Food Seen: Highway Restaurant Chef, Noyac Dining & More

Meet Highway Restaurant & Bar chef Anand Sastry, check out the Noyac dining world, fun facts and more from the East End “Food Seen.”

Chef Highlight: Anand Sastry, Executive Chef of Highway Restaurant & Bar

Anand Sastry was born and raised in the United Kingdom. Sastry has decades of experience working in some of the best restaurants in the world, including the three-Michelin-star Troisgros in France and Eleven Madison Park in New York City, in addition to his tenure as private chef to King Hussein of Jordan. Food was a big part of his upbringing. At home, his family grew a lot of their own fruits and vegetables, and he worked part-time in a butcher’s shop on the weekends.

He was mostly inspired by his mother’s home cooking. She is an accomplished cook, particularly with Indian cuisine, and always fed his large family well. Sastry knew he wanted to be a chef by age 14. His biggest influence has been Marco Pierre White, a British chef, restaurateur and television personality. The teams from Eleven Madison and Le Bernardin changed Sastry’s approach to cooking and influenced him tremendously. In his spare time, he loves to watch his son play soccer; his music loves are Red, Queen and Coldplay. His dream trip? To Brazil’s Amazon!

What’s happening in Noyac these days?

Well, happy hour is in full effect weekdays 3–7 p.m. at Coast Grill & Bar, where one can enjoy waterfront views complimented by great tasting dishes and refreshing cocktails. Join them Mondays for Out East BBQ’s menu takeover where local slow-cooked barbecue will be served all night. If you’re in search for a new boozy brunch spot, you can enjoy all you can drink mimosas, margaritas, house beer and wine for $40 from 11 a.m.–4 p.m. Saturday and Sundays.

Wood-fire oven pizza heaven is found at Pellegrino’s Pizza Bar and Restaurant. While the pizzas are a must-try, Italian American classics like fagioli soup, potato croquettes, eggplant parmigiana rustica are just some of the other menu items you can choose from.

If you’re in the mood for authentic Thai food, try Boa Thai Asian Fusion. The cozy restaurant has all their dishes made to order, so one is guaranteed fresh and hot plates when dining at Boa. The restaurant offers dine-in service but by reservation only, if you’re not able to get a reservation in time for dinner no worries, one can still get a Thai fix by ordering takeout or you can take advantage of their delivery service available Thursday through Sunday.

Cappelletti Restaurant is a casual eating establishment claiming to have some of the best homemade food on the East End. Their ample choices of Italian comfort food give visitors plenty of options to feast on, including their famous fresh focaccia sandwiches that were originated by the restaurant owners.

Pull up by boat or by car to The Bell & Anchor, the restaurant is located off the Mill Creek Marina and is dishing up a great new American seafood-centric menu. Enjoy great eats from their inviting dining room or take in the last of the summer warmth in their newly opened outdoor seating area. The restaurant offers vegan options and has daily specials so there’s sure to be something for everyone to enjoy!

Take a visit down to your friendly neighborhood pub at M.J. Dowling’s Steakhouse and Tavern. The restaurant is dishing up an eclectic menu at reasonable prices for the whole family to enjoy! Every night the restaurant offers dinner specials to make their most popular dishes even more affordable. Starting with $26 shrimp night, Tuesday pasta prix fixe night for $21, fajita night Wednesdays for $24, burger Thursdays for $24 and $29 pix fixe are available Friday and Sundays from 4–6 p.m., lastly you can end Sundays with $20 taco night. Noyac has plenty of options!

Ruschmeyer’s, a Montauk staple for more than 50 years, has come under new ownership, bringing guests an upgraded experience in a refurbished space and with a brand-new, elevated menu. Ruschmeyer’s offers world coastal dishes made with fresh local ingredients, led by Executive Chef Salvatore Olivella. The menu features Neapolitan pizza from Ruschmeyer’s wood-burning oven and a spread of seafood-focused Mediterranean offerings, like Spanish Gallega octopus. Fan favorites include the watermelon salad, prosciutto and arugula pizza and the New England lobster roll. They’ll be winding down soon so now is a good time to visit!

With a nod to tradition, Hallockville Museum Farm held its first jam and honey competition as part of its 40th country fair, held in late August, awarding blue ribbons and medals to judges’ top picks in each category. “We were excited to bring a traditional food competition element to the country fair and hope it will become a regular part of the festivities,” says Hallockville Museum Farm Executive Director Roberta Shoten. “Our East End community has so many talented people creating delicious food products that deserve to be recognized.”

Taking home top honors in the honey category was Helen Mecagni of Bee Hollow Farms in Baiting Hollow for her early summer harvest honey. Mecagni’s autumn harvest honey came in second place. Hallockville Honeys, produced from hives at the museum farm, ranked third in the honey competition. Laura Klahre of Blossom Meadow Farm in Cutchogue, earned first-place honors for her black raspberry jam. Her strawberry jam won second place. The third-place award went to MaryAnne Huntington of Cutchogue for her strawberry rhubarb jam. Seven jam varieties were entered into the Hallockville competition. Jams were rated on appearance, texture, viscosity and taste in a blind judging.

Bits & Bites: Bamboo, the Southampton sushi spot, will open a small location in the space next to Mary’s Marvelous on Newtown Lane in East Hampton later this fall. Sadly, Mary’s Marvelous will be closing this weekend, so stay tuned for more details on their future plans. Bamboo owner Michael Gluckman will offer dumplings and noodle dishes for dine-in and take out. Hampton Chutney will be occupying the Mary’s Marvelous space later this fall.

Fun Food Facts: Pound cake is called pound cake because there was a pound of every ingredient in the original recipe. … The mushroom capital of the world is located in Kennett Square, Pennsylvania. They are the largest exporters of mushrooms, followed by California. … Wasabi is often simply flavored horseradish!

Food Quote: “There is no love sincerer than the love of food.” ~ George Bernard Shaw

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