture, a sharp bite of raspberry, and expertly caramelized. The cheesecake, on the other hand, was too sweet and rather blah.

The brown and white chocolate mousse was half delicious (the chocolate part) and half odd-tasting (the white part). The chocolate cake was okay.

The service on the night we were there was exemplary, but reports have said that it can be spotty. When the Harbor Rose opened last summer, year-rounders complained about "attitude" and felt it was catering only to the city visitors.

But that has changed completely - helped by the many bargain offers - and now that the restaurant has entrenched itself in the affections of local residents it is hoped that it will always remain as welcoming as it is now.

Is the Harbor Rose expensive or not? It's hard to say. The small dishes, salads and such, are inexpensive and quite generous portions, while the "large" dishes are definitely city prices, all over $20. But some are large enough for two and the restaurant is happy to divide any dish. Some of the medium dishes are full-sized entrees but others are not quite enough. So you could have two courses for about $20 or two courses for nearly $40.

And then there are the two-for-one offerings early in the evening or on Sunday evenings and the off-season artists' evenings which offer a value that can't be beat.

I guess you just have to keep going there until you work out your best choices - and that will be no hardship at all.