Dan's Papers - September 4, 2009 - Restaurant Review: Harbor Bistro, East Hampton

What's amazing to me is that this is its fourth season on the marina on Three Mile Harbor Road in East Hampton. So why hadn't I gone there? First, that particular spot has housed many restaurants over the years - some less than stellar. So the Harbor Bistro had to overcome its venue like an A-list singer performing at a piano bar. Second, "bistro" to me sounds casual, insinuating that the food is "casual" too. When I finally did make it there (last Friday) I chose to sit in the outdoor deck area that faces the marina and the sunset. It's a very casual space - plastic tables and chairs - keeping expectations low.

Then we tried the food, and all the myths and preconceptions were dispelled. It was an eye-rolling experience - the swooning kind of eye rolling that happens when you taste a dish that is so carefully prepared, so perfectly balanced that you could faint.

For my money, Damien O'Donnell (Culinary Institute of America, The Palm, James Lane Café, Cite, and Tao), the young partner/executive chef at Harbor, has to have one of the most refined palates out here, as well as an acute ability to execute his ideas to the letter. Other restaurants out here have food of this caliber, and they charge for it. But the tariff at Harbor Bistro is reasonable by Hampton standards.

Appetizers range from $8 for Lobster Bisque to $17 for the outrageous Kataifi Lobster Bundles. Main course pastas are in the low $20s, most of the meat and fish entrées are in the mid to upper $20 range - only a few entrées top the $30 mark. A $29 "Before the Sunset" Prix Fixe is available all night at the bar, and in the dining room from 5 to 6 p.m. in season. It includes a good, varied selection from the menu for each course.

We started with the Lobster Bundles. Two wiry mounds came on a plate with ribbons of sauce - a smoky, spiced sesame aioli, and one sweeter. The crunch, as it turned out, was thinly sliced phyllo dough. The lobster melange was sweet and toothsome, the fresh citrus slaw a bright contrast. I can't compare the dish to anything I've ever eaten. It is unusual and quite amazing.

Slow Cooked Duck & Mushroom Crepes ($14) served with sun dried tomato-goat cheese on top and a fresh herb salad on the side was a rich, meaty appetizer. The duck is first marinated then sautéed, the goat cheese added to the overall dimensions of the dish, and the salad, with delicate slices of tangerine and grapfruit, popped with the bright lemony dressing. Another winner.

The next appetizer, a special, was a surf and turf of another world. On one side were slices of Kobe beef in a multi-dimensional glaze, served with a ragu of asparagus tips, tomatoes and mushrooms. In the other corner was a lump lobster corn cake with mango salsa - complex, perfect pairings of flavor and texture.

This is a theme through O'Donnell's offerings: he knows when to stop. Even though each dish is layered in flavor and texture, it never creates that gastronomic overload associated with too adventurous chefs.

For the main course, we tried the Sautéed Day Boat Halibut ($29). The fish was firm, moist, perfect. The subtly flavored couscous (in a classic veloute sauce, seasoned with Thai basil) with barely cooked, crunchy peas gave it an Asian flair.

Lime Grilled Local "Catch" - which that day was Sea Bass - was served with Leeks, Sweet Local Corn, Lump Crab, and a Tomato-Chipotle Broth that imparted a sweet, smoky flavor. This home run of an entrée would make any meat eater happy - the fish and flavors had so much substance.

We tried several of O'Donnell's hand made desserts (from $7 to $9), including the simple, perfectly sweet/bitter Chocolate, chocolate cake; rich warm Almond Cake; a sinful yet not sweet Banana Bread Pudding - warm chunks of cooked banana, chewy bread, macadamia nuts; and profiterol. One swoon after another.

The restaurant's wine list showcases small batch wine producers from around the world and local East End selections. I tried one, told our server what I didn't like about it, and she said, "I know what you'll like." She brought me something else and was dead on.

And that's another surprise about Harbor Bistro. When was the last time at a Hamptons restaurant that you requested a server? People do at Harbor. Our server, Teresa, made us feel calm and welcomed from the beginning. She clearly knows the food and the wine, and, more so, knows that when people come to a restaurant they don't want to be given the bum's rush.

By the way, the harbor view from the casual deck is spectacular, and the inside dining room is elegant.

Harbor Bistro is open until October 30. Make a reservation - apparently a lot of people are already big fans. And now you'll have to fight me for a table, too.