Photo: Facebook/Culaccino
Put Culaccino on your summer dining bucket list. Do it right now. The recently opened modern Italian restaurant from Jon Albrecht (Tutto Il Girono, Flagship) could become your go-to for everything from drinks and a meal with friends to date night to dinner with the visiting in-laws.
“After spending more than 30 years as a chef in other people’s kitchens, it was time for me to make my own mark and do things the way that I’ve been dreaming,” Albrecht said.
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Located at 670 Montauk Highway in Water Mill (the former Manna and Mirko space), Culaccino features a newly renovated outdoor bar and patio and two dining rooms. The word culaccino means “the mark left on a table by a glass” which is exactly what Albrecht and his staff hope to do with the new restaurant: leave a positive mark, on the dining guests; a memory that will last long after the check is paid and the last glass of local wine is finished.
“Culaccino is geared towards the customer who wants to enjoy good local product that is presented in a fun and playful manner,” Albrecht said. “We’re offering three set seatings which will provide a sense of communal dining. We’re providing an experience, not just another night out.”
Appetizers such as gamberi, seared octopus, and buratta range in price from $12 to $14. Entrees including the wild boar chop and pan seared halibut range from $30 to $38.
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Albrecht wants to diners to try everything on the menu at least once but for a first visit he recommends: the prawns, limoncello, Calabrian chili oil, avocado and black garlic mousse, watermelon and red onion water; the Bucatini, rosemary-smoked pancetta, Grana Padano and egg yoke;the wild boar chop served with an amarone sauce.
The beverage program while complementing the food menu is much more minimalistic. They’re offering just one brand of each spirit for craft cocktails and a hand-chosen, small selection of wines.
“The restaurant is a direct result of my passion, love and joy in creating food,” Albrecht said. “I want to go outside-of-the-box and create an experience for our guests that will leave a lasting impression and make a mark in their memories.”
