Foodstuffs: New Openings, Greek Easter And Cinco De Mayo

Coche Comedor will celebrate Cinco de Mayo — and the restaurant’s second anniversary — with a la carte specials on May 5. The restaurant will serve dinner on Cinco de Mayo from 5 to 9 p.m. The specials include appetizers such as chili rellenos de camarones, stuffed poblano pepper with rock shrimp, and appetizers like costillas de borrego (rack of lamb) with mole, and grilled baby lamb chops with yellow mole, and, for dessert, passion fruit flan.

Coche Comedor is at 74A Montauk Highway in Amagansett. For more information, call 631-267-5709 or visit cochecomedor.com.

La Fondita in Amagansett also will celebrate Cinco de Mayo with holiday specials available for curbside pickup from noon to 8 p.m. on Wednesday, May 5. Orders can be placed online or by calling the restaurant directly.

The specials include chicken, pork, or pepper and cheese tamales, served with rice, black beans and salad.

La Fondita is at 74 Montauk Highway, Amagansett. For more information, visit lafondita.net, or to place an order, call La Fondita at 631-267-8800.

Elaia Estiatorio, the Greek restaurant in Bridgehampton, will offer a special menu in honor of Greek Orthodox Easter this year.

On Sunday, May 2, starting at 4 p.m., guests can enjoy traditional Greek Easter dishes like appetizers ankinaropita, a spring artichoke with double Greek cheeses, dill scallion and wrapped in phyllo; and tigania, traditional Greek style sweetbreads sautéed in white wine. Entrees include arni sto fourno me patates, a roasted boneless leg of lamb with garlic, lemon juice, Greek oregano, dill and lemon potatoes; and skaras pikilia, a mixed grill of lamb chops, lamb biftekia, lamb souvlaki and roasted seasonal vegetables. End the meal on a sweet note with galaktoboureko, a semolina creamy custard with vanilla, lemon zest, honey syrup and phyllo.

To enhance the Greek Easter celebration, Elaia Estiatorio will have a traditional Bouzouki player on hand, lamb on the spit, and a Whispering Angel wine raffle.

Elaia Estiatorio is at 95 School Street in Bridgehampton. For more information, visit elaiaestiatoriohamptons.com.

Locals call Montauk “The End,” and in early May a new French-inspired dining destination that plays on that name is coming to New York’s easternmost hamlet.

La Fin Kitchen & Lounge will offer all-day dining in a refined, relaxed coastal setting overlooking Montauk Harbor. The restaurant opens Wednesday, May 5.

Inspired by the seaside destinations of St. Barth’s and St. Tropez, and embracing Montauk’s unspoiled beauty, La Fin will be a gathering spot for lounging, drinking and dining on farm-to-table cuisine that highlights seasonal ingredients, delicate homegrown herbs, sustainably caught fish and responsibly sourced meats.

Executive chef James Tchinnis’s menu draws from his French training and extensive experience at some of the top restaurants in New York City, including Le Cirque, The Grand Havana Room and Osteria del Circo. Dishes like fluke crudo with blood orange, radish, tomato and chili oil, and a salad niçoise with rare yellowfin tuna, haricot vert, olives, potato and Dijon vinaigrette, are among the dinner menu options.

“I’m so excited for our guests to dine at La Fin,” said Tchinnis. “The menu reflects the seasonality of the local produce and the amazing fresh seafood at our back door. To me, French is the backbone of all modern cooking, and it is how I learned to cook professionally.”

Co-owner Michelle Walrath added, “The beauty of Montauk is in its simplicity, inclusiveness, and dramatic sunsets, and we aim to capture this while offering all-day dining, with something for everyone. At La Fin, friends and family can gather, dine and lounge while enjoying exceptional hospitality with gorgeous views of the sea.”

Beverage manager Erin Swain has curated a wine list with more than 100 bottles, including the largest selection of rosés in the area, as well as a selection of beers and craft cocktails. On Tuesday evenings, guests can relax in the lounge to music.

La Fin is located in the space previously occupied by Swallow East. Indoor dining, a covered deck and an open-air patio provide for a variety of seating options.

Beginning May 5, La Fin will be open daily from 8 a.m. until 10 p.m. Morning selections include Organic Krush cold-pressed juices and gluten-free baked goods. From 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., a Recovery Brunch features crepes, lobster lettuce wraps and salad niçoise. Refined dinners begin at 5 p.m., with fresh caught local seafood, such as swordfish or mahi mahi, summer ratatouille and steak frites.

La Fin Kitchen & Lounge is located at 474 West Lake Drive, Montauk. Reservations are available through OpenTable. For more information, visit lafinkitchen.com.

The Beacon in Sag Harbor, a summertime mainstay, will open for its 23rd season on Wednesday, May 12. Dinner service will begin at 5:30 p.m., and new this season will be an intimate downstairs patio to help increase seating and allow for more outdoor dining.

Reservations will be available and can accommodate parties up to 10. A two-course, $75-per-person minimum will be in place for dining in, while the regular a la carte menu will be available for takeout. This is not a prix fixe menu, just a minimum charge due to less seating.

The menu will feature old-school favorites, as well as specials.

Offerings include starters such as steamed mussels, crispy Portobello and pork belly pretzel buns, and entrees like lobster rigatoni, bouillabaisse, halibut baked in parchment, and a no-pasta vegan lasagna.

The Beacon’s owners are David Loewenberg and Sam McCleland. Loewenberg is widely regarded as one of the East End’s top restaurateurs, and McCleland delivers innovative farm-to-table cuisine with novel finesse. The duo also own Bell & Anchor in Noyac.

The Beacon is at 8 West Water Street, Sag Harbor. For reservations or information, visit beaconsagharbor.com or call 631-725-7088.

After a challenging 2020, not only for the local hospitality industry but also the overall economy, Greenport’s iconic Claudio’s is starting to open its various waterfront properties with a mission to bring vibrancy, hospitality and job creation to the North Fork. The overarching goal is to offer patrons safe in and outdoor spaces to dine on fresh, local produce and seafood and enjoy diverse entertainment programming.

The legacy that is Claudio’s Tavern & Grill will open in May with a new outdoor veranda offering guests waterfront views and a more elevated dining experience. Designed and built to pay homage to the tavern’s local heritage, the outdoor space brings a new perspective to waterfront dining.

This season, the tavern’s menu has been completely revamped with an emphasis on healthful preparations sourced locally, including seafood, produce and beef, lamb and poultry options. For longtime Claudio’s guests, the menu will also include a selection of classics. A well-chosen wine list and the historic antique bar complement the experience. In season, Tuesday evenings will feature live jazz on the veranda.

New this season to the family of eateries is Claudio’s Pizza, which is adjacent to Claudio’s main restaurant and occupies the former Claudio’s retail store at 111 Main Street in Greenport. The restaurant is a combination of a classic New York pizza shop and a hip and bright North Fork small village cafe. Claudio’s Pizza offers pizza by the slice, whole pies, and gluten free and vegan options for a more health conscious public. The restaurant will soon debut a menu of hero sandwiches and other Italian American specialties, along with a full bar for cocktails, beer and wine.

In season, Claudio’s Pizza will be open daily from 11:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. and until 2 a.m. on Fridays and Saturdays.

Also recently opened is Claudio’s Waterfront, which offers outdoor dockside dining, with two harbor side bars. Live music is offered on the wharf every weekend. The restaurant features a new purpose-designed raw bar. Guests can order an assortment of shellfish, including raw and chilled, including the signature seafood towers, in combination with a crisp glass of Sancerre or Prosecco.

Claudio’s Waterfront menu features burgers, lobster rolls, sandwiches, salads and fried seafood, and a selection of cocktails. Live and DJ music will be offered on weekends and late night on Fridays and Saturdays.

For the casual diner, Crabby Jerry’s will be open on Claudio’s east wharf, with local seafood, burgers and sandwiches via a walk-up window and tray service. Guests can eat in a more relaxed environment at picnic tables overlooking the water. A full bar including cocktails, frozen drinks beer and wine also is available.

Takeout menus from Crabby Jerry’s and boat side service from the Waterfront pier are available. Visit claudios.com for information on all of the restaurants.

On Saturday, May 1, Hen of the Woods market officially opens its doors in Southampton Village. Located at 48 Hampton Road, the store is taking over a part of the dining area from La Parmigiana and features out-of-the-ordinary, responsibly sourced, gourmet pantry staples and other items.

Hen of the Woods will sell an extensive selection of exotic produce and other coveted culinary ingredients with a focus on local and seasonal ingredients sourced from farmers and purveyors with whom co-owners Jonathan Bernard and Suzy Yang have forged personal relationships. Everything in the store is intended to elevate the customer’s at-home cooking experience while simultaneously supporting local and small purveyors who offer the best in class for what they do (think oysters, caviar, uni, sushi-grade fish). The emphasis on working with these folks comes from wanting to know exactly where everything is coming from. This way that knowledge and information can be shared with the customers to further their experience.

Bernard, a farmer and forager coined as “The Uni Bomber,” has been supplying mushrooms, uni and other incredible food products to top chefs and restaurants across the New York metropolitan region for the past four years. His expertise and hands-on involvement will offer a product selection for home-cooks and professional chefs alike. In addition, unique Asian ingredients will also fill the shelves to shed light on some of Yang’s favorite pantry staples in an approachable way.

Hen of the Woods will be open Wednesday to Sunday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., with longer hours expected for the summer months.

Purveyors include Sea Stephanie Fish (Santa Barbara uni, spiny lobsters and other sustainable seafood), Scola’s Scallops (Chris Scola sourcing scallops from Montauk), Bordier Butter (French handmade butter), Little Fork Vinegar (Brian Kwasnieski’s local vinegar), and DP Knives (hand crafted knives made in East Hampton).

For more information, visit 48hampton.com.

Gurney’s Montauk Resort & Seawater Spa has been joined by three new members to its food and beverage and events team: Robert Hamburg as executive chef, Kate Killoran as food and beverage director, and Lesley Blackburn as director of catering and conference services.

In his new role, Hamburg leads recipe and menu development across Gurney’s Montauk’s dining outlets, including Scarpetta Beach, Tillies and The Beach Club. He brings more than 30 years of experience in the food and beverage industry, spanning roles at renowned restaurants and private clubs, such as Sands Point Golf Club, City Winery’s Pier 57 flagship eatery and David Burke & Donatella. He also spent time studying East-Meets-West cuisine under Ming Tsai at Santacafe in Santa Fe.

Killoran oversees the day-to-day operation of the resort’s culinary and bar establishments and develops new concepts to elevate the food and beverage programs. She has more than two decades of experience in the food and beverage space and most recently served as the director of food and beverage at The Dewberry Hotel in Charleston, South Carolina.

Additionally, Blackburn will be overseeing all event and wedding production at Gurney’s Montauk Resort & Seawater Spa, as well as Gurney’s Star Island. With extensive hospitality and wedding experience from her time at iconic establishments in New York City, including The Plaza Hotel, Cipriani and The Peninsula New York, she brings a wealth of knowledge to events and weddings at Gurney’s. Born and raised in England, Blackburn began her hospitality career in both the Middle East and Australia before moving to New York City.

“Robert, Kate and Lesley join our team at a pivotal time, as we prepare for the 2021 summer season,” said George Filopoulos, owner of Gurney’s Resorts. “Together, their combined experience makes them indispensable additions to our teams as we continue to create unforgettable experiences for each and every one of our visitors.”

With six unique drinking and dining venues, Gurney’s Montauk, 290 Old Montauk Highway Montauk, offers an array of options from elegant seasonal cuisine at Scarpetta Beach to light bites at The Firepit and craft cocktails at The Regent Cocktail Club. For more information, visit gurneysresorts.com.