Specialty Of The House: Savanna's, Southampton

When he was in high school Victor Vieira, the chef at Savanna's, wanted to be an auto mechanic, but a providential glitch led him from automotive pursuits to culinary ones. Shop class was full and he ended up learning to use a whisk instead of a wrench.

Now the executive chef at a popular Southampton restaurant that draws hundreds of diners each week, Mr. Vieira lives, breathes, and dreams food.

"I fell in love with cooking," he said. So much so, that in his sleep after a 14-hour day in the kitchen, he continues to cook up new dishes, possible specials for next week's dinner menu, a fresh way of doing an old standard, an innovative combination of herbs and spices.

"In this business, you've got to be creative, to keep coming up with new ideas, keep changing," he said.

Perhaps because of this, the chef is reluctant to classify his cuisine. "A lot of people like to say it's Northern Italian. I hate the word nouveau. It's so many different things - modern American, Portuguese . . ."

He himself is of Portuguese ancestry, and grew up in New Bedford, Mass., which has a large Portuguese community. He admits, however, that his knowledge of his ancestral cuisine is more visceral than formal. To Mr. Vieira, Portuguese means a lot of grilling, very low fats, fresh fish, and light sauces.

"My mother just threw everything together in a pot."

Aside from his high-school cooking classes, the chef has learned by watching, listening, and doing. He teaches the same way. "I never use recipes, I can't stand recipes. I show and tell."

Each Thursday this summer, weather permitting, he's offered intimate cooking classes in a canvas-topped dining area behind the restaurant. On a portable stove Mr. Vieira demonstrates preparation of a four-course meal, discusses how to "marry wines" with the food, then goes in to Savanna's kitchen and prepares the meal for the class to sample.

On a recent Friday afternoon, before the weekend rush began, he sat at an outdoor table in a surprising state of calm. That night, he would probably serve upward of 300 dinners, and if his summer track record played out, 99 percent of those he cooked for would walk away content, with another reservation in the book.

"When people enjoy it, that's a great feeling; it's incredible," Mr. Vieira said. "I've been lucky."

He only mentions as an afterthought that he's worked six nights a week almost since March, when the restaurant reopened under new ownership. He makes the desserts, oversees the butchering of meats and the baking of bread, and, when he's not in front of the oven or stove, tends a small herb and vegetable garden he planted on the restaurant property. Earlier this year there were blueberries, strawberries, and raspberries to be picked; now there are beans and tomatoes.

But though the chef might be slightly frayed at the edges, he hardly seems worn down. "I can't get enough of it. It's not even the money. There's no money in this business."

"Some older chefs talk a lot about the rules, said Mr. Vieira. "I think if people are enjoying it, you're doing it right."

He wears a bandanna in the kitchen, because, he said, "I'm too off-the-wall to wear a chef's hat. It's my world. I make the rules," he said.

Both he and the owner of Savanna's have been surprised at the client list the restaurant developed this year. But Mr. Vieira said that "we've given the New Yorkers a taste of Savanna's, now we want to give the locals a taste."

Savanna's will be open through the winter, with prices brought down a bit, a slight change of menu, and more frequent specials to encourage year-round diners to give the spot a try.

"We'll see. What do they say? If you build it, they will come. If I cook it, they will eat."

Victor Vieira's Lobster Cakes

Ingredients:

(Serves two.)

1 medium red pepper, diced fine

1 medium Spanish onion, diced fine

2 cloves garlic, diced fine

2 whole eggs

4 Tbsp. mayonnaise

2 Tbsp. mustard

3 Tbsp. lemon juice

1 cup bread crumbs

1 lb. lobster meat, chopped fine

Salt and pepper

In a large bowl add all ingredients except bread crumbs. Mix well. Mix in bread crumbs. Let stand for about 30 minutes. Form two-ounce cakes. Pan-sear until golden brown on both sides. Remove from plate and garnish with spicy remoulade.

Spicy Remoulade

Ingredients:

(Makes eight ounces.)

6 oz. Hellmann's mayonnaise

2 oz. capers, finely chopped

1 oz. lemon juice

2 oz. ketchup

1 oz. cayenne pepper

Salt and black pepper to taste

Mix together. Serve over lobster cakes.