Foodstuffs: Havest Dinner And Halloween Happenings

A Harvest Art Dinner

In a unique melding of food and art, Greenport-based VSOP Projects is bringing a collaborative Harvest Art Dinner to the South Fork in order to highlight the talent and tastes of the North Fork’s culinary, artistic and mixologist communities. The dinner will be held at a private residence in Sagaponack at 7 p.m. on Saturday evening, October 23, and features Orient-based private chef Cameron Trezoglou ingeniously drawing connections between the peak harvest season’s finest local ingredients and carefully curated artworks with a six-course tasting menu to appease and satisfy the corporeal senses.

The artwork will be presented by Jonathan Weiskopf of VSOP Projects with drink pairings by Greenport’s Matchbook Distilling Co. and Cantina Cantina. All ingredients for the dinner come from local sources, including Treiber Farms in Peconic and Feisty Acres in Southold.

The cost for the Harvest Art Dinner is $225 ($400 per couple). The dinner is complimentary with the purchase of any of the event’s featured artworks. A portion of the event’s proceeds will be donated to CAST, a Southold based non-profit organization that provides vital assistance for community members and families in need.

Proof of vaccination is required, email info@vsopprojets.com or call or text 632-603-7736.

Ghoulishly Good Times

Halloween is fast approaching, so if you’re looking for some options combining food and drink with holiday fun, check out these ways to celebrate at East End eateries.

For the next two weekends, Claudio’s on Main [111 Main Street, Greenport, NY, 631-477-0627, claudio’s.com] is offering Halloween events for the whole family. To kick off the festivities, Claudio’s Waterfront is hosting pumpkin painting in its pumpkin patch on Saturday and Sunday, October 23-24. The $10 fee comes with a Mother Pumpkin Ale for those of age. Children will also be entertained with all-day trick-or-treating at Claudio’s Waterfront and Pizza restaurants. For children who don’t mind a little horror, Claudio’s is also hosting a Spooky Story Readings on Saturday, October 30, from 1 to 3 p.m. Finally, to close out the night, Claudio’s is throwing a Halloween Party on Saturday, October 30, from 9 p.m. to 1 a.m. and offers free admission for those who come in costume. To provide a little more adult fun, the premiere of the Frozen Basic Witch cocktail will be available all night long for $14.

On the South Fork, K Pasa [2 Main Street, Sag Harbor, 631-800-8226, 1-800-taco.com] is staying true to its Mexican roots by providing a Day of the Dead-themed Halloween weekend. K Pasa will be offering a Witches Margarita and a Day of the Dead Bloody Tres Leches that’ll be available from October 30 to November 2. For the late night crowd from 8 to 10 p.m., K Pasa is offering free jungle juice floaters with every margarita and Bloody Tres Leches Cake Shots. Once the clock strikes 10 p.m., a best dressed in costume winner will be prized. To ring in the fall, K Pasa is also debuting its Apple Cider Margaritas and shots as well. These treats are sure to bring about mouth-watering satisfaction along with a sense of eerie-filled pleasure. While you’re at it, don’t forget to try the tacos.

Meanwhile, a bit further east, Gurney’s resort [290 Old Montauk Highway, Montauk, 631-668-2345, gurneysresorts.com] celebrates the spooky season with a Halloween Hideaway on Saturday, October 30, offering events for children and adults alike. Families can enjoy candle making in the resort’s Great Hall from 3 to 7 p.m. and kids will also delight in a special on-property scavenger hunt and trick-or-treating, along with other holiday themed activities available across the resort. A bit later in the evening, adults are invited to indulge in customized tarot card or palm readings alongside cocktails at the Scarpetta Bar from 5 to 9 p.m. Each 15-minute session will allow guests to connect with their spirit guides on a deeper level to offer guidance on specific questions as well as clarity on the energy around them.

Also, Gurney’s is currently offering an Oktoberfest-inspired menu with curated light bites, seasonal beer and specialty cocktails which are available exclusively at Gurney’s outdoor venue The Firepit through Halloween, which is open daily, first come first serve.

La Fondita [74 Montauk Highway, Amagansett, 631-267-8800, lafondita.net] will celebrate Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) with traditional specials available Sunday, October 31, to Tuesday, November 2. Offerings include enchiladas de pollo en salsa roja (three 3 chicken enchiladas in a red salsa topped with lettuce, tomato, cheese and crema served with Mexican rice and refried beans) for $15; tamal de pollo en salsa verde (chicken tamale with salsa verde and queso fresco served with Mexican rice and refried beans) for $13; tamal de rajas (tamale filled with rajas and cheese served with Mexican rice and refried beans) for $13; tamal de puerco en salsa roja (tamal filled with pork in a red salsa served with Mexican rice and refried beans) for $13. Tamales can also be purchased individual for $6 and for dessert, La Fondita offers champurrado, a chocolate based beverage made with Maseca, milk, Mexican chocolate and cinnamon.

Right next door to La Fondita, Coche Comedor [74A Montauk Highway, Amagansett, 631-267-5709, cochecomedor.com] will also honor Dia de los Muertos with specials available Tuesday, and Wednesday, November 2-3. Chile en nogada (poblano pepper stuffed with pork, apples, pears, peaches, walnuts, golden raisins, onions, garlic and served with walnut sauce and pomegranate seeds) is $15. Considered by many to be the national dish of Mexico, chiles en nogada showcases the colors of the country’s flag — green, white and red. Created by nuns in Puebla in 1821, the dish was presented to the general of the Mexican Army, Agustín de Iturbide, after he signed the treaty that recognized Mexico’s independence from Spain. The nuns used the best of the late-season harvest in the dish, including poblano chiles, peaches, pears, apples and walnuts grown in farms near Puebla. Also on the menu will be short rib barbacoa for $32. The dish is made of hurache layered with refritos and short rib barbacoa topped with mole coloradito, pickled onions and micro cilantro. The short rib is first marinated for 24 hours with guajillo chilies, pullia chiles and garlic, the meat is then wrapped in plantain leaves with avocado leaves and bay leaves and steamed. For dessert, Coche Comedor is offering arroz con leche, dolce de calabaza for $12 — creamy rice pudding with stewed sweet pumpkin and vanilla ice cream

Coche Comedor is currently open for indoor and outdoor dining and takeout Wednesday through Sunday from 5 to 9 p.m.

Happy haunting!