Dans Papers - May 25, 2007 - A Star Returns To Antares Cafe

There will always be a special place in my heart for Antares Cafe. Opened in 2000 with the very talented chef/owner Matt Murphy on the range, it has enchanted and charmed its many devotees ever since.

I have enjoyed countless meals here and honestly can say I have never been disappointed when Murphy is in the kitchen wielding his magic. After a brief hiatus in 2006 spent traveling the world, the former sous chef from Wayne Nish's elegant Manhattan restaurant, March, has returned to his ruby-red jewel box of a dining room at Greenport's Brewer Yacht Basin.

Murphy is many things: passionate, adventurous, irreverent, cool. All of this translates into menus that are consistently interesting without being contrived.

There are no "specials" at Antares. The menu, which changes weekly depending on market availability, features as many local ingredients as possible. Several dishes have become classics, such as the roasted mussels ($12 appetizer) in a saffron broth redolent of Eastern spices served in beautiful, oval copper pans, and the traditional duck confit, made from Long Island birds and served with house-made chutney, figs and date molasses ($25). Ask for a little dish of the chutney to top the warm bread, especially if you order the mussels.

Never very hard on the wallet, Antares now sports a menu that's a downright bargain in addition to being a balm for our over-stressed world. For only $25 a person, you can enjoy an array of two-course meals (see "Dine here for $25 and under").

You can also arrange with the chef in advance (though please not on Saturdays or holidays) to indulge in a personalized tasting menu matched with wines, the cost of which is determined by the number of courses. This is an excellent way to try many items on the current menu and wine list, as a recent visit proved.

In addition to those lovely mussels, appetizers sampled included an excellent seared fois gras, which is nearly always available with seasonal escorts - currently mango foam and candied fennel - and pork and scallion dumplings in a soy caramel dipping sauce crowned with crispy frizzled leeks. The chef poured a fruity French Pinot Gris (Pierre Sparr 2005/$52 bottle) with the slightly salty dumplings, and a crisp Grand Cuvee Sancerre (Jean-Paul Balland 2005/$54 bottle) with the rich fois.

We were also treated to an appetizer portion of the "Brooklyn Polish Kielbasa" entree with the chilled Sancerre. This is Murphy's take on the classic Alsatian choucroute, minus the juniper berries and ham hocks. The chef makes his own kraut, which melts in your mouth and bears no resemblance to the sour packaged stuff in the supermarket, and includes rich chunks of bacon, boiled new potatoes and carrots. We love choucroute, but this take is a bit lighter and works better in warmer weather than the classic. Ask for some of the kitchen's grainy mustard on the side.

Next came the most luxe version of a grilled ham and cheese I have ever tasted: made with fine prosciutto di Parma and mascarpone, then cut into strips, grilled and soaked in white truffle oil, it is sublime. Murphy has said for years that he loves truffle oil on anything (except, maybe, on vanilla ice cream, but only maybe), and here he pays homage to his muse. We sopped up the Balsamic glaze scribbled on the plates and downed refreshing glasses of an excellent German Riesling (Richter Estate 2006/$42 bottle).

The chef's take on Caesar salad arrives in its own edible Parmesan bowl. Though not true to the classic version, it is appropriately garlicky and tart with lemon, and there is no question that the kitchen uses excellent aged Parmigiano Reggiano.

A small dish of Udon noodles and tofu (also available as an entree for non-meat eaters) sported piquant pickled vegetables along with black beans and straw mushrooms. The unusual pairing of a local Cabernet Franc (Corey Creek 2005/$49 bottle) worked well with the earthy broth.

The ever-present filet mignon in a red wine reduction of the old menu has been replaced with a classic steak au poivre. The heartier (and less expensive) New York strip is a generous cut, and the perfect, soothing garlic mashed potatoes taste just like Grandma's. With this we savored glasses of the fabulous 2000 Smith-Haut-Lafitte (94 pts. R. Parker), arguably the best wine ever produced by this estate. Scents of lead pencil and licorice give way to an incredibly long finish in this complex wine. It is just beginning to drink well now, and it was simply perfect with the peppered steak.

We went retro with chocolate-covered bananas for dessert, along with a classic creme brulee. Both are highly recommended, especially the bananas.

Speaking of retro, if you crave a plate of comfort food, head straight to Murphy's version of the "blue plate special": thick slabs of 50s-style meatloaf stacked up against drifts of those homey potatoes. Fresh English peas and fresh carrots, replacing the little cubed and canned varieties of Betty Crocker's generation, bring the dish into the new century.

The wine list contains many interesting selections. Among the whites try the 2005 Pierre Sparr Pinot Gris mentioned above, the 2004 Lenz White Label Chardonnay ($23), or the 2006 Man Vintners Chenin Blanc from South Africa ($31). Standout reds include the Luigi Einaudi Barolo ($120) and the Lenz 2003 Cabernet Sauvignon, a good local buy at $24.

And don't hesitate to mark a special occasion with a bottle of Tattinger's 2001 Domaine Carneros Brut ($45). Can't think of a reason to celebrate? Try this: Matt Murphy is back in the kitchen at Antares Cafe. Works for me.

Antares Cafe is open six nights a week for dinner, and for lunch Saturdays and Sundays. Closed Tuesdays. Call 477-8839 for hours and reservations, which are recommended.