Looking for a cure for your January blues? Enter Long Island Restaurant Week. • Photo by Madison Fender
Long Island Restaurant Week offers two things we never like to pass up: A reason to leave the house during January, the month we commit most seriously to elastic waistbands and other hallmarks of hibernation, and an opportunity to dine at excellent restaurants without breaking the bank.
So we are, to say the least, more than a little excited to celebrate Restaurant Week’s return on Sunday, January 21—and plan to take advantage of its $28.95 three-course prix fixe menus more than a few times before the promotion ends on Sunday, January 28.
Here are 5 East End restaurants near the top of our lists.
1. La Plage
Wading River
Looking for a little romance? Make a reservation for two at Wading River’s La Plage. Guests who visit during Restaurant Week will enjoy a menu that features Sautéed Prince Edward Island Mussels, Pork Tenderloin with Caramelized Onion & Gruyere Risotto, Vermont Maple Cheesecake—and more. You can view La Plage’s entire Restaurant Week menu here.
2. Topping Rose House
Bridgehampton
Jean-Georges for $28.95? It’s not a fever dream—just Long Island Restaurant Week! The elegant restaurant has not yet released its Restaurant Week menu, but a look at their offerings from last winter might just give you a delicious idea of what to expect: Crispy Salmon Sushi with Chipotle Mayo and a Soy-Honey Sauce, Salmon au Poivre, Organic Roasted Chicken, and some seriously swoon-worthy desserts. You’re in good hands—menu or not—so don’t hesitate before making a reservation.
3. North Fork Table & Inn
Southold
North Fork Table’s executive chef Stephan Bogardus is going places—but fingers crossed that the places in question never move him far away from Southold. Don’t miss the opportunity to enjoy the fruits of his kitchen for just $28.95. (But also don’t blame us if the experience is so lovely you find yourself going back for his 6-course tasting menu later, which is priced reasonably for the experience at $125.)
4. Wölffer Kitchen
Sag Harbor
The sky’s the limit for the Wölffer brand, and Restaurant Week is the perfect time for all of us to indulge in it (especially as our credit cards are still shaking from overuse during the holiday-heavy month of December). Their Restaurant Week menu is as rosy as you would expect from the team behind the East End’s favorite rosé, featuring Kale and Chorizo Soup, Braised Short Ribs, Scottish Salmon, Brussels Sprouts Three Ways—and that’s not even to mention dessert (come to mama, mascarpone cheesecake).
5. aMano
Mattituck
We have two words for you: Tom’s Carbonara. Once you try it, there’s no going back (to your normal sized jeans, that it, because Schaudel’s North Fork take on the Italian classic—his recipe includes local smoked duck (!!!)—will leave you constantly hungry for more). Also on aMano’s Restaurant Week menu is Braised Short Ribs with a Pancetta-Scallion Potato Mash, Chicken Scarpa with Sweet Italian Sausage, and more. Check out the restaurant’s entire line-up of offerings here. Buon appetito.
