Food Seen: Coche Comedor's Chef, Center Moriches Dining & More

Meet chef Juan Juarez of Amagansett’s Coche Comedor, followed by a look at dining in Center Moriches and more!

Chef Highlight: Juan Juarez, Coche Comedor

A Mexican native, Coche Comedor Chef de Cuisine Juan Juarez learned his love for cooking from his mother growing up in a little town called Puebla. In 1986, Juarez immigrated to the United States to join his father who was working as a prep cook in Manhattan.

His first job in the kitchen was at Saloon on 64th and Broadway. He began as a dishwasher and worked his way up to line cook in his nine years at the restaurant. Juarez left Saloon with the chef Jorge Adriasola and landed at Patria Cuba restaurant on Park Avenue working alongside him.

After three years, chef Adriasola recommended Juarez to Nick & Toni’s head chef at the time Hillary Borget. He started work at Nick & Toni’s in 1998 as Hillary’s sous chef. Upon Hillary’s departure, Juarez was promoted to chef de cuisine. For over 10 years Juarez ran the kitchen at Nick & Toni’s alongside the corporate executive chef Joseph Realmuto, planning and executing an inventive and fresh Mediterranean menu with a strong emphasis on locally sourced produce, meats and diary.

In 2019, Juarez relocated to the Hamptons to be a part of the culinary team creating the restaurant group’s newest venture, Coche Comedor. Juarez’s Mexican heritage has been invaluable in the creation of the menu, design and vibe at Coche Comedor.

Discover the Charm of Center Moriches

Set in a retro cottage, the Country Cottage Diner doesn’t disappoint when it comes to delivering a homey atmosphere and great-tasting food. The friendly staff isn’t the only thing that keeps people coming back. Menu highlights include crab Benedict, grilled chicken fajitas and creamy malted shakes; it’s the perfect stop if you’re craving comfort food.

Who doesn’t love a good dinner and show? At Mikado you get both with their hibachi dinner feature. Enjoy a fiery show, all while watching your food being prepared right in front of you. Their extensive menu also includes sushi and sashimi, kitchen appetizers and entrees, salads and soups. If you’re looking for a deal, join them for lunch, specials are served until 3 p.m.

La Volpe Ristorante offers a taste of Italy, with wood-burning brick oven pizzas and focaccia, homemade soups and pasta. Best of all, the restaurant just kicked off their Foxy Afternoons where customers can enjoy all drinks for under $10 from Tuesday through Sunday from 2–5 p.m. Hosting a party? Make sure to check out their luncheon and party packages that include a first and second course, dessert and complimentary drinks.

While you may quite literally have to walk into the mouth of the shark when entering Atlantic Seafood, there’s nothing but good eats promised. The seafood market carries top-of-the-line seafood and makes it a goal to support local and sustainable fishing. Their dinner and lunch menu includes crusted seared Asian tuna, lobster nachos, a raw bar, homemade chowders and even seafood buckets. Even if seafood isn’t your go-to choice, no worries—they have BBQ entrees to nosh on. Happy eating!

And More

Careers through Culinary Arts Program (C-CAP) is a food and social justice culinary nonprofit that works annually with 20,000 students across the country, striving to further social and economic mobility through scholarships and jobs in the food sector. To date, they’ve given away $64 million in scholarships, and so many of their kids go on to be leaders in the food/wine world. The co-chair this year is Chef Marcus Samuelsson of Harlem’s iconic Red Rooster. Their big fundraiser cocktail party, Growing the Next Generation of Food Stars, was held on Thursday, July 22 at Guild Hall in East Hampton, featuring Almond’s Jason Weiner, Nick & Toni’s Joe Realmuto, Carissa’s The Bakery’s Evan Tessler and Pridwin Hotel’s Swainson Brown.

Breaking news: We hear that Cote, one of the most popular Korean restaurants in New York City, is offering a $525 (plus tax) butcher’s feast box that serves six. Cote Out East includes prime hangar steak, aged rib eye, Japanese A5 wagyu from Miyazaki prefecture and a 25-gram tin of Regiis Ova caviar, to be delivered in certain parts of the Hamptons. Email outeast@cotenyc.com by Wednesday for Friday and Saturday hand-delivery to the following zip codes: 11963, 11937, 11930, 11975, 11962 and 11932.

The Bell & Anchor has announced they are now offering outdoor dining for the first time and guests have the option to dine al fresco while they take in views of the Mill Creek Marina. The restaurant is currently open Tuesday through Sunday beginning at 5:30 p.m. Reservations are recommended and can be made by calling the restaurant directly at 631-725-3400 or by visiting bellandanchor.com. Vegans can rejoice with their vegan no-pasta lasagna featuring zucchini yellow squash, sun-dried tomato marinara, cashew ricotta and basil oil.

Fun Food Facts: A typical ear of corn has an even number of rows. … Farm-raised salmon is naturally white and then dyed pink; wild salmon is naturally pink. … The Aztecs used chocolate as currency.

Quote of the Week: “Let’s face it, a nice creamy chocolate cake does a lot for a lot of people; it does for me.” ~ Audrey Hepburn

Got a restaurant news item or tip? Email us at dansfoodseen@gmail.com!