Tasting The Town
By The Foodies./ foodie@longislandernews.com

Exquisite food, great raffles and wonderful company, all to support a worthwhile cause. But how to cover all of that at once? If you were at Appliance World for “A Taste of the Town” on May 3, it was very easy.

The event, presented by the Ladies Ancient Order of Hibernians, Division 4 Mary Robinson, raised money to support abused women and children in Huntington and local food pantries. In exchange for $50 a head, guests had a chance to sample cuisine from some of their favorite restaurants, freshly prepared on Appliance World’s gourmet kitchens – and get a sneak peek at something new and exciting.

That new kid on the block would be Jellyfish (441 East Main St., Centerport) the long-awaited causal, family fine dining spot by Thatched Cottage owner Ralph Colamussi. He prepared a sumptuous selection of his upcoming offerings – big, tender mussels in either a traditional white wine and garlic or an exotic, aromatic curry broth; bone-warming, savory clam chowder and the piece de resistance – lobster sliders. Boasting a faint citrus note, juicy lobster is piled generously on toasted slider buns, creating a delightful combination of textures and flavors. It’s sure to be on our must-have list once Ralph opens up shop.

A short distance away, Vitae Restaurant & Wine Bar (54 New Street, Huntington) Executive Chef Steve DeLima was hard at work at another kitchen island preparing his pistachio-crusted red snapper with roasted pepper, asparagus and goat cheese quinoa and chardonnay-pesto butter. It’s a cool, complex dish that balances powerful flavors in a delicate, harmonious plate.

Eddie and Allison Nobre, owners of Portuguese hotspot Fado (10 New St., Huntington) showed off traditional cuisine like bacalhau a bras, a flavorful, delightful shredded cod dish. They also prepared crab croquettes, sautéed mushrooms and marinated filet of sole, poured plenty of glasses of their Fado wine and entertained diners from behind the kitchen island.

And Nisen of Woodbury (7967 Jericho Turnpike, Woodbury) brought fine cuisine from the Far East to receptive diners as they sampled spicy tuna gyoza, with guacamole, spicy aioli and truffle oil; popular kobe meatballs in a Teriyaki glaze and wasabi aioli; and cool, crunchy and flavorful miso glazed black cod lettuce cups.

If you were one of the smart ones who paced yourself well, there was plenty more to enjoy. Mac’s Steakhouse (12 Gerard St., Huntington) offered up its macaroni and cheese; Finnegan’s (5 Wall St., Huntington) showed again why it’s ringing in its 100th year this summer with superbly rich, decadent and comforting Shepherd’s Pie, and Mr. Sausage (3 Union Place, Huntington) offered up additional goodies to enjoy.
It would be hard to leave an event like this without feeling satisfied. Not only because of the spread you’d just enjoyed – that speaks for itself, but the satisfaction of knowing a great night out helped make somebody’s life a little better.