TASTE OF HUNTINGTON: Some of the finest restaurants from what we like to call the restaurant capital of Long Island will be cooking up a storm at a fundraising event to benefit Habitat for Humanity of Suffolk. “A Taste of Huntington with the Blues” will take place on Tuesday, June 9 from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. at Appliance World. The event will raise funds to build a house in Huntington. Music will be provided by “The Dog House Blues Band,” and Dave Weiss, TV55 weatherman and radio personality, will emcee the evening. Guests will have a chance to enter raffles and take part in a silent auction. More importantly, chefs from some of Long Island's most popular restaurants, as well as manufacturer's corporate chefs, will be preparing their finest dishes to be served with a selection of premier wines. Also scheduled to appear is celebrity chef Daniel Humm, who won NYC's Best New Chef of the Year. His restaurant, Eleven Madison Park, continues to win accolades for its food, atmosphere and presentation. In addition to corporate chefs from BSH, Westye (also sponsoring Chef Daniel Humm) and Electrolux, there will be outdoor grilling by corporate chef Trish Schaedel. Local restaurants participating are NYIT, Besito, La Bonne Quiche, Rookies, Mr. Sausage, Lessings, The Green Market, Mangiamo and Starbucks. Tickets are $65 each, two for $120. Call Les at 631-924-4966 ext. 105.

MORE BESITO: Uber-restaurateur John Tunney III has opened Besito Mexican Kitchen & Agave Lounge in West Hartford, Conn., a complement to the Besito locations in Huntington and Roslyn. This third location, like those in Roslyn and Huntington, was created and developed by Tunney, a prolific restaurateur and Huntington native who has owned locations in Las Vegas and Atlantic City and who continues to operate HONU Kitchen & Cocktails. Besito’s kitchen is helmed by corporate executive chef Matthew Lake (who has been with Besito since its inception) and location executive chef Steve Yopp. Lake, voted one of Food & Wine Magazine’s America’s 10 Best New Chefs, is well-regarded for his stints at Red Sage, New Heights Restaurant and The Occidental Grill, all located in Washington D.C.

PRIME TIME FOR PRIME: Gregg Lauletta, Executive Chef for Prime, An American Kitchen and Bar (117 New York Ave., Huntington 631-385-1515 www.restaurantprime.com) along with Bedell Cellars of Cutchogue, represented Long Island at a “Taste of New York” luncheon held May 21 at The James Beard House in Manhattan. The event was held in conjunction with New York State’s tourism agency, I Love New York and the Long Island Convention & Visitor Bureau & Sports Commission. The luncheon included chefs from restaurants in four New York State regions. Lauletta’s appetizer for a four-course New York State menu was pan-seared diver sea scallops with dandelion greens, soubise, bacon, semolina dumplings and vintage port reduction, paired with another Long Island favorite, 2007 Bedell Cellars Taste White.
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HOT ’N SAUCY: What Foodie wouldn’t read a book titled “Harlot’s Sauce”? That’s the name of the memoir by first generation Italian-American, Patricia Volonakis Davis, which describes the challenges and benefits of growing up as a “Something-Hyphen-American” on Long Island. Davis met and married a Greek man; this memoir follows their courtship, marriage, move to Greece, and eventual breakup—culminating in a lesson on female empowerment. The title refers to a spicy tomato sauce invented by prostitutes in Naples that could be made quickly while they were “between clients.” Davis will dish on her book, her life, and the sauce during an appearance at Book Revue, 313 New York Ave., Huntington, on Wednesday, June 10, at 7 p.m. She’ll serve up a complimentary buffet of tasty Greek and Italian treats, including wine, to add to the festivities.

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