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Garden at the Classic Hamptons Beach House in Water Mill. DAWN WATSON
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Fresh from being named the best new restaurant in Long Island in 2011 by Newsday and selected as an Open Table Diner’s Choice winner for its first year in business, The Riverhead Project is on a culinary roll.
Opened just this past May and owned by restaurateur Dennis McDermott—who was recently named Person of the Year by the Riverhead Chamber of Commerce—and headed by inventive executive chef by Gregory Ling, The Riverhead Project is a hot spot on the tips of foodie’s tongues everywhere.
Last week, Dining Out visited the restaurant to interview Mr. Ling and general manager Keith Kraus to find out the most popular dish, the chef’s favorite and signature items.
Most Popular: Grilled Romaine Salad; starter; $14.
Chef’s Favorite: Grilled Milk Fed Veal Chop; entrée; $35.
Signature: Polish Town Lobster Pierogies; starter; $14.
Chef Ling is very creative and inventive, always mixing things up when it comes to his food, according to Mr. Kraus. The menu items might stay the same but there are frequently small changes in the form of embellishments and surprise substitutions on the plates, as the chef tries to incorporate farm-to-table elements whenever possible.
Take the most popular dish: the Grilled Romaine Salad. On the menu, the salad is served with whipped feta, cucumber, roasted beets and lemon dressing. But on Thursday, the chef substituted cherry-sized heirloom tomatoes (blanched, and with the skin removed) for the beets, to a delicious end.
Mr. Kraus reported that it’s the smoking of the romaine lettuce that brings diners back again and again for this dish. The lettuce is placed on the grill for a quick 20-second sear, for a unique flavor and texture profile.
“It’s nice and crispy around the edges, it’s got a good crunch. And it’s tangy,” he said.
Mr. Ling said that his favorite dish changes all the time but right now it’s the Grilled Milk Fed Veal Chop, which the menu states is served with cippolini agrodolce (sweet and sour Italian onions), haricot vert (French green beans) and a porcini bread pudding. On Thursday, roasted root vegetables replaced the haricot vert.
As with all of the choices on the menu, each item comprising the chosen dishes was a strong standalone that also was in balance and complemented the other elements on the plate.
“Why is this your favorite dish right now?” Dining Out asked Mr. Ling.
“It’s how the dish all comes together on the plate,” he replied simply. “Ask in a week and it’ll be different.”
But Mr. Kraus said that his favorite dish never changes. He reported that he craves the Dry Aged NY Strip Steak so much that he dreams about it.
“The beef quality is incredible. I don’t need anything else on the plate,” he said.
The signature dish at The Riverhead Project is a nod to the history of the town, Mr. Kraus said. The Polish Town Lobster Pierogies are a marriage of Riverhead’s deep cultural background and Mr. Ling’s vision for creating food that is both delicious and elevated.
“The pierogies are easily the signature dish. They are a tribute to being in Riverhead,” he said “They are a mainstay of the menu.”
The dish is made of fingerling potato dumplings stuffed and topped with lobster, complemented by a shallot marmalade and bathed in a lemon brown butter sauce. On Thursday, the big surprise was a popcorn shoot garnish, a slim green reed that looked like a chive and tasted like a mouthful of the East End’s best summer corn.
When asked why the restaurant has been so successful so fast, Mr. Kraus responded quickly. “The focus is on the food,” he said simply.
The Riverhead Project is located on Main Street in Riverhead and is open for lunch Monday through Friday, brunch on Sunday, and dinner seven nights a week. Check the restaurant’s website or Facebook page for menus and special Chef Project, Wine Project and Movie Project days and times.
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