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For the past few years, visitors to Annona in Westhampton have been treated to an unusual opportunity: shop for an exotic luxury car downstairs, have an Italian dinner upstairs, or both.
Richard Rubio first got the idea to open Annona on the upper level of Manhattan Motorcars Hamptons in 2005 after he visited a dealership complex in Arizona with a coffee shop upstairs. The Westhampton complex is the only place in the country where fine dining and fine cars are offered in one building, Mr. Rubio said.
The Rubio family also owns Westhampton Coachworks and Manhattan Motorcars in New York City.
The Bottero brothers—Antonio, who is the manager, and Pietro, the chef—depend on each other to keep the Rubio family’s restaurant running smoothly.
Pietro, recently elevated to the position of executive chef, says working with his brother is “very symbiotic, we watch each other’s backs.”
The brothers come from a family of restaurateurs and Pietro recalled in a recent interview that he was a “kitchen kid,” and has trained in the culinary field since he was young. The chef noted that his career prior to Annona involved work in restaurants in New York City, including, among others, Cru, which he said has the best wine list in the United States, and Babbo.
Besides close attention to detail on the menu, Annona never overbooks the restaurant, taking only a limited number of reservations, no matter what. “We offer some of the best service in the Hamptons,” Antonio said. “Annona never compromises its performance level.”
The menu features modern Italian cuisine, Pietro said, and the flavor components are all traditional, although he likes to put a modern spin on classic dishes. Changing daily, the menu reflects what’s in season. For example, fresh asparagus is used in season in a ravioli with light butter and parmigiano ($18 as a starter; $28 as a main course), and corn from the North Fork is used in the poached lobster
sous vide
($38) on the specials menu.
The specials menu can range from pizzas made in Annona’s wood-burning oven to a Berkshire pork chop ($32) with goldbar squash and white peach compote.
The specials are always changing because of the staff’s “care and dedication to making things fresh,” Pietro said.
Annona even has a small garden with its own irrigation system out on the roof, where the chef grows ingredients like basil and heirloom tomatoes for use in choice dishes.
Another unique item featured on the specials menu is a different car for rent every week, Antonio said. One week a black 2007 Ferrari F430 Spider was featured for $2,500 per day. Players Car Rentals works with Manhattan Motorcars to rent out luxury and exotic vehicles to customers.
The “antipasti,” or first course menu includes, among others, 18-month prosciutto san Danielle with a honeydew shooter for $18; Satur Farm’s butter lettuce salad with parmigiano, fried lemon and lemon vinaigrette for $10; a wood oven-roasted baby octopus salad with grapes, olives, parsley, fingerling potatoes and yellow lentils for $16; and a lobster salad with machê, cherry tomatoes, Bonamini olive oil and lemon juice for $18.
“Primi,” or first-course pasta dishes, include rigatoncini, a southern Italian pork ragu; risotto with wild mushrooms, parmigiano and white truffle oil; spaghetti vongole with littleneck clams, spring garlic, birdseye chile and parsley; and tagliatelle with shrimp, cherry tomatoes, basil and olive oil. Prices range from $16 to $18 for an appetizer size portion and $26 to $28 for an entrée size portion.
The pastas at Annona are handmade daily. “No other restaurants in the area do fresh pasta every day,” Antonio claimed. Also fresh breads, gelato and sorbet are made in house.
“Secondi,” or second-course entrées, range from $28 to $42 and consist of seared halibut with potato galette, baby carrots and beurre blanc; seared sea scallops with sunchoke purée, morel mushrooms, asparagus and sweet garlic foam; grilled chicken breast with mashed potatoes, balsamic red onion and veloute; and Four Story Hill Farm’s veal chop with spring garlic, brussels sprouts, carrots and anchovy-porcini sauce.
Sides feature asparagus, broccoli rapé, Brussels sprouts and buttermilk mashed potatoes, all for $10.
At the bar, Annona infuses the house liquors and uses only fresh juice in its drinks. There are a dozen specialty cocktails offered, including, among others, the Carrera Cosmo with house orange-infused vodka, cointreau, fresh lime and cranberry juice; the Hemingway daiquiri with house infused pineapple rum, fresh lime, pineapple juice and a splash of grenadine; and the Bentley Bellini with Zygo vodka, prosecco and fresh squeezed orange juice. All cocktails are $12.
“Dolci,” or desserts, are $10 and include a caramelized apple tart with vanilla gelato; molten chocolate cake with vanilla gelato; strawberry shortcake with a baking powder biscuit and cream; mascarpone cheesecake with maple glaze and crushed walnuts; crème brûlée with Huahua Farm vanilla beans; a coffee and doughnut combination consisting of espresso espuma and an old-fashioned sugar doughnut; and gelato and sorbet with a shortbread cookie.
Specials include a two-course, $28 early prix fixe every day from 5:30 to 6:30, except for Sunday when it’s offered from 5 to 6:30. Also every Monday, all bottles of wine in the restaurant are half price. A Friday night happy hour is featured from 5 to 7:30 with buy one, get one free drinks at the bar. Live music is featured on Fridays as well, from 6 to 9 p.m., and on Saturday from 9 to 12 a.m. Acoustic singer Jeff LeBlanc has been a featured performer.
112 Riverhead Road, Westhampton Beach; 288-7766
Monday through Saturday, 5 to 10 p.m.; Sunday 5 to 9:30 p.m.
All major credit cards, except Diners Club
Reservations recommended
Handicapped accessible
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