Dan's Papers - July 3, 2009

The 2009 Great Chefs Dinner brings together the East End's top culinary names to honor Jeff Salaway, a widely respected and beloved restaurateur and one of Hayground School's co-founders. The fifth annual event, hosted by Toni Ross, of Nick & Toni's, and Jon Snow, artist and director of Hayground Camp, will take place on Sunday, August 9 from 5 to 9 p.m. at Hayground School in Bridgehampton and will benefit Hayground School's Jeff's Kitchen and the Jeff Salaway Scholarship Fund. The affair kicks off with a cocktail party featuring hors d'oeuvres of local bounty from top East End chefs, fine wine and a silent auction at 5 p.m. for $125 per person. Culinary talent at the cocktail party includes: Miche Bacher (Sacred Sweets), Jesse & Reese Boone (Mark it with G), Michael Cavaniola (Cavaniola's Gourmet), Matt Connors (The Lake House), Michael Domitrovitch (Montauk Yacht Club), Andrew Engle (The Laundry), Bryan Futterman (Foody's), Gerry Hayden (North Fork Table & Inn), Michael Osinski (Widow's Hole Oysters), Kevin Penner (1770 House), Tom Schaudel (A Mano), Cheryl Stair (Art of Eating), Sam Talbot (Surf Lodge, Top Chef), Jason Weiner (Almond) with Joe Watson (Vine Wine Bar) providing specialty drinks. A four-course seated dinner headlined by noted toque Eric Ripert of Le Bernardin accompanied by Joseph Realmuto, of Nick & Toni's, Christian Mir, of Stone Creek Inn, and Claudia Fleming, of North Fork Table & Inn, will be served in Jeff's Kitchen at 7 p.m. for $500 per person. The dinner will be paired with Bedell Cellar wines and also includes a portion of produce sourced from Hayground School's Slow Foods Greenhouse and a live musical performance. Children's tickets are available for $35 and includes attentive childcare and separate dinner service. There is also limited availability for Chef's tables: $10,000 for eight and $7,500 for six. For tickets, call 631-537-7068.

Montauk Yacht Club Resort & Marina announces a special July 4 weekend of entertainment. Acoustic guitarist Walter Finley will perform Friday, July 3 and every Friday from 6 to 9 p.m. with $4 Brooklyn Brewery pints. Finley and friends will also perform Sunday, July 5 from 2 to 6 p.m. The Chuck "E" Band will perform reggae, country and a combination of '70s, '80s, '90s and today's hits on Saturday, July 4, from 2 to 6 p.m. Every Sunday, including July 5, live jazz duo with vocalist and bassist Dennis Raffelock performs in the Gulf Coast Kitchen dining room from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m., where wine specials will be offered. Locals Appreciation Night offers two-for-one drinks to local officers, firefighters, EMTs, restaurant and retail workers on Mondays at 6 p.m. Patrons must show proof that they work between Southampton and Montauk and may also enjoy gifts from their favorite breweries each week. Margaritaville Wednesdays features half-price Margaritaville Margaritas and Landshark Lager at 6 p.m. with a line-up of festive music ranging from Jimmy Buffet cover bands to Mariachis and Landshark Girls with giveaways. Thirsty Thursday Turtle Races starts at 6 p.m. and features a live MC to guide spectators to the race where they can bet on their favorite turtle for a chance to win prizes, from T-shirts to free one-night stays at the resort, and live music by Fiona Frensche. Call 631-668-3100 for details.

The Jamesport Manor Inn welcomes Executive Chef David Intonato back home to the East End. Chef Intonato joins the Jamesport Manor most recently from Dos Caminos in NYC. His signature dishes include mussels in pernot fumet, foie gras with milk skin brulée and crawfish mac-n-cheese. Chef Intonato also brings to the Manor his skills in cooking demonstrations. At the "Summer Soups" cooking class, on Wednesday, July 15, each soup will be demonstrated, served and paired with East End wine, or should you prefer, non-alcoholic spirits. Soups on the menu include gazpacho parfait, Peconic Bay blue crab and corn chowder, chilled cucumber with butter poached lobster and tortilla soup with hickory smoked chicken. $50 per person. Reservations at inn@jamesportmanor.com, opentable.com or 631-722-0500. This summer's weekly Friday evening "Off the Grill" prix fixe continues at $50 per person offering outside lawn seating or indoor dining. Complete menus for these events are available at the jamesportmanor.com "Events" page. Closed Tuesdays.

Matto, in East Hampton, hosts a new daily event throughout the summer featuring Bellinis, bikinis, boys and girls! Dope il Sole, meaning "after the sun," features half-priced Bellinis and complimentary snacks at the bar everyday from 4 to 5:30 p.m. On Saturdays, there will be a raffle for the best bikini body, the prize a dinner for two at Matto. Call 631-329-0200 for more information.

Blue Sky, in Sag Harbor, is now open and serving lunch. The lunch menu is a modified version of the reasonably priced Mediterranean dinner menu and is available everyday from 11:30 a.m. Items include: pizzetta capri ($12) with oven roasted tomatoes, basil and mozzarella; Mediterranean chowder ($6); classic 7-ounce burger ($12); grilled chicken sandwich on ciabatta ($12); classic lobster roll ($18); crab cake with mixed greens corn salad and sauce rémoulade ($14); cod fish and chips with coleslaw, tartar sauce and fries ($15); fresh fruit salad yogurt ($12); seafood martini with scallops, calamari, shrimp and lemon vinaigrette ($13.50); and spaghetti with veal Bolognese sauce ($15). Call 631-725-1810 for further information.

Tierra Mar, in Westhampton Beach, is offering a special a la carte menu to accompany live music by Mambo Loco every Saturday night. Menu items will change weekly. Sample items include: goat cheese filled zucchini blossoms with warm black raspberry vinaigrette ($15); pan seared local organic shitake and oyster mushrooms ($18); crisp pan seared whole boneless local flounder ($24); roasted sliced breast of Long Island free-range duck with leg confit ($32); and charbroiled Copper Ridge rib-eye steak with merlot sauce ($38). For more information call 631-288-2700.