Dan’s Papers October 15, 2010
FOOD & DINING danshamptons.com Page 42
Review: That Little Italian Place By Stacey Delmonica Joe Pagano knew just what I needed on a blustery fall evening – lobster bisque! I was tempted by That Little Italian Place’s Pasta Faglio, described on their menu as “pasta and red beans in a light garlic and tomato broth� – but I went with Joe’s suggestion, the hot saltiness of the lobster bisque. That Little Italian Place really took me back – I felt like I was in a neighborhood place in Buffalo. It’s a casual dining experience and, apart from the flat screen televisions, what sets it apart from all those Buffalonian eateries is the view. An all-glass front wall offers a glorious view of boats on the water and Greenport’s famous carousel in Mitchell Park. This must be a great place to knock back cold ones in season. I loved the big, serpentine bar. Old Blues Eyes was doing most of the singing – via sattelite radio. It’s a cozy place with under 20 tables. And there’s sidewalk seating in season. But if you sit close to the bar you can overhear fishing stories. Pagano has been in the biz for decades, Joe Jr. took over making their famous pizzas at Pagano’s in Southold – so That Little Italian Place is Joe Sr’s “new baby.� It opened in August, 2009. That Little Italian Place’s wine list is just a page long – but it has what you need to accompany a meal here. It’s straight forward and includes Italian wines as well as local favorite, Water’s Crest Chardonnay. My dining partner started with a taste of Buffalo – the Buffalo Style Fried Calamari. How fun is this? All the flavor without the messy skin and bones. Served with real bleu cheese dressing – this was a lot
of hot, but not-too-hot stuff, a very generous serving. I considered the Buffalo Chicken Pizza “covered in mozzarellaâ€? but I went with a standard pizza and asked our server Rebecca what she suggested I should have on it. She chose well. I had tastey, thinly sliced pepperoni and red roasted peppers on mozzarella. I liked it – my dining partner said the peppers were not for him – well, they weren’t! My dining partner ordered the Penne Nonna for his entrĂŠe. It’s penne covered with chicken, sausage, spinach, san marzano tomatoes and mozzarella in a creamy pink garlic sauce. He especially liked the sausage chunks. Again, it was a generous serving. I half expected Mrs. Guidice from the old neighborhood to come out and tell us to “eat it up, mangia, mangia.â€? Instead we had our leftovers wrapped up by our other server, Amanda. Joe and his staff are remarkably friendly. Dessert ho! That Little Italian Place offers cheesecake and cannoli – so we had one of each. Thanks for the splash of choclate syrup on there, Joe. I’d like to visit That Little Italian Place again to sit and hear boat horns in the harbor, while candle light dances across our tabletop. I’ll have to try the Seafood fra Diavolo which consists of shrimp, mussels, clams, calamari and spicy plum tomato over linguine...or their Seafood Platter. Everything is available for take-out, hmmm. That Little Italian Place, 110 Front Street, Greenport, New York 631-477-6767
Silvia
(continued from previous page)
bring back to boil, uncover and cook pasta until al dente, about 9 to 11 minutes. Add 3 to 4 tablespoons pasta water to the pepper sauce, taste again for seasonings. Drain pasta and return to the pot. Add the sauce and parsley and toss mixture very well. Serve in warm pasta bowls. HERB AND TOMATO SOUP Serves 6 to 8 3 1/2 pounds ripe tomatoes 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil 1 tablespoon unsalted butter 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped 1 large onion finely chopped 1/3 cup finely chopped Italian parsley 1/3 cup basil leaves cut into julienne 2 to 3 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves 1 small jalapeno pepper, seeded and diced Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper 1 1/2 to 2 cups chicken broth Whole fresh basil leaves for garnish 1. Plunge tomatoes into a saucepan of boiling water for 30 seconds. Remove with slotted spoon and when cool enough to handle slip off skins with pairing knife. Cut tomatoes in half crosswise, squeeze gently to discard seeds and dice. 2. Heat oil and butter in a large saucepan. Add garlic and onions and saute for a minute or two, until tender but not brown. Add tomatoes, herbs, jalapeno and seasonings. Stir to mix and simmer covered for 10 minutes. Stir in broth then simmer with cover ajar for 15 minutes longer. Taste to adjust seasoning if necessary. Serve hot with basil garnish.
Pumpkin-pickin’ time at Hampton Coffee!
Chinese e • Japanese e • Malaysian Thaii • Vietnamese
OPEN 7 DAYS
Lunch h • Dinnerr • Sushii & Sake e Bar
THURSDAY NIGHTS
On/Offf Premise e Catering
Mmmmmmm!
Lunch h Specialss & Takeoutt Available
LIVE ENTERTAINMENT PAUL MAHOS & STEVIE O OF “NEW LIFE CRISIS� Startss att 7:30pm
FRIDAY NIGHTS
1311 Westt Montauk k Highway y Hampton n Bays,, New w York k 11946
631-728-8838
FOOD DECOR SERVICE
Zagatt Survey y 2006/08 25
20 22 Mon.. - Sat.. from m 11:30am y From m 12:00pm Sunday www.matsulin.com
Water Mill
1267367
'BNJMZ 3FTUBVSBOU 1J[[FSJB
exĂĄĂ tĂ˘ĂœtÇà 9 TÖâtĂ |v _ÉâÇzx
ALL TAPAS 1/2 PRICE
A Chef Matthew Guiffrida Production
7EST -AIN 3TREET 2IVERHEAD s WWW 0ARTORESTAURANT COM
3 COURSE PRIX FIXE ALL NIGHT
'OOD &OOD 'OOD 3ERVICE 'OOD 0RICES 'REAT !TMOSPHERE
And Our Soon to be Famous $25 Wine List
Open Thurs-Sunday
HAPPY HOUR IS BACK Monday-Friday 3:30-6:30
95 School St. | Bridgehampton 1267533
24.95
"EST OF THE "EST
Menus and More info Go to www.musehampton.com www.facebook.com/muserestaurant
631-726-2606
760 Montauk Highway, Water Mill, N.Y. Next to Citarella
6OTE &OR 5S .OW FOR 0RIVATE 2OOM UP TO PEOPLE 1267521
(Starts Sept 12th 2010) Open @ 4:00pm
www.hamptoncoffeecompany.com
1BSUP T
9:30pm
SUNDAY NIGHTS
Westhampton Beach
Mobile Espresso Unit
LIVE ENTERTAINMENT NEXT LEVEL (Reggae Band)
631.613.6469
Photo by soleiart.com. Š HCC.
wine bar & tapas restaurant
Pumpkin Lattes Warm Pumpkin Muffins Freshly Baked Pies Pumpkin Pie Coffee
0QFO %BZT