Highway Chef's Table
Highway Restaurant and Bar has begun offering a chef's table experience in its East Hampton space. In a semi-private area, groups of six to 18 guests can dine on a four-course menu highlighting Asian, Italian, and Mediterranean cuisines. The menu can be customized to suit each party's individual tastes.
The experience was designed with parties and celebrations in mind, but can be booked for any reason, including weddings and related events. In addition, Highway has devised menus for buffet-style or seated bridal showers and brunches for bachelor and bachelorette weekends with the option for a cocktail hour. All booking inquiries should be sent to [email protected].
January Juice
If you are like many others in the United States and Great Britain who participate in what has become known as "dry January," you will find even more options this year for enjoying a booze-free cocktail, wine-style beverage, or near beer.
Close to home, Wolffer Estate Vineyards, without mentioning the term, is once again promoting its Spring in a Bottle non-alcoholic sparkling rose, which was praised by Florence Fabricant of The New York Times and was chosen last week as one of seven top non-alcoholic wines for this year by VinePain, a digital platform offering information and articles about "drinks culture."
The vineyard also suggests a cocktail featuring its verjus, a pressing of unripened grapes that is not fermented. The verjus spritz is equal parts verjus, soda water, and tonic, plus a lemon twist garnish, served over ice in a wine glass. Only 19 days are left until February -- cheers!
Lunar New Year
Sen is celebrating the incoming lunar year of the rabbit on Jan. 22 with a special $85 chef's dinner drawing on local purveyors such as Sag Harbor's Kidd Squid Brewery and Dragon Hemp as well as Amagansett's Balsam Farms.
The menu consists of several courses and will include scallop and oyster with garlic sauce, black chicken consomme, Peking duck, confit of rabbit leg, rabbit and pate dumplings, a seasoned egg custard with shiitake, shrimp, and uni, plus a golden chocolate bar for dessert. The price does not include tax and tip, but does include tastings of beer and cocktails.
Reservations can be made at [email protected].
A Sweet New Year
Tate's Bake Shop has launched two new cookie concepts for national distribution for the new year. Gluten-free lemon cookies are crispy and buttery in a way similar to the store's flagship chocolate chip cookies. The cookies have a suggested retail price of $5.99 per bag and are certified gluten-free by the National Celiac Association and certified Kosher by the Orthodox Union.
Familiar to those who shop at the original bakery in Southampton, Tate's cookie bark will soon move from local to national treasure. The new line features the original chocolate chip cookie dipped in chocolate in two variations. The dark chocolate version has sea salt and the milk chocolate variety has a white chocolate drizzle. The suggested price is $6.49 for a six ounce pouch. This line, too, is certified Kosher.
Dopo, Not Troppo
While some restaurants continue to be shuttered until the spring thaw, others, like Dopo Argento, merely took a post-holiday break. The Southampton Italian boite will be back tomorrow with its regular menu as well as a more wallet-friendly two-course $39 prix fixe menu served Monday through Thursday at 5 p.m. and all day Sunday. It is not offered on holidays or holiday weekends, however.
Bamboo's Bento
Bamboo in Southampton offers a $25 bento box special nightly from 4 to 6. The special includes edamame, a salad, spicy tuna roll, and two crispy pork dumplings. The entree choices are Mongolian beef, honey soy ginger salmon, sesame garlic tofu, or bang bang chicken.
