Dan's Papers - August 1, 2008 - The Inn Spot on the Bay

At the Inn Spot on the Bay, the experience is so full and rich that over the course of the evening, you feel as if you've traveled from the Cape to Ireland, France, the Mediterranean, Thailand...

The Inn Spot is headed up by Cheffe Colette (Connor) who is originally from Ireland and has traveled internationally. She and pastry chef Pamela Wolfert's worldly experience is reflected in food that is an unusual and successful combination of influences - the richness and complexity of French mingled with the light, freshness of Thai. This combination proves very successful in many offerings on the menu, which is focused, not surprisingly, on seafood.

The wine list is also very international, with unusual offerings like a French organic, a white rioja from Spain, three different years of a few high end ($300 plus) wines. There's an excellent selection of wines in all categories, from reasonably priced to vintage wines in the hundreds. No surprise that the Inn Spot is up for a Wine Spectator award this year.

The Inn itself, built in 1902, feels like a B&B on the coast of Ireland. Sitting inside the restaurant or out on the lazy back porch, a wide green lawn extends to a bulkhead smack on Shinnecock Bay. It is one of the most spectacular restaurant settings on the East End - I can't imagine a better place for a sunset. The Inn Spot feels miles from nowhere in its quiet and calm, yet it's minutes from Southampton, just about 20 from Sag Harbor, and worth the drive from all points east - it's a vacation from your vacation.

And then there's the food. Colette is the first chef from the Hamptons to win the prestigious Platinum Chef award for a dish that sounds unusual and tastes incredible: Roasted Duck with Marshmallow Sauce. The meat was cooked to perfection and the sauce, a rich glaze, added the perfect touch of sweet, but not too sweet as you'd imagine with marshmallows. One bite makes it clear why this dish is a winner.

Meals in the dining room, an elegant, intimate space, begin with a creation called tapioca crisps. Light as a feather, large as a plate and addictive, these greaseless alternatives to bread are served with a lightly sweet, soy dipping "syrup." It is a dramatic presentation, telegraphing the message that you're in for a very different kind of dining experience.

Appetizers include shellfish of all manner. We tried the Escargot en Croute. Forget the clicky-clacky shells. These incredibly tender morsels were hidden away in a very rich pastry, with a hint of chive. While some might think this is gilding the lily, that shouldn't stop you from ordering the decadent appetizer, best shared with at least one other diner. For the Tender Calamari, tender says it all. None of the four of us ever recalled a better, more delicate texture. Colette has two secrets to the success of the lightly breaded and fried (but greaseless) dish. First, the Inn Spot is one of the few restaurants out here that uses fresh squid, brought right in to the Shinnecock canal. The second secret is the number of seconds the calamari is cooked (I won't tell). It is served with three sauces, a mild, herbed aioli, simple light sesame soy, and a delicately flavored marinara - just three of the worldly influences to be discovered through the meal.

We tried a soup, Cheffe's Elixer, billed as "orgasmic." While I can't attest to that, I will say that the combination of coconut milk and herbs, garnished with cashews, scallions and ginger elicited groans of contentment from our table.

Of the entrees, we all adored the Sesame Seared Tuna, coated in black sesame seeds, served with Wasabi creme and accompanied by lovely lightly sauteed spinach. Gorgeous. The Crustaceous Pot Pie was another winner. Lobster, shrimp and scallops in the suspended animation of a very light béchamel with just a hint of sherry, topped with a lovely puff pastry. And so were the huge local Sea Scallops, topped with candied ginger and citrus glaze, with saffron rice in the shape of a temple.

We tried three desserts: The homemade ice creams were fresh and delicious; the Meringue with fruit compote a rare menu offering, but the star was the Chocolate Gateau Coulant flourless cake with homemade ice cream. Just get it.

The Inn Spot does catering - weddings, rehearsal dinners - on that magnificent setting in the summer, and inside year round. There are also 13 rooms available a the Inn, on that unbelievably gorgeous setting. The restaurant is open for dinner every night.