Food Seen: Sylvester Manor CSA, Claude's Breakfast & More

See what’s on offer from the Sylvester Manor Educational Farm CSA, try breakfast at Claude’s at Southampton Inn and more morsels from the East End “Food Seen.”

James Carpenter is the chef at Sag Harbor’s MTK Lobster House on Main Street next to Sen. Since it’s not diet season yet, try his truffle lobster mac and cheese. Then hit the gym! But before all that, check out this week’s East End foodie bites.

The venerable North Fork Table & Inn in Southold now offers a three-course prix fixe menu for $90 and the options to add wine pairings for $78 or $120, with the latter allowing the staff to pick some of their favorites from the wine cellar. Menu selections include several courses with white truffles, a Peconic fluke crudo and a broken chocolate cake. There’s also a snack and supplemental menu allowing customers to share dishes like baked little neck clams and tuna crudo. What’s more, you’ll find an appealing a la carte bar menu offering tavern-style bar snacks including duck tot caviar and Little Ram oysters.

Honest Man Hospitality has announced a new beverage director to the team, Chimene MacNaughton. For last year MacNaughton was the sommelier at Nick & Toni’s, and was recently promoted to the beverage director position, curating the beverage programs at all properties – Nick & Toni’s, Coche Comedor, Rowdy Hall, TownLine BBQ and La Fondita. MacNaughton has lived year-round on the East End since a chance summer visit in 2005 extended itself to meet the November start of American Sommelier’s Advanced Viticulture and Vinification course, which she passed at the top of her class in April 2006. Stints at Della Femina, Fresno, The 1770 House, and as a private chef for households in both Sun Valley and East Hampton, were the backdrop for her seven-year foray into sommelier-led retail. In January of 2014, MacNaughton opened Wainscott Main Wine & Spirits on Montauk Highway — the East End’s first sommelier-managed fine wine and spirits shop, and the home of her beloved all-levels wine workshops.

Attention all CSA lovers — especially those on “The Rock.” Registration for Sylvester Manor’s community sponsored agriculture summer program is now open. For 21 weeks, Sylvester Manor Educational Farm on Shelter Island will offer fresh produce, eggs, bread, and pork. Members in the CSA commit to purchasing a portion of the harvest at the beginning of the year to support the farm’s expenses in exchange for weekly shares from mid-June to late October. The shares are composed of what’s in season that week and is picked within one or two days of distribution. The produce CSA is $598 for a selection of vegetables, flowers, and herbs. The weekly cost breaks down to around $28, with a potential value of the produce received estimated to be as much as $60 (last year’s average value was $50). There are also bread shares for $150, egg shares for $168, and pork shares for $890, which can be added to the produce share or purchased alone. There is also a winter pork share from February through April for $481.

What’s happening in Montauk? Sel Rrose is open every night but Tuesday offering a full bar menu that features a variety of Northeastern oysters, as well as little next clams, shrimp cocktail and Alaskan king crab legs. There’s also a $2 oyster happy hour from 4–7 p.m. Monday through Thursday. Check out their Sunday brunch from noon to 4 p.m. which ranges in price from $14–$26. Their dinner menu features crispy skin salmon, a catch-of-the-day, linguine with white clam sauce and plenty of other items. Prices at dinner range from $24–$48.

Did You Know: Claude’s at the Southampton Inn serves breakfast daily from 7–10 a.m.?

Food Quote: “First we eat, then we do everything else.” ~M.F.K Fisher

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