Foodie Bites: Hillary Davis, Maria Scotto and More

Foodie bites: Montauk’s Navy Beach announced the results of a fifth successful season of raising awareness for, and funds on behalf of, the Navy SEAL Foundation, a nonprofit organization that provides immediate and ongoing support and assistance to the Naval Special Warfare community and their families. This year, the restaurant’s efforts raised $35,000 in funds for the organization, bringing the total of fundraising for NSF to over $125,000. This year, the restaurant’s varied efforts included a “dine & donate” program running from Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day, during which lunch and dinner checks included at least $1 per meal, while allowing customers to donate additional funds at their own discretion, and a June cocktail party fundraiser. This year’s event featured remarks from Mike Zapata, a former U.S. Navy SEAL who deployed multiple times to Afghanistan, Iraq, the Horn of Africa, and other locations in the Middle East and West Africa. Marc Wolf, Director of Development, New York Region, Navy SEAL Foundation, also spoke on behalf of the organization. “For a fifth straight year in a row, Navy Beach has outdone themselves with their annual summer campaign to raise critical funds and awareness in support of the Navy SEAL Foundation’s vital mission of service to the warriors and families of Naval Special Warfare…The Navy SEAL Foundation thanks you for a job well done, your continued partnership and look forward to helping Navy Beach make a difference in the future as they are inevitably planning 2018 as we speak.”

Congrats to Great South Bay Brewery. The Bay Shore-based brewery’s Jetty Ale won the Silver Medal in the Honey Beer category at this year’s Great American Beer Festival, held in Denver October 5–7. According to their website, greatsouthbaybrewery.com, it’s currently on tap at their 25 Drexel Drive tap room in Bay Shore. But, given the news, it probably won’t last…

Red or white? Yes! The Montauk Chamber of Commerce held their annual Clam Chowder Contest Columbus Day weekend. Congrats to the two winners: Inlet Seafood Restaurant for best red chowder and Shagwong Tavern for best white.

The Rogers Memorial Library in Southampton, which opened in 2000, is planning to construct a café, as an addition to the existing library, and the Rogers Memorial Library Foundation has been fundraising towards this goal.

Greenport Harbor Brewing Company (GHBC) opened a new restaurant at their main brewery in Peconic. The food menu, designed by acclaimed chef Vincent Purcell, affirms their commitment to locally sourced ingredients from produce to protein and seafood—all grown, harvested, or raised on the North Fork. GHBC will be offering up items such as Long Island Duck Spring Rolls, House Cured Salmon Sammy, Fish & Chips battered with Greenport Tidal Lager and a classic Brewer’s Burger.

Bring your own local libation to the Fall Spotlight Tour & Tasting at Good Water Farms in Bridgehampton on Thursday, November 2. The event celebrates Good Water Farms’ cookbook, The Microgreens Cookbook: A Good Water Farms Odyssey. Guests will enjoy a microgreens tasting and tour with farmer/owner Brendan Davison, along with delectable catered bites by Meg Huylo. Davison is featured in the current issue of Modern Farmer magazine.

Conca D’Oro in Sag Harbor announced it will be closing on October 31. Arguably the village’s most delicious spot for a pie has been opened since 1975 and was recently purchased by Laurent Tourondel and Michael Cinque, the owners of LT Burger, also on Main Street. Frankie Venesina, the current owner and pizzaiolo, has said the new owners asked him to stay on board and that he plans to do so.

Cookbook author and real estate maven Bridgehampton’s Hillary Davis gave another cooking demonstration to a sold-out crowd at the Rogers Memorial Library in Southampton last week. Attendees swooning over Davis’s “naked meatballs” and warm vichyssoise included designer—and legendary hostess—Bridgehampton’s Maria Scotto.

Natalie and Steven Judelson’s Amagansett Sea Salt is washing up on every shore! As Steve says, “Having Eleven Madison Park [EMP Summerhouse] in our neighborhood over the summer was fun. Not only was it a wonderful place to go to eat, drink and play ping pong, but it was a way for their crew to get to know us better and vice versa. I guess we left them with a positive impact as we were recently surprised to discover that our salt is an ingredient in the Grain of Salt saison beer served with the cheese course at their re-opened restaurant in New York and that the EMP caviar they commissioned for the restaurant is cured with our salt too. We are in the cookbook [Daniel Humm and Will Guidara’s recent limited edition release Eleven Madison Park: The Next Chapter].” And their salt is in beers from Patchogue-based Blue Point Brewing Company.