Foodstuffs: Sunday Suppers, Rolling Lobster Rolls And Summer Eats

Sunday Suppers With Lil’ Birdie

For summer 2022, Lil’ Birdie in Sag Harbor will be expanding its operating hours and offering breakfast on Saturdays and Sundays from 10 a.m. to noon. In addition, also on the docket is a something special for Sundays.

“This summer we will be unveiling our Sunday Supper Dinner series, a weekly 5-course Michelin star style tasting menu changing like the endless tendrils of the ever moving wind,” states Lil’ Birdie’s website. “That’s all the information you get. Be there or be square. Oh and it’s BYOB.

“We have always believed in creating unique dining experience for our guests. Some of you may have already encountered what we have had to offer during our winter ramen nights. For those who have not, you are in for quite the treat!”

Sunday Supper Dinners are $65 per person with a $25 non-refundable deposit to reserve a seat. People with allergies should email info@lilbirdieny.com after purchasing a ticket. Lil’ Birdie is at 51 Division Street, Sag Harbor. Hours are Tuesday to Friday from noon to 9 p.m., Saturday from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Visit lilbirdieny.com for more information.

Lobster Rolls Are On The Roll

The Shinnecock Lobster Factory celebrates five years by making a splash this summer with a newly launched Lobster Roll Food Truck. Look for the lobster roll truck on the roads of Southampton and surrounding areas including the North and South forks for the 2022 season. Inspired by the sponsor restaurant, The Shinnecock Lobster Factory, located at 42 Montauk Highway in Southampton, the mobile food truck features famous lobster roll recipes and signature sides.

Proprietors Chef Marco Barrila and Shinnecock tribal leader Lance Gumbs see this as a natural progression now that catering requests have become so popular, saying “Our famous lobster rolls will now be on the roll for the 2022 season with the recipes our customers love.”

Customers can choose from six types of lobster rolls in three different sizes — called “Guppy,” “Shark” and “Whale” — each made with fresh poached lobster meat served on a buttered and toasted brioche roll locally baked and prepared with Barrila’s signature style. The Shinnecock Lobster Factory Food Truck also brings customers the best of local Long Island seafood such as crab cakes and sea burgers.

The food truck caters to private parties and is perfect for graduations, summertime celebrations, weddings and birthdays. Call 631-259-3334 to schedule. In addition, the food truck will be making appearances at local events and visiting locations in the region to meet customer demand. Follow the Shinnecock Lobster Factory and Food Truck on Facebook and Instagram for the upcoming schedule of events and locations. For more information visit shinnecocklobsterfactory.com.

Chef François Payard Opens Southold Social

James Beard award-winning Chef François Payard has opened a new bistro, Southold Social, within the namesake hamlet located in the heart of North Fork. Located at 56125 Main Road (Cottage Place) in Southold, the spirited concept offers approachable, local-origin dishes with a focus on seasonality and provenance.

Payard is a third-generation chef who, after honing his skills by his family’s side and at La Tour d’Argent in Paris, moved to New York where he worked at Le Bernardin as well as Restaurant Daniel — where he received a James Beard award. He later opened the eponymous François Payard Patisserie & Bistro. He has won numerous other awards, such as the “Ordre du Mérite Agricole” by the French Government, the Dom Perignon Award of Excellence as well as “Pastry Chef of the Year” by Bon Appétit.

Chef Payard has partnered with revered North Fork restaurateur Adam Lovett, who co-owns and operates Southold Social. The restaurant seeks to embrace hyperlocal maritime culture, rural wine country and farmland — highlighting local ingredients sourced from the esteemed bounty of North Fork’s agriculture and aquaculture.

The bistro menu highlights generous portions of house-made pasta, locally-sourced meats and seafood, bright and tart salads as well as crushable local North Fork and Old World wines. Menu items include house-made cavatelli with veal ragu, brine-cured pork chop, Montauk black sea bass, summer truffle polenta, a lobster roll with piment d’espelette, a burger au poivre served with a mountain of pommes frites and line-caught crudo.

The recently renovated bi-level restaurant, which displays all of the natural hewn of its original wooden beams and beautiful teak flooring, features four distinct environments: a classic dining room; an energetic, buzzing bar area; an extensive tented outdoor patio and a top floor 38-seat private dining space — perfect for a rehearsal dinner or special event. A grand fire pit for oyster roasts is slated to open within the outdoor patio by mid-summer.

For more information, visit southoldsocial.com.

Claude’s Restaurant Gears Up For Summer

Claude’s Restaurant at the Southampton Inn will be serving dinner daily beginning Friday, May 27, from 5 to 9 p.m. On Sunday, May 29, from 2 to 4 p.m., Claude’s hosts its annual Memorial Day BBQ on the pool patio. Start summer off right with live music and all the traditional favorites like burgers, hot dogs, BBQ chicken, pasta salad, watermelon and brownies, and a few other chef specialties to welcome summer 2022. The cost is $30 for adults and $20 for children under 12. Cash bar and inside ballroom in case of rain.

In addition to its dinner service, award-winning Claude’s Restaurant is open daily for breakfast from 7 to 11 a.m., lunch noon to 4 p.m., and weekend brunch from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Claude’s Restaurant is at 91 Hill Street, Southampton. Visit southamptoninn.com/restaurant for more information.

La Fin Kitchen & Lounge Expanded Menu

La Fin Kitchen & Lounge, a waterfront restaurant in Montauk known for its signature views and French inspired cuisine, opens its doors for summer with an expanded menu and an accomplished new culinary team.

Welcoming in the second season is new Culinary Director Chris Brandt. Brandt has led some of the nation’s most prestigious kitchens including The Greenbrier and The Food Studio, where, as opening executive chef, he was instrumental in bringing it a Four-Diamond AAA rating while still in his 20s and The Ocean Room at The Sanctuary on Kiawah Island, South Carolina, where he led the team to a Four-Star Mobil rating. His Montauk team includes Executive Chef Joe Roberti and general manager Justin Shiller.

“We are thrilled to have Culinary Director Chris Brandt at the helm this summer, bringing his signature flair and attention to detail to our menu,” said the restaurant’s co-owner Michelle Walrath “At La Fin, gorgeous views of the sea are visible from any seat in the house. With our new expanded menu and wider array of options, guests can experience the wonder of La Fin in even more ways.” Just in time for summer afternoons, the team has added multiple menu items that vibe well with the chill, relaxed atmosphere at La Fin. For the sunset crowd, a lounge menu is now available from 4 to 5 p.m. daily, featuring options such as cauliflower flat bread, a charcuterie board and a grass fed beef burger, served with tomato-bacon jam, cheddar and signature La Fin shoe-string fries. A new raw bar menu includes Plateau De Fruits De Mer, a decadent caviar dish accompanied by egg white, egg yolk, chive, crème fraîche and crackers and a classic shrimp cocktail. New rosé flights, featuring three varietals from Provence and three from the North Fork, are the perfect accompaniment to the light and flavorful dishes. Signature cocktails at La Fin include an espresso martini, a Margarita Diablo and a new Grand Cru margarita made with Clase Azul Reposado, Cointreau, fresh lime, agave nectar and soda water.

Also available are new shareable dishes for dinner and a Recovery Brunch menu on weekends from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

La Fin is open daily from 4 to 10 p.m. Happy Hour is available daily from 4 to 5 p.m. Dinner begins at 5 p.m. La Fin is located at 474 West Lake Drive, Montauk. Reservations can be made on OpenTable. For more information, visit lafinkitchen.com.