| Issue #32, November 3, 2006 |
The Restaurant at
Four Doors Down
Main Road
Mattituck
631-298-8311
Why Four Doors Down? Simple - the owners, Bob and Barbara Chiappetta owned the Mattituck Lanes for eleven years and when the property was redeveloped two years ago, they moved four doors down the road, from what is now a CVS store, to take over a restaurant that was in need of some TLC. There has been a restaurant on this site since the 30s under various names. (An old menu shows that in the 30s a burger was 10 cents!). Its main claim to fame was in the 60s when a group called the “Kingsmen” from Smithtown played here regularly before they became famous with their hit song “Louie Louie.” The exterior is still quite simple, but the interior is something very different. The warm, charmingly decorated dining room, redesigned by Barbara, is well segregated from the very popular bar and is much more spacious than you would expect from the outside. In fact, the two restaurant sections can seat around 100 diners with the rear seating 70, and can be closed off for private functions.
Chef Tom Seibert was renowned for his German cooking at the Gasthaus and here he offers an eclectic blend of German, Italian and Traditional American fare. Bob and Tom are revamping and improving the appetizer offerings, but we always like baked clams and calamari, which are on the current menu, so that is what we started with. The clams were tasty without being too aggressive and the local calamari was really tender and delicate and hardly needed any of the accompanying dipping sauce. Next we tasted the soup of the day, a split pea based soup that had a delicious velvety texture and was full of rich deep lingering tastes.
On a night when the elements made it clear that the chills of fall are well upon us, we decided to concentrate on the German section of the menu for our main dishes. Sauerbraten is one of Stella’s all time favorites and Tom prepared a dish that really melted in the mouth. It came with homemade potato dumplings that were feather light and the braised red cabbage with its deep long lasting taste was a perfect complement. Veal hunter style comprised two generous cutlets of tender veal cooked with shallots and mushrooms in a rich burgundy wine sauce. With this dish came some truly excellent mashed potatoes. Both of these dishes were top class in their composition and execution and made us wish that we had room even to taste some of the Italian specialties that all sounded very appetizing but they will have to wait till our next visit.
The traditional items include ribs and a meatloaf that Bob told us has acquired a great reputation and following from regular patrons. Indeed this is a restaurant where the focus is very much on repeat clientele and as a result, it is open for lunch and dinner, seven days a week, year round.
When it came to dessert time, it had to be apple strudel and again we were not disappointed. The strudel pastry was thin and light and the filling generous with tasty apples and fragranced with cinnamon. I should have had that a la mode, but even without ice cream the dish was amazing.
Bob and Barbara’s philosophy is to provide very good quality, well-cooked food at realistic prices that encourage the repeat diner and the spur of the moment eating decision. Certainly with appetizers from $5 to $10; main courses that come with a choice of soup or salad and vegetables from $14 to $23 and desserts only $5, they have achieved their goals. When you add in the fact that you can drink a very acceptable, good sized glass of wine for between $4 and $6 and bottles start at $14, this really is a place where a family can come and not feel that they have to take out a second mortgage to eat well – they also have a ‘Kid’s menu’. We didn’t try one, but we understand that they mix a mean martini that carries a full seven ounces of spirits, so handle that one with care (just kidding). Music is also becoming a regular feature on weekends.
We were very impressed with what Bob, Barbara and Tom have accomplished here. Based on our experience the food is good, honest and well cooked, using top quality ingredients. The surroundings and staff are warm and welcoming. I can still savor in my taste memory the dishes we ate on this visit and we have certainly put it on our list of places to return to as casual diners and not reviewers.
– Roy Bradbrook
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