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In true “Dining Out” tradition, Arts & Living visited another East End area this week to uncover more good eats. Five Riverhead-area chefs shared the secrets behind their best-selling menu items as well as those dearest to their own hearts and their restaurants’ special trademark dishes.
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ost Popular: Seared Sea Scallops; appetizer; $20.
Chef’s Favorite: Seared Tuna; entrée; $28.
Signature: Seared Salmon over Black and White Quinoa; entrée; $26.
Many consider Farm Country Kitchen a hidden gem and according to owner/chef Tom Carson, he plans to keep it that way.
“A small sign, minimal parking, that’s all part of maintaining the charm of this place,” he said.
The homey, riverfront restaurant serves up the Seared Sea Scallop appetizer as its most popular dish. The large scallops are served with salsa, guacamole, cilantro, pesto and a romano cream cheese sauce.
“It’s just one of the things people come in and ask for,” Mr. Carson said.
As his personal favorite, Mr. Carson picked the Seared Tuna over mango risotto with blueberry plum sauce and grilled asparagus.
“We’re always mixing and matching ingredients and changing our menu to correspond with local, fresh ingredients,” Mr. Carson said. “This dish is sweet and savory, a great mix for the palate.”
Seared Salmon over Black and White Quinoa (a gluten-free starch) is the restaurant’s specialty dish. Served up with grilled local vegetables, the dish appeals to not only, health-conscious diners but gluten-conscious ones as well, according to Mr. Carson.
“Salmon is a fan favorite,” he added. “Also, it’s just great flavors coming together.”
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ost Popular: Doner Gyro Kebab; entrée; $9.95.
Chef’s Favorite: Special Beyti Sarma; entrée; $11.95.
Signature: Mixed Kebab; entrée; $16.95.
Sited along the Peconic River in Riverhead, Turkuaz Grill offers an authentic Mediterranean menu developed by sister/partner/owner duo, Deniz Gulsen and Demet Bozatli.
The restaurant manager, and Ms. Gulsen’s husband, Mustafa Gulsen, explained that the Doner Gyro Kebab is the most popular because it’s a well-known dish.
“It’s been served by Greeks for a long time,” he said. “But it’s originally a Turkish dish and it’s something we know our customers will always enjoy.”
The dish features fresh marinated, thinly sliced lamb on a skewer and served with salad or soup and white and wheat rice.
The Special Beyti Sarma is a chef favorite because of the way it is prepared, according to Mr. Gulsen. Beyti means ground lamb on a metal skewer with garlic, parsley and paprika, he reported. A Beyti Kebab is grilled lamb in lavash bread, served with yogurt and tomato sauce.
“This dish needs a little more attention,” Mr. Gulsen said. “It’s a nice presentation and a delicious combination of flavors.”
As a signature dish, the family members weighed in to deem the Mixed Kebab the winner. The dish consists of kofte, lamb shish (cubes of lamb), chicken shish (cubes of chicken), and lamb chop and is served with rice, bread and soup or salad.
“This dish combines five meats and each provides a different taste,” Mr. Gulsen said. “You don’t have to choose just one.”
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ost Popular: Bison Cowboy Steak; entrée; $42.
Chef’s Favorite: Duck Two-Ways; entrée; $28.
Signature: Bison Hanger Steak; entrée; $27.
Tweeds owner Ed Tuccio takes pride in the bison meat he serves, which is raised on his own bison farm.
“All of our meats are prime,” he said. “And we know what we’re doing because we work with the animal from the very beginning.”
As the most popular dish, Mr. Tuccio chose the Bison Cowboy Steak; a 1-pound, bone-in, all natural rib-eye served with local Yukon gold potatoes, local broccoli and cauliflower and a parsley, butter and garlic paste.
“It tastes like beef used to taste,” Mr. Tuccio said smiling.
As the chef’s favorite, Mr. Tuccio described the Duck Two-Ways. The dish features both duck breast and duck leg confit, which means the duck meat is cooked in duck fat for a couple days.
“The meat is so tender, it’s unbelievable,” he said. “I used to own a duck farm too, so we know our duck.”
As a signature dish, Mr. Tuccio chose another bison dish, the Bison Hanger Steak, which he described as “a butcher’s filet mignon.” The steak is served with a wild mushroom cognac sauce.
“Once again, the meat is tender as can be,” he said. “This dish is an old standby of Tweeds. It’s been on the menu a long time, and it’s always good.”
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ost Popular: Soft Shell Crabs; entrée; $22.95.
Chef’s Favorite: Lobster Salad; entrée; $22.95.
Signature: Roasted Long Island Duck; entrée; $18.95.
The Wittmeir family opened the Modern Snack Bar in 1950 and brothers John and Otto Wittmeir are still at it, 61 years later.
According to Otto Wittmeir, Modern Snack Bar’s Soft Shell Crabs have made a name for themselves over the years. Fresh from the Chesapeake Bay, the crabs are prepared in a light batter and breading and can be enjoyed as an appetizer, sandwich or dinner plate with potatoes and a vegetable.
“People rave about ’em,” Mr. Wittmeir said smiling. “The finished product isn’t encased in breading, it’s delicious.”
Lobster Salad is another fan favorite, according to Mr. Wittmeir. The salad is made up of three simple ingredients— lobster, celery and mayo—and can be served as an entrée with potato salad, lettuce and tomato; as a sandwich with coleslaw and a pickle; or as a scoop in a salad bowl with mixed greens and tomato wedges.
“It’s lobster, that’s the magic word,” Mr. Wittmeir said. “The people made it famous because they like our recipe. There are no mystery ingredients here.”
The Modern Snack Bar’s Roasted Long Island Duck has been coming from right down the street at Crescent Duck Farm for more than 50 years, according to Mr. Wittmeir. The dinner portion is a full duck served with mashed potatoes, turnips, mixed vegetables and traditional brown gravy.
“It’s so fresh and we cook it a unique way to deliver what our customers want,” he said. “It’s just an easy thing to cook at home, so it’s a great thing to order when you go out.”
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ost Popular: Shrimp and Lobster Meatballs; appetizer; $15.
Chef’s Favorite: Smoked Whole Bluefish; entrée; $30.
Signature: Duck Wings; appetizer; $12.
“The Shrimp and Lobster Meatball appetizer is the most popular because I think people respond to ingredients that they think of as luxury ingredients,” chef/owner Keith Luce said. “But they are presented in a casual, fun, unfussy package.”
The meatballs are served with a chili-spiced mayonnaise and green onions.
The chef’s favorite dish is the Smoked Whole Bluefish, which is roasted in the restaurant’s wood oven. It is pastrami-cured and served on a bed of sauerkraut and bacon.
“I’m loving the dish right now because it takes a local fish that doesn’t have the best reputation and presents all of it’s best characteristics with familiar flavors, re-interpreted,” Mr. Luce said.
For the signature dish, the chef chose the Duck Wings appetizer served crispy with a sweet chili duckwing sauce and a cucumber and feta yogurt sauce.
“In my mind it sums up what I hoped to convey in my restaurant,” Mr. Luce said. “People think of wings as casual bar food, I wanted to take an item that people associate with fun food and give it finesse. The seasoning has a decided Southeast Asian profile.”
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