Dan's Papers - July 27, 2007 - Meeting House Creek Inn

In this very competitive dining industry on the East End, it's a good sign when a restaurant has the same owner and the same chef for 18 years; you know that they are doing something right! Executive Chef Phillip Giaccalone is, without doubt, one of the longest chefs to serve in one restaurant, particularly if you exclude chef/owners. Tom Drake, the owner of this charming and deceptively spacious restaurant with some lovely water views explained that the two indoor dining rooms, the enclosed deck and the tiki bar on the dockside, can accommodate around 165 diners. Over the years the restaurant has become very popular for many varied types of functions from business related meetings to showers and anniversary parties. As well as for casual dining.

The main menu does not change often but offers a very wide variety of dishes for all tastes; every day there are a number of daily specials depending on the local ingredients in season.

We were spared the difficult task of deciding on our menu because Giaccalone asked us to indulge him and taste a range of dishes. We started with a beautifully presented platter containing two very different shrimp appetizers. It would be hard to choose between the coconut crusted version and the sesame ginger variety served with a spicy corn relish; on balance, my vote would be for the latter but both were excellent. Seared tuna with wasabi mustard and fresh ginger was perfectly prepared and the juicy crab cake was packed with lump crab meat. Mussels were plump and fresh served in broth that was all you could ask for.

The two salads we tasted were very crisp and correctly dressed. By this time we were beginning to understand how Meeting House Creek has sustained its customer appeal so well over the years.

Now when you put yourself in the hands of an enthusiastic chef who obviously loves his profession, you must expect to experience a very wide range of dishes and Giaccalone was certainly no exception to this rule. The Chicken Valdestano was full of flavor with mozzarella, tomatoes and spinach. Steak au poivre brought back memories of days when cream and calories were not regarded as sinful. The sauce was smooth and had a good peppery bite. The filet mignon was a very good piece of meat but the dish would probably have been even more successful if a sirloin or similarly more fibrous cut had been used. Now, liver and bacon is one of our favorite dishes that may appear simple but is one of the best tests of a kitchen's quality because if the liver is less than perfect and the cooking is even slightly excessive a delicacy becomes a tough tragedy. Here the result was perfection and as good as we have ever eaten. The sherry based sauce was rich and full of deep tastes; the accompanying selection of vegetables made everything a dish to remember. Memories flowed back with the piece de resistance- Lobster Thermidor, a dish we had not eaten in over twenty years. I freely admit to being a lover of lobster au natural but this really was a dish to drool over. This was the epitome of sensuous decadent eating. Perfect pieces of lobster in an incredible rich sauce with cream and brandy overtones. Maybe eating this everyday would not be good but on occasion and if Giaccalone has this on his specials- go for it. This really is a great experience and without a doubt should be the signature dish here.

As a finale, we tasted a range of desserts that are prepared by Tom's wife, Leslie. Tiramisu, coconut custard, bread pudding, carrot cake and a strawberry/blueberry shortcake, each was excellent and would have been an appropriate finish to a wonderful tasting experience.

Tom is a great supporter of Long Island wineries (read the mission statement printed on his menu about using his neighbors' wines- something many other restaurants should copy) and has wines from almost every winery on his wine list at very reasonable prices. In fact everything here is priced responsibly, which is another reason why they have so many loyal customers. Appetizers range from $3.50 to $8.95; main courses from $14.95 to $23.95 (includes soup or salad and vegetables). The $19.50 four-course prix-fixe served from 4 to 7 p.m. is an incredible value, as is the Sunday brunch at $17.95 including a Bloody Mary or a Mimosa.

Based on our tasting experience, Meeting House Creek Inn can be highly recommended as somewhere to enjoy a truly honest meal. Regular readers will know of my passion for honest dishes (prepared from fresh, preferably local ingredients in recipes) that are authentic and well balanced. Giaccalone executed this concept to perfection and we have put this restaurant with its beautiful waterside setting high on our list of places where we return to eat on our own.