Last-Minute Christmas Dinner Plans, Gingerbread Art & More

In this week’s East End foodie news bites …

The Clubhouse in East Hampton will be open Christmas Eve from noon to 9 p.m. for lunch and dinner, and for gaming from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Games includes an arcade, bowling, pool tables and other fun activities. As their website proclaims “whether it’s beer and cocktails or sodas and sundaes,” the inner child in you shall be unleashed. There will also be live music from Dueling Pianos, special cocktails and a midnight toast. Tickets start at $75 for general admission.

The French Picnic will be your new go-to spot before hitting the wineries or going to the beach. Stepping into the new Cutchogue shop is a transcendent experience on the senses, with the aroma of cheese hitting hard and soft jazz flowing in the background. It offers locally inspired as well as global cheese boards, with each basket being paired with a selection of meats, dried fruits, honeys, jams and crackers. For an authentically French experience, make sure you grab their crusty bread!

Bits & Bites:
Sag Harbor’s premier waterfront resort Baron’s Cove will be serving prix fixe menus on Christmas Day and New Year’s Eve. The four-course prix fixe Christmas dinner will be served from 3 to 9 p.m. for $125 per person while the New Year’s Eve dinner will be served at 6 p.m. (for $125) and 9 p.m. ($175). Visit Baron’s Cove’s website to view the special menus and for other “holiday on the harbor” events coming up.

There’s nothing like a soulful bowl of soup this time of year to warm you up; we’re especially partial to The 1770 House’s potato and celery chowder. A must-try!
The owners of 668 The Gig Shack recently announced that they will be opening a new restaurant called Little Fish on a remote beach overlooking the Long Island Sound in Southold. Little Fish is an extension of Gig Shack and while the menu is still in development, favorites of the Montauk restaurant like fish tacos and eccentric cocktails are a sure thing. Little Fish will open in spring 2023.

Did You Know?
The Feast of the Seven Fishes has its roots in the impoverished villages of southern Italy. Italian families brought the tradition with them as they immigrated to the U.S., if you need any more reason to enjoy Long Island’s amazing seafood! Celebrate with Anker fish and chips (which uses fattier local black sea bass instead of cod), Noah’s seafood stew (cioppino-inspired) and Leon 1909 oven roasted fluke.

Good Ground Tavern in Hampton Bays is located inside the country’s oldest inn, dating back to 1697. After years of restoration, the inn and restaurant reopened this year, launching an exciting new chapter in the Canoe Place Inn’s storied history. For the holidays, the tavern is serving prix fixe menus on Christmas Eve, New Year’s Eve and brunch on New Year’s Day. Good Ground Tavern will also be participating in Dan’s Taste The Greats, Long Island’s ultimate food and drink event. The evening will feature the finest chefs on Long Island offering the dish that has made them so beloved.

Braun Seafood Co. is one of the largest seafood importers and distributors on Long Island and has been operating successfully since 1928. The company’s growth has been synonymous with the development of the North and South Fork into the popular destinations they have become today. Menu highlights at Braun’s Kitchen in Cutchogue include charbroiled oysters, pork belly and blackened mahi tacos, fried flounder sandwich, red curry cod and seafood paella.

Bob Corton of Peconic Prime Meats makes somewhere in the neighborhood of 150 different kinds of specialty sausages! Visit the Southampton butcher shop for all of your turkey, ham and lamb roasts with extended family this holiday season!

Food Quote:
“He was a bold man that ate the first oyster.” –Jonathan Swift