Dan's Papers - July 31, 2009 - Restaurant Review: Rugosa

The spot on Montauk Highway in East Hampton just west of Steven Hands path has been many things in just a few years - from Ruby Red to Almondito to Almoncello - all with a variety of food and décor. The space has been reinvented once again, this time as Rugosa, serving "modern American cuisine" in a clean, stripped down space with a lot of breathing (and dining) room.

Rugosa, named for our fragrant, indiginous beach roses, is headed up by chefs and owners Bill and Yvette Mammes. Bill did several stints at Ritz-Carlton restaurants around the country before landing at the Maidstone Club and Indian Wells Tavern. Yvette worked at Thomas Keller's Bouchon, Le Cirque and Alex in Vegas. At Rugosa, the couple's first solo restaurant, Bill is the executive chef, and Yvette assists on pastry production and menus.

The food relies heavily on local ingredients - always a good thing. Prices are reasonable (particularly the $30 three-course prix fixe every night until 7). Appetizers are $10-$15; main courses are mostly in the $20s.

The wine list at Rugosa, created by sommelier Chimene Visser, is varied and reasonable. ALL wines by the glass (some unexpected offerings from all over the world, include organic wines) are just $8.00.

Mammes is most definitely expressing his own style at Rugosa, with creative, sometimes edgy and unusual, and often delicious offerings. His sauces are something to be reckoned with. I'd recommend tasting them alone first to enjoy their complexity, before mixing with rest of the dish.

Of the three appetizers we tried, my favorite was the Duck Canneloni - a paper thin, light dough filled with Mammes' own duck confit, mushrooms and finely chopped spinach, served with Swiss chard in a Star Anise Jus that you could eat by the bowlful. This sauce was rich, elegant and multileveled. Just wonderful. The quartered Soy Marinated Quail was served with a French green lentil salsa seasoned with a hint of cumin. The quail held up to the rich, briny marinade. A very nice, satisfying dish bursting with well paired flavors.

Our third appetizer, Lobster Consomme Ravioli, was an inside out wonton soup - fun and dramatic. A large, paper-thin ravioli sits in the middle of the bowl, with broth jiggling INSIDE. Around the ravioli is the "filling" - lobster pieces, mushrooms, snow peas and asparagus, in Mammes' own lobster oil. Cut into the ravioli and rich, subtle lobster broth rushes out.

We tried three fish entrées, including a special: swordfish set on carmelized onions and arugula pesto. Atop the lobster was a tomato confit - a sweet/tart half tomato - which provided the needed acid to this rich dish.

Seared Sea Scallops - gorgeous, fresh and perfectly seared - were served with a beet confit that created a pink sauce underneath, with a frothy, light green cucumber-horseradish sauce on top. Very pastel pretty. This was an edgy combination of flavors that won't suit everyone's taste, but if you're feeling adventurous, give it a try.

But the winner of the three was the Roasted Cod. Many chefs play against cod with more delicate handling, but Mammes hit it head on with toothy Canelli beans sautéed with delicious, chewy chorizo and chunks of artichoke hearts in an artichoke broth. A price tag of $23 makes this entrée even more appetizing.

For dessert, we tried Yvette's chocolate beet cake that actually has grated beets in it (think variation on carrot cake) and is served with a layer of delectable, dense chocolate mousse on top. I loved it, and the addition of a vegetable subtracted guilt. The Bruleed Lime Meringue was a toasty meringue with a puddle of fresh lemon curd in the middle. Not sweet. Just right.

On a Thursday, every element in each dish sampled had a fresh caught/fresh picked flavor - fine, quality ingredients across the board. I poked my head into the kitchen, which was pristine.

Rugosa is getting a lot of repeat business. With the high quality elements and the reasonably priced wines and menu offerings, it's easy to see why.

Rugosa: 290 Montauk Highway, East Hampton, 631-604-1550. Open every day but Tues., 5:30-11:00. Prix Fixe from 5:30 to 7:00 nightly, $30.