Las Noches de Loteria, übergeek & More from The East End 'Food Seen'

Coche Comedor is hosting Las Noches de Loteria every Wednesday in March from 5:30–7 p.m. Each week, up to 24 players will compete playing Loteria, a centuries-old game of bingo played in Spanish-speaking countries. Loteria boards, or “tablas,” are made up of colorfully illustrated images which correspond to those drawn from a special deck of 54 cards. There will be a bilingual emcee running the game, and the week’s winner will get a social media post and their photo displayed on the restaurant’s Wall of Fame. The player with the most wins at the end of the season will receive a special prize. Players may register by visiting bit.ly/3Z1hb6q

Guests playing Loteria are also welcome to enjoy Coche’s ongoing winter weekday bar promo Las Noches de Salud featuring $15 flights of frozen margaritas, complete with small plates crafted by Chef Juan Juarez. Chef’s selections will change weekly and the promotion will be offered in the bar area only.

East Hampton has certainly changed over the years, but at least one thing has remained constant. It would be remiss for the retirement of James Jenson, lovingly known as JJ by the patrons he’s served on Newtown Lane in East Hampton for the past five decades, to go unmentioned in this column. JJ finally hung up the apron at the age of 81, having worked at many iconic establishments: O’Malleys, The Grill and more recently, Cittanuova. The amount of drinks he’s served or lives he’s touched as a bartender at all three haunts is truly incalculable. We’ll miss you, JJ, and enjoy your much-deserved retirement!

Did You Know?

La Parmigiana Pizzeria & Italian Restaurant reopened last week for the season. The Southampton mainstay first opened its doors in 1974 and offers delicious pies such as the broccoli rabe and sausage and the Mexican pie, featuring a square, thin crust with home-made mozzarella, fresh jalapeños, breaded chicken, red onions and cherry tomatoes. You will be instantly swooned.

Rob Raffa, owner of übergeek Brewing Company in Riverhead, was inspired by cubism and science when starting his venture, informing the unconventional ingredients and experimental techniques he uses when constructing beer. Favorites include the Cabin Fever, an adult orange juice IPA, and the I Never Asked To Be Here, a winter lager with notes of tangerine rind.

S&S Corner Shop in Springs is housed in the old home and studio of Dane Dixon, an artist and assistant to Willem de Kooning. The shop, owned by husband and wife Chris and Lindsay Grodzki, serves espresso and coffee from Variety Coffee, as well as fresh pastries, sandwiches and bread. S&S also sells houseware in the backroom of the store, ranging from grass trivets and brass pepper mills to various ceramics and textiles.

Bits & Bites:

Dopo Argento in Southampton is offering a $39 two-course special Monday through Thursday from 5 p.m. to close and all day Sunday. A limited list of $10 wines by the glass may be ordered as well.

Tapovana Lunch Box returned to the Bridgehampton Community House last weekend. Tapovana, with the help of the Bridgehampton Lions Club and the Bridgehampton Community House, donates hundreds of fresh, healthy meals a month to our local food pantries, feeding thousands of our community members. The menu, based on artisanal South Indian cuisine and Ayurvedic principles of health and longevity, changes weekly while remaining reliably delicious. Please consider donating to this wonderful organization if able.

Were you wondering where 75 Main went? The popular establishment is undergoing renovations and will be operating out of its sister establishment Blue Mar, also on Main Street, for the time being. You can also catch them on streaming; owner Zach Erdem & Co. were featured on Serving The Hamptons on Discovery+, with the second season coming out this spring on HBO Max!

Food Quote:

“Thank you, horseradish, for being neither a radish nor a horse. What you are is a lying food.” –Jimmy Fallon