Eat Fresh at Fresno! Chef Gretchen Menser Talks Taste of Two Forks

A staple in the Hamptons, Fresno has achieved the distinction of participating in Dan’s Taste of Two Forks for all five years. Under the tutelage of Chef Gretchen Menser, the restaurant will return to Sayre Park for the event on July 18. “The highlights are interacting with the people [and] the camaraderie amongst the chefs,” says Menser. Here, she discusses East End culinary culture.

What are you most looking forward to about being part of Dan’s Taste of Two Forks this year?
The highlights are interacting with the people [and] the camaraderie amongst the chefs

One food or dish that everyone should try at least once in life.
Seared foie gras

What is the best pairing of food and Long Island beer? Long Island wine?
Little neck clams and Montauk Driftwood Ale, [or] Montauk Pearl Oysters and Channing Daughters Winery Rosato di Merlot

If you were to eat at your restaurant as a guest, what would you order?
All-natural strip steak, steak-house style; or whole roasted black sea bass with green papaya salad

Describe the adrenaline of working in a Hamptons kitchen.
Beyond words, intense

What drew you to work on the East End?
The beauty and the bounty

If we looked inside your refrigerator right now, what would we find?
Wine, cheese and yogurt

Dan’s Taste of Summer kicks off with Dan’s GrillHampton presented by Pat LaFrieda Meat Purveyors on Friday, July 17, and continues on Saturday, July 18, with Dan’s Taste of Two Forks presented by Farrell Building Company, both at Sayre Park, 156 Snake Hollow Road, Bridgehampton. Dan’s Harvest East End, the can’t-miss food and wine classic, rounds out the trio of events on August 22 in Cutchogue. For more information on all three events, including tickets and VIP packages, visit DansTaste.com.

The perfect drink for a summer night:
Ice-cold glass of wine

Food that defines summer on the East End:
Corn, tomatoes, striped bass, littlenecks and oysters

If you had two forks in your hands right now, what would you like to stick them in?
Local corn and heirloom tomato salad with a filet of pan-seared striped bass

Favorite East End-inspired meal?
Clam bake on the beach

What is your favorite local ingredient?
Tomatoes

What is your favorite aspect of being part of the culinary culture on the East End?
My rapport with other chefs and farmers

When you hear the phrase “local,” what comes to mind?
Fresh

Where do you find inspiration, inside and outside the kitchen?
At the beach and from friends and co-workers

A great meal always begins with:

Good friends and good wine

Fresno, 8 Fresno Place, East Hampton. 631-324-8700, fresnorestaurant.com

Dan’s Taste of Summer kicks off with Dan’s GrillHampton presented by Pat LaFrieda Meat Purveyors on Friday, July 17, and continues on Saturday, July 18, with Dan’s Taste of Two Forks presented by Farrell Building Company, both at Sayre Park, 156 Snake Hollow Road, Bridgehampton. Dan’s Harvest East End, the can’t-miss food and wine classic, rounds out the trio of events on August 22 in Cutchogue. For more information on all three events, including tickets and VIP packages, visit DansTaste.com.