NEWS & NOTES: Farm Country a Hidden Gem

By Joan Reminick, Newsday, Melville, N.Y.

Mar. 29–Had I not learned about Farm Country Kitchen from a sharp-eyed informant, I could easily have driven past it. Even so, the well-hidden takeout-eat-in shop, identifiable only by a blackboard near the road at 513 W. Main St., Riverhead, 631-369-6311, was challenge enough to find. What looked like a private home was actually the cafe, accessible by a winding path. “People like the hunt,” said owner Tom Carson, who used to own Harbor Gates in Port Jefferson. Lunch, the only meal, is served with disposable containers and flatware. Everything on the daily-changing menu is house-made. It was hard to say which was better, the verdant spinach bisque or the smoky black lentil and bacon soup. A sprightly salad topped with three small crab cakes featured fresh field greens, mangoes, cucumbers, cabbage, carrots, endive and grilled Vidalia onions in a basil vinaigrette. I was impressed with the interplay of flavors and textures in a wrap that enfolded spicy Cajun chicken, cilantro pesto, Jack cheese, black beans and papaya. Come summer, Carson said, he may feature table service on the dining porch that overlooks the Peconic River.

There’s a new chef and a revised format at Lucy’s Cafe & Bistro, 135 Deer Park Ave., Babylon, 631-669-1640. Alyson Fasano, who worked under previous chef John Gibson, is a graduate of the Natural Gourmet Institute for Food and Health in Manhattan. She offers an exciting array of tapas-size dishes, plus a few entrees. On a recent weekend evening, I enjoyed a small plate of spicy garlic-rubbed pulled pork and another of smoky grilled shrimp with mango salsa on a crisp leek pancake. An entree of nicely seared sea scallops was plated with a savory roasted root vegetable ragout and a lively Dijon thyme vinaigrette. I hope to return at midday to sample the soups, salads, panini and entrees of sous chef Adam Slivak. Lunch is served every day but Sunday. Currently, the restaurant offers dinner on Friday and Saturday nights, but in April, it is set to open Thursday evenings also.

As of tomorrow, Thom Thom Steak & Sushi Restaurant, 3340 Park Ave., Wantagh, is inaugurating its Thursday UltimateTini night. From 5 p.m. until closing, the restaurant will offer all martinis for $5. For reservations or information, call 516-221-8022.

The wines of Napa Valley’s Trefethen Vineyards will be the focus of a six-course tasting menu Monday at Oscar’s of St. James, 552 N. Country Rd., St. James. The six-course dinner, at $85 a person, features a first course of day boat scallops with Galia melon pico de gallo and sumac-infused olive oil, paired with a riesling. For information or reservations, call 631- 584-4600.

What do food insiders think about service these days? On April 6 at 5 p.m., the Artisan Baking Center, 36-46 37th St., Long Island City, will host a panel discussion on customer service in the food industry, to be moderated by Roberto Gautier, a chef and adjunct professor of hospitality management at the New York City College of Technology. The discussion is free to the public. For information on panelists or any other questions, call 718-392-0025.

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