East End Eats: Peconic Coast

It's not supposed to be fair to review a restaurant until it's been open at least a month. A new dining spot deserves a grace period, time to iron out the kinks and smooth the rough edges, before going under the reviewer's microscope.

We tried to give Peconic Coast, a new restaurant on Montauk Highway in East Hampton, a full 31 days to warm up, but the buzz was just too loud. The proprietors, Dede McCann and Dennis MacNeil, formerly of the Laundry, have been somewhat renowned on the local culinary scene for making even the average patron feel like a member of the royal family.

So, we broke the rules. We couldn't wait. Sorry.

We'll Go Back

When we set out for the restaurant Friday night, we were prepared to suspend judgment, at least a little. "Don't expect too much, they just opened," I cautioned. "If it's really not good, we'll just go somewhere else tomorrow and come back next month."

Next month it will be. But we'll also go back next week and maybe the week after that and, probably, as often as our pocketbooks will allow.

The restaurant is in the building that most recently housed Duke's restaurant. In past incarnations, it also was home to Little Rock Rodeo and the Royal Fish. It had almost fallen off East Hampton's restaurant map until Ms. McCann, who manages the front of the house, and Mr. MacNeil, the chef, stepped in to make it their own.

In their case, making a place their own seems to mean one and the same as making it feel like a second home to their customers. The service staff, from hostess to busperson, is attentive without doting; the place is comfortable but lively, and the food, oh, the food!

How Many Ways?

How many ways can you say delicious? The baked clams with chorizo sausage and sweet peppers were succulent and tasty. The mission figs rolled in Parma prosciutto and drizzled with a delicate balsamic glaze were delectable, the lobster, avocado, shiitake, and tomato tian was dynamic, and the breast of Muscovy duck was inspired. But, I'm getting ahead of myself.

First to arrive at the table is a basket of piping hot sourdough rolls to munch on while you try to choose just one appetizer and one entree from the menu and convince everyone else at the table to order the other dishes you'd like to try.

One person among us couldn't decide on a single appetizer so ordered four, but passed on an entree. Of the five appetizers we sampled, the lobster tian was the most interesting.

High Marks

A tian, for those who haven't read Miriam Ungerer's recent description in these pages, is a baked vegetable dish in a shallow casserole, usually served warm, but this one was something like a layered salad, with chunks of lobster on top, and marinated shiitake on the bottom. The prosciutto-rolled fresh figs were simple in construction but lovely in taste - not too salty, not too sweet, but the best of both.

The salad, too, was simple, but good. The mozzarella marinated in pesto, then wrapped in prosciutto and baked in a deep dish with marinara sauce was the heartiest of the appetizers.

The marinara got high marks and the prosciutto added, as it can, quite a bit of perky saltiness. The only appetizer that got a so-so response was sweet potato skins with a yogurt honey mint sauce. The skins, we thought, should have been crisper.

As for the entrees, we had nothing but praise. This is the sort of food one eats slowly and savors. Rather than give you so much you'll never go away hungry, Peconic Coast gives you something that's so good you don't want it to end.

The breast of Muscovy duck was cooked to absolute perfection. Its crisp skin was mixed with tapenade and wrapped in a Moroccan pastry. Off to the side was a flavorful endive confit in vermouth sauce.

Bound To Glory

The chicken was tender and juicy and sat atop a bed of porcini mushrooms in a marsala sauce. An entree of sauteed bay scallops with lemon and parsley in a roasted golden acorn squash with rice pilaf featured plump little scallops cooked as they should be. As with the duck, there was a wonderful tapestry of textures and flavors.

Word has it that the sauteed calf's liver is "divine," but we didn't have the pleasure this time around.

We finished the meal with two desserts, a light orange-zest-flavored creme brulee and profiteroles with chocolate gelato, recommended for anyone with a massive sweet tooth and a good appetite.

Our evening at Peconic Coast was quite honestly one of the most pleasant dining experiences we've had in recent memory. Packed from its first week, this restaurant is the sort that will soon have a dining room full of regulars - with good reason.