Dan's Papers - June 22, 2007 - The Old Mill Inn

Drive down Coxs Neck Road in Mattituck to where it ends by the water and in a short while your world changes to a gentle bucolic vista that must be similar to how it was, back in the 1820s, when the building that is now the Old Mill Inn was built.

The Inn has three very different modes. As you enter, the bar is comfortably cool and dimly lit even on a warm summer day, but the main dining room is very bright and airy with great water views of Mattituck inlet. You can also be seated outside, where your table will truely be perched over the water.

The Old Mill Inn reopened last year under a new consortium of owners that includes Barbara Pepe, a former TV executive, who now is mainly responsible for running the operation; Elaine Lafferty, a well known international news journalist; Barbara Lowe, a writer; Greta van Susteren of Fox News fame; and her husband John Coale. Chef Alberto Marinato, has joined Stanley Madr in the kitchen this year. Alberto has an intriguing background: Originally working as an engineer in the aerospace industry, he had a brief spell cooking with chefs in Europe. In 2002, he obtained his Masters in Marine and Atmospheric Sciences from Stony Brook University and then went on to cook at The Frisky Oyster and Legends before coming to The Old Mill Inn.

Barbara explained that their cuisine is designed to focus on the very best, local, seasonal foods--both land and sea--and the menu adjusts regularly based on local harvests and catches. We started our meal with a bowl of cream of cauliflower soup and, based on my theory that you can usually judge a restaurant by the quality of its bread and soup, we knew we were in for a treat. The soup was outstanding in balancing richness without being thick or cloying and it was really fragrant. The excellent bread came with a very good olive oil for dipping.

It was difficult to decide on a salad choice, as the three offerings all sounded enticing, but we settled for sharing a plate of Satur greens with roasted walnuts, roasted pear and Catapano goat cheese. The salad was impeccably dressed with a sherry vinaigrette. Each leaf glistened and no residue was left in the plate, yet another measure of the chef's quality. Incidentally, the salads are large enough for two people.

For our appetizer, we sampled homemade stuffed clams that our friendly and efficient waitress, Larissa, told us were probably the most requested item. It became apparent why: they truly were very tasty, filled clams.

Now many lobster lovers are particular about the freshness of their lobster and rightly so. Here, have no fears. If you order this delicacy you will soon find out that it is currently living 'happily' in a cage submerged in the river beneath the outdoor deck. From there it is retrieved and taken with due ceremony through the main dining room en route to the kitchen, on its becoming your wonderful meal; just avert your eyes if this bothers you. Lobsters come with some great frites that, for potato addicts like me, are reminiscent of those you find in Brussels. For lamb-lovers, nice change from rack of lamb is the seared loin of lamb that came perfectly medium rare, very tender, and accompanied by a delectable merlot/ pan jus reduction. Also, the roasted garlic mash and seasonal local vegetables made this a great dish, and one that should be a fixture on the menu.

Finally came a Grand Marnier petit pot au chocolat with very deep smooth tastes that, accompanied by a pot of excellent coffee, admirably concluded a very special meal that was totally enjoyable.

With our meal we drank a glass each of a very good New Haven New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc, a Martha Clara chardonnay and a Macari merlot. Wines by the glass are $6 to $8 and start at $25 for bottles. Soups and appetizers range from $7 to $11; main courses range from $22 to $30 and desserts are $8. The restaurant will now be open for lunch and dinner every day except Tuesday. Reservations are strongly recommended, especially on the weekends.

If the kitchen keeps up this excellent standard throughout the season then, combined with the beautiful water views, indoor and outdoor dining and relaxing atmosphere, The Old Mill will certainly be firmly established as one of the top destination restaurants on Eastern Long Island.