Topic: Food & Drink

On a special night in May (last Thursday), standing on the doorstep of thee season (Summer), Plum had a celebration ... a Pre-Summer Celebration. Food, drinks and friends, oh what a night!

Check out all the photos from the night in the slideshow below.

Plum's Matt Lyman visits Stonewall's Restaurant in Riverhead to experience an authentic French lunch. Located at the Cherry Creek Golf Course, Stonewall's is led by executive chef Guy Puch.

Stonewall's Restaurant
967 Reeves Avenue
Riverhead, NY 11901
631-506-0777

www.stonewalls-restaurant.com

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This is restaurant shuffle time, the point at which everyone starts talking about what's new, what's old, what's closed and what's opening. A couple notable events for meat lovers (and remember, there's a reason they put the "eat" in "meat."). Jeffrey Chodorow is opening a Kobe Club in East Hampton—no word yet how The Palm feels about that—and Oso Steakhouse will open at the Southampton Inn, with Peter Dunlop, formerly of Café des Artistes, JL East and American Hotel manning the grill.

Hamptons Steakhouse Alert [the strong buzz] 

Mid-August last summer a crisis hit the Hamptons. The entire stock of Wolffer Rosé had been sold out. It was an absurdly good year for the Wolffer vintage, and we found our selves scouring wine shops deep in the Springs to find the last case. This year, we're planning ahead. Wolffer has just released their 2007 Rosé—producing 4,000 cases this year to prepare for the inevitable deluge—so stock up ASAP. According to LennDevours (which is a great East End wine blog) this year's rosé is:  

"A beautiful pale (extremely pale) copper-salmon color, the nose is very reminiscent of sauvignon blanc with fresh squeezed citrus aromas –- grapefuit, lemon and lime –- with subtle hints of herbs and briary strawberry. On the palate, it continues its impersonation of a dry white wine with grapefruit and lemon staying in the forefront. Only as it warms do some strawberry and raspberry notes emerge. Medium-light bodied, it has great acidity and is no doubt extremely versatile."

Wolffer Estate Vineyards 2007 Rose [Lenndevours] 

For all you Bear Stearns employees wondering what to do this summer now that you can't afford your summer home, there may be a solution on the horizon:

"Thank your lucky stars... the #1 bar in America is bringing the Hamptons back to life!!! Porkys Hamptons Grand Opening this Memorial Weekend!! Get ready for the summer of a lifetime at Porkys Hamptons, Home of the Famous Fishbowls!"

Are you a "rockstar"? Are you"ugly"? Then Porky's is the place for you! "We're hiring rockstars, bartenders, professional partiers, shot girls, marketing, guest list, professional wingmen, cover bands, djs, beer pong leagues, promotional models, bottle service girls... Experience not necessary - you just need to know how to smile!"

Well, smiling might be a bit tough for the Bear Stearns crowd, so maybe this isn't the job of a lifetime. But really, where else other than the Air Force can you be a professional "wingman." Sign us up.

The Job of a Lifetime!!! [American Job]

When Hamptons Restaurant week arrives, make sure you make your way over to Desmond's Restaurant, a part of East Wind in Wading River. In this exclusive preview, Executive Chef Brian Shuren cooks up a delicious salmon and ratatouille vegetable dish.

Check out our previews of Wei Fun, Legends, Matto and Almoncello as well.

Desmond's Restaurant
5720 Route 25A, Wading River, NY 11975
631-846-2335
Official website

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To find truly authentic Italian cuisine can be a trial these days. Unless, of course, you are going to Matto, where one look at the work and protocol of Executive Chef Franco Russo will have you screaming "Prego!"

Take an exclusive look at one of the many participants in the upcoming Hamptons Restaurant Week.

Check out our previews of Almoncello, Wei Fun, and Legends as well.

Matto
104 North Main Street, East Hampton, NY 11937
631-329-0200
Official website

> Full coverage

Does Punch Sulzberger have a stake in Channing Daughters Winery? We’re starting to think so. This weekend’s headline in The Time’s: “Excitement in a Bottle”. The Times isn’t known for hyperbole, so when they throw down statements like that—especially after so recently saying things like this—you have to wonder what’s going on.

“Its grape-growing, grape-buying and experimental cellar work has made Channing Daughters the East End’s most cutting-edge estate. Its winemaker, James Christopher Tracy, who is also a partner, brings his sensibility as a trained chef to blends that are exciting when they succeed and interesting even when they do not.”

Translation: good even when they’re not so good. Wine writing tends toward the floral, so rather than critique we’ll just pluck the choicest phrases from the vine (sorry, had to be done):

“appetite-whetting … lightly herbaceous and delivers a kiwi-like bite … though disjointed … provocative … splashy, spicy and raisiny … meditation wine, designed to woo the intellect as well as the digestive system … a liquid fruit salad … “

Limit of two bottles per walk-in customer so move fast.

Excitement in a Bottle [NYT]