News for Foodies 12.15.11
For Hanukkah
Charlotte Sasso at Stuart’s Seafood in Amagansett will be making latkes and applesauce next week for Hanukkah. Those interested have been asked to call ahead to reserve their holiday goodies.
Christmas Eve
With December flying by, it’s time to make reservations for Christmas Eve dinner, if your tradition is to have a holiday meal at a restaurant. Among the choices is Nick and Toni’s in East Hampton, which will offer a la carte specials beginning at 6 p.m. on
Christmas Eve. Diners will receive a complimentary amuse-bouche, a bacalao fritter with caper aioli. Choices will include a seafood salad with Peconic Bay scallops, shrimp, and calamari as an appetizer and, as an entree, grilled octopus with Tuscan white beans braised in tomato, served with Satur Farms escarole. At dessert time, diners will get another free tidbit, hazelnut ganache cups, and may choose to order a chocolate chestnut torta with candied chestnuts and cranberry compote.
At Serafina, also on East Hampton’s North Main Street, Christmas Eve specials will be served from 5 p.m. to closing. On the menu will be starters such as artichoke carpaccio with baby shrimps, garlic, and chopped tomatoes, tuna tartare, and imported Italian burrata cheese, served with cherry tomatoes. Entree specials will include slow-braised veal shank osso buco with saffron risotto, homemade pappardelle with roasted duck ragu, and halibut with cremini mushrooms and broccoli rabe. Italian panettone will be available for dessert.
The Christmas weekend will officially start at noon on Friday, Dec. 23, at the Harbor Grill in East Hampton, which will open then and offer a holiday happy hour that day and on Christmas Eve from noon to 3 p.m. at the bar. It will feature half-price drinks and free appetizers, as well as homemade eggnog — a plain version for kids and a “Santa-spiked” version for adults, for $3. A $19 prix fixe menu, and a kids’ menu, will also be available.
The Harbor Grill also has holiday gift cards for sale, and will reward those who purchase them. Those who buy a $50 gift card will get an extra $10 worth, giving the card a total value of $60, while those who buy a $100 card will receive one actually worth $120.
Suckling Pig
This Christmas Eve will mark a decade since Almond restaurant in Bridgehampton began a tradition of serving a roast suckling pig dinner for the holiday. The $31 special, which includes not only the main course but also cabbage, caramelized apples, and spaetzle, will be served from 6 to 10 p.m., as will items from the regular a la carte menu.
The restaurant will donate 10 percent of all revenue from Christmas to the Pajama Program, a nonprofit group that provides new warm pajamas and new books to children in need.
Meal and Movie
Having a meal at Rowdy Hall in East Hampton comes with the option to purchase a ticket to the East Hampton Cinema at a discount. A voucher can be bought for $8.50, along with an entree, on Sunday through Thursday during lunch or dinnertime.
Art and Dine Series
Ruth Appelhof, the executive director of Guild Hall, and Dawn Watson, the features editor at The Southampton Press, will be the guests at the Living Room restaurant’s Art and Dine dinner on Tuesday. The evening begins at 6:30 p.m. and will include a two-course dinner, served with cookies for dessert, and a glass of wine, and an after-dinner discussion with the guests. Before coming to Guild Hall, Ms. Appelhof led several art museums throughout the United States, and taught at several universities. The cost of the evening is $36 per person, plus tax and gratuity.
Gingerbread and Coffee
A free cooking demonstration at the Loaves and Fishes Cookshop in Bridgehampton on Saturday from noon to 2 p.m. will focus on making gingerbread, to serve along with Nespresso coffee.