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FOODIE
Dive Into Seafood
At Pier 441
By Brian, Luann, Tricia &
Kristen / foodie@longislandernews.com
On a recent Friday night
the regular Foodies decided to get together and have dinner
at a new restaurant. Located in the space that until recently
held Ay Caramba! (and served so many customers by other names
before it), Pier 441, nestled between Main Street in Centerport
and the Mill Pond, is making a name for itself based on new
approaches to standard fine dining fare.
Starring Chef Adam Pitre, who previously served as executive
chef at 252 Broadway and Ruvo, Pier 441 is operated by owner
Mark Wiener, who came from the fantastic Regine’s in
the Delmonico Hotel in Manhattan, and who has previously brought
us Bistro 44 in Northport and Ay Caramba!.
Though the exterior of the building has that crab shack look,
the inside has a more contemporary feel, with chairs and tables
draped in black and white fabrics and a glowing blue backlight
to add a warmth to the bar area, which is opposite the performance
space – look for live jazz on Friday and Saturday nights.
Seated by the massive wall of windows overlooking Mill Pond,
we sipped drinks as we perused the menu. Our chocolate martini
was sinfully sweet and Pier 441’s signature drink, the
Lighthouse, was a thirst-quenching delight. Served in a pilsner
glass, it is a twist on the Long Island Iced Tea, but uses
raspberry and lemonade, effectively masking any flavor of
alcohol.
After being greeted by Mark Weiner, who we saw hob-nobbing
his way through all the tables during the evening, we got
our first look at the menu. Mark picked out some appetizers
to bring to our table and we sauntered through the list of
temptations.
Just after we gave our order for our entrées, the first
of the appetizers arrived. The Cinnamon Apple Salad ($10)
– mixed greens, a strong Danish bleu cheese, walnuts
and a sesame Jerez vinaigrette served with slices of crisp
Granny Smith apples dusted in cinnamon – offered a great
contrast of sweet and sour, balancing the power of the cheese
and vinegar with the apple and Jerez.
Next was a special, and the most-liked by our party: Shrimp
& Asparagus Angelotti with a blend of shallot cream, chive
oil and aged Balsamic ($11). Served as a giant ravioli, the
interior was creamy and the blend of sauces made us yearn
for an entire entrée portion.
These dishes were complemented by the 441 Mussels ($11), cooked
in garlic, shallots, herbs, white wine and a hint of fresh
tomato and basil, and the Maryland Jumbo Lump Crab Cake ($13),
that was the best presented dish of the night. The cakes sat
atop a small bed of corn salad, were topped with fresh herbs
and surrounded by a sunburst of spicy mayo and a chive vinaigrette.
Another special we got to enjoy was the Sherried Shrimp Bisque
with Paprika Oil Drizzle ($8). The chunks of shrimp, a succulent
sherry flavor and creamy texture of the soup evoked a chowder
feel with much more grown-up flavors.
We managed to finish our appetizers just in time for the main
courses, which included Tagliatelle with Maine Lobster ($25),
Chilean Sea Bass ($26), Sweet Potato Shrimp ($24) and Sliced
Skirt Steak ($25).
The Tagliatelle was very straight-forward, with fresh grape
tomatoes, garlic, basil and Parmesan cheese. The chunks of
lobster were plentiful, and the tomato broth added the flavor
one might expect from a tomato sauce without the heaviness
that it so often brings along.
The Sea Bass was served on a bed of warm and comforting mashed
potatoes, and drizzled with a vanilla rum lobster sauce. The
tenderness of the fish was matched by the softness of the
potatoes, and the sauce added an unexpected tang that brought
out the flavor of the lobster.
For the shrimp, long strands of sweet potato were curled around
the enormous pieces, which were sautéed in a Samuel
Adams brown sugar glaze. Perhaps the most unique dish we sampled
– everybody had to have a taste – we figured its
sweetness might make it the perfect sharing dish, because
everyone is going to want to have at least one piece.
The steak, which was marinated in a hoisin pineapple sauce,
was cooked perfectly to order, with a great sear on the outside
and the type of tenderness you expect to accompany a well-marinated
skirt. Garnished with a fresh sprig of thyme, the steak was
served with the same mashed potatoes and veggies as the sea
bass; the seasonally crisp carrots and asparagus were a great
complement to the dish.
As we sipped coffee at the end of our culinary journey, we
were presented with a sampler of desserts, including a Tahitian
Crème Brulee ($6), which has the thickest caramelized
top we’d ever experienced on this type of dish, a Flourless
Chocolate Cake with vanilla ice cream ($6), a smooth and creamy
Key Lime Pie ($6) that seemed more like a custard and a fresh
cheesecake that seemed to float somewhere between New York
and Italy in style, but hit both in flavor.
Don’t be fooled by the exterior or scared away by the
ghosts of restaurants past – Pier 441 is a great place
to go, and should be here to stay.
Pierr 441
441 East Main Street,
Centerport NY
631-261-2828
www.pier441.com
Cuisine:
Seafood and steak
Atmosphere: Contemporary nautical
Price Range: Moderate
Hours:
Seven days beginning
at 11:30 a.m.
Main
Menu
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