News for Foodies: 03.09.17

Volunteers gathered in the Scoville Hall kitchen to prepare for the annual soup and chili dinner sponsored by the Amagansett Presbyterian Church with contributions from Nick and Toni’s and Bostwick’s, among others. At Almond, its co-owner and head chef, Jason Weiner (below preparing headcheese for the first course), collaborated with Jeremy Blutstein from East by Northeast to concoct a “whole animal, cured, pickled, fermented, and preserved-things beer dinner.”

Durell Godfrey and Jeremy Blutstein Photos

Local Food News

Mar. 9, 2017

Joanne Pilgrim

In an unexpected move, the Meeting House restaurant in Amagansett closed its doors on Sunday. It announced the closing on Facebook on Friday. Word is that Randy Lerner, who owns the restaurant and all of Amagansett Square, where it is located, has made a deal to have Wolffer Kitchen take over the space. Wolffer’s Sag Harbor location is closed until Wednesday for renovations.

Food Manager Training

The Suffolk County Department of Health Services will give an update on its food protection program at a seminar at its headquarters in Yaphank on Monday. The event, from 10 a.m. to noon, will include information on mobile food safety and on controlling food-borne illness risk factors at food establishments. There will be a question-and-answer session. Additional information is available at the food protection program’s web page on the county’s website at suffolkcounty.ny.gov.

Kids as Pizza Chefs

Nick and Toni’s restaurant in East Hampton is holding pizza-making sessions for kids ages 5 to 12 every Sunday, Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday from 5:30 to 7 p.m. For a fee of $10 per participant, children can work with the eatery’s pizza chef to create their own pies. Reservations are required.

Wine and Liquor Tastings

Departing from the usual focus on wine, Wednesday’s tasting and education session at Wainscott Main Wine and Spirits will focus on stronger spirits. The “Small Batch and Artisanal Agave Tasting: Tequila, Mezcal, Sotol, Oh My!” takes place at 5:30 p.m. and costs $10. Sign-up is by phone or email to [email protected].

A wine-tasting series at Park Place Wines in East Hampton, also on Wednesdays, will present “Sommelier Sweethearts” at the next hourlong session, beginning at 5:30 p.m. at the shop. Led by Lisa Schock and Chris Miller, each session offers an opportunity to taste six different wines. Next week’s will feature “unique and under the radar” wines, including those made in “overlooked, underrated” wine regions or with similar grape varieties. The latest wine industry trends and sommelier interests will be discussed. Attendance is free, though reservations have been requested.

Fare o’ the Irish

Friday, March 17, will bring Irish food and drink specials to Rowdy Hall in East Hampton for St. Patrick’s Day, along with a live WEHM radio broadcast from the restaurant from 4 to 6 p.m. Drink specials offered all day will include Magners cider, Irish mimosas, and tap beer. A lunch and dinner prix fixe will include two courses — an appetizer and entree, or entree and dessert — for $25, with menu choices such as Pride of Erin soup (potato cabbage soup), corned beef and cabbage, Guinness stew, bangers and mash, and Guinness-chocolate cheesecake for dessert. The specials will also be available, a la carte, on March 26, the day of the Montauk St. Patrick’s Day Parade.

A St. Patrick’s Day party will take place at Indian Wells Tavern in Amagansett from 10 p.m. to 1 a.m. on Friday, March 17, featuring specials on tap and canned beers, along with specials on shots of Bushmills Irish whiskey. There will be live music and a chance for women to win a $50 gift certificate to the restaurant by catching beads that will be tossed out from time to time. The cost of admission is $5.