It was the perfect setting for a monumental
dinner. I met two of my dearest friends in front of the crackling
fire at Laundry in East Hampton and over three leggy glasses of
red wine, we began to pour our hearts out. Ella Fitzgerald swooned
under the dim lights as I sipped from my generous glass of spicy
Côtes de Rhone.
After Lizzie, Robin and I gave each other the quick rundown of the
key points – men, jobs, and family – our gracious host,
Roee, led us to the dining room for the details. From the quiet
tranquility of the bar room, I had been under the impression that
we had the place to ourselves. This goes to show how well laid out
the restaurant is, because when we entered the dining room, I saw
it was quite lively for a Wednesday night in January. Roee seated
us in a roomy booth and quickly served up a basket of crispy bread
fresh from the wood-burning oven.
Another fire warmed the dining room, creating a cozy atmosphere.
We perused the appetizing menu as Roee ran through the specials.
The soup of the day was a cream of mushroom, and the entrée
special was a meat loaf made of pork, veal, and beef. The intriguing
pizzas coming out of the wood-burning oven included a butternut
squash pizza and a pie dotted with meatballs. Tempting though the
specials were, we decided to stick to the printed menu.
We contemplated the wedge of iceberg with cherry tomatoes, red onion,
and Roquefort dressing, but decided to go with a more unique salad.
I must say we made the right choice. The organic tat soi with Fuyu
persimmons, celery root, feta cheese and toasted almonds, served
in a white balsamic vinaigrette was a refreshing combination of
light ingredients. Roee also insisted we try the beet salad, which
was also surprisingly original. The roasted organic beets were served
with shaved fennel, Crotin Chavignol, pistachios, and a black walnut
vinaigrette. The flavor was fantastic, and the combination was again
on-point.
We decided to try the soup of the day, the cream of mushroom. It
was just the right thickness to be satisfying and packed with flavor,
but not so thick as to compromise the smooth texture. I had to ask
for more bread just to dip in this delicious soup – if it’s
available when you go to Laundry, I strongly recommend it.
Laundry offers all of its regular appetizers as entrées as
well and since they all looked so tempting, I had to opt for one
of these. I ordered the jumbo lump crab cakes as my entrée,
and the two flaky piles of crabmeat were served over a bed of avocado
salsa in a chipotle vinaigrette. The portion was generous and tasty.
By this time, I was ready for another glass of wine and Roee suggested
a New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc, which was delightfully dry and complimented
the crab cakes nicely.
Robin chose the grilled, organic Scottish salmon, which I could
not keep my fork away from. It was served medium rare and fell apart
in buttery bites. The juicy salmon was served with udon noodles
and Asian slaw in a Thai, red curry broth. It had a little kick
to it, but not so much that the flavor of the fish was lost. This
was probably my favorite of all the dishes.
Lizzie had the papardelle, served with chicken sausage, butternut
squash, pancetta, arugula, and Tuscan Pecorino. The marriage of
the piquant meat with the cool butternut squash was delicious, although
I barely got to sink my fork into it before Lizzie had I polished
it off!
I had heard rumors about the macaroni and cheese, so we ordered
a side of it to see if we could validate them. It’s true!
I think I have found the best mac and cheese in the Hamptons! The
penne pasta is served vertically in a round bowl, and each tube
of pasta is gushing with cheese.
Roee made us promise to save room for dessert, although he didn’t
warn us how much he planned to serve. He emerged with three plates.
The raspberry tiramisu was coated with a homemade whipped cream
and a layer of fresh raspberries, which were absolutely dreamy.
As he placed the second dish on the table, Roee bowed his head and
said, “the profiteroles, as exclaimed.” They were certainly
worthy of exclamation, with their flaky texture and cool, ice cream
fillings. Finally, the sticky toffee cake, which Robin discreetly
pulled in front of her, was a truly happy ending.
The Laundry offers items from its refined menu in Prix Fixe fashion
from Sunday through Thursday. Three courses are served for $29,
or you could choose a “lighter bite at a lighter price”
for $19.80. Executive Chef Andrew Engle and Chef de Cuisine Paul
LaBlue have designed an exquisite menu for your tasting pleasure.
