Monthly Archives: June 2025

Wayan & Madé – Indonesian Pop-Up in The Hamptons

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When people think about a cuisine, it is rare that they answer “Indonesian.” For me, I do not think I have ever eaten Indonesian food, and after making a reservation at Wayan & Madé in Springs, NY, also known as the northern side of East Hampton, I thought it would be a good idea to do a little research. What I found was a combination of sweet, savory and influenced by international diversity. Not overly helpful, so I went with little knowledge and an open mind.

Wayan & Madé is located adjacent to EHP Resort on Three Mile Harbor Hog Creek Rd. in the Springs section of East Hampton and is the pop-up restaurant of Chef Cédric Vongerichten and Ochi Vongerichten (children of NYC super-chef Jean George Vongerichten). When we arrived for an early reservation, we were seated at the windows overlooking the harbor. The view was very relaxing, and the dining room filled to capacity over the next 90 minutes. A quick perusal of the menu indicated that a knowledgeable server and access to using google would be essential to developing a thoughtful meal.

As first-timers with Indonesian cuisine, we decided to plan a family-style meal and see where it led. Our order included three appetizers, two mains and two sides. As a head’s up, we ordered all the dishes at the beginning and this was a mistake, since the kitchen just starts cooking without regard to pace and separation of course, our two mains arrived while we were still eating the appetizers. We asked them to return them to the kitchen and give us about 15 minutes between finishing the appetizers and bringing the entrees. My suggestion is to order everything but tell the server not to fire the entrees until s/he checks in with you.

My thoughts on the dishes:

Vegetable spring rolls with green chili emulsion and mint. The rolls were two extra-long and narrow tubes filled with an array of slightly spicy vegetables. The dish is served with a green chili emulsion which was superb. The wrappers were thin, and very crispy, while the filling was soft, a great complement. I loved the flavors, and the emulsion was so good we kept it to use with some of the other dishes. Dish was a 9

Tuna tartare with green chili sambal, avocado, and nori. This dish was not the most pleasant from a visual perspective, but the flavors were fresh and bright. I was a little surprised by the lack of spiciness in the presentation, the natural flavors of the tuna were present, it just felt the uptick in spice was a little lacking. I give the dish a 7

Fluke sashimi with calamansi dressing, and makrut lime. The fluke was served with a lovely sauce and spiciness. The fish was fresh, bright, and delicious. The toppings beautifully complemented the sashimi with a bit of spice and crunch. It was a very light option. I give the dish an 8.

Slow cooked butterfish with calamansi miso, and green asparagus. What exactly is butterfish? When it was presented, we all asked ourselves if this was butterfish or Chilean sea bass…it looked, tasted and flaked just like CSB. The next question is what is calamansi? It is described as a cross between lime and mandarin oranges, delivering pungent sour notes. The fish was prepared very well, maybe a touch overcooked, was a little on the small side (maybe 3-4 ounces) and glazed with the tangy miso. While it was a very nice dish, I think the miso was a little too tart for the fish, and with the smallness of the portion, I can only give it a 6.

Charred pork ribs with a soy tamarind glaze, and sesame seeds. Unlike the fish, the ribs initially looked like a very large portion. The flavors were great, finished with a delicious sauce, and fall-off-the-bone tender. The downside was the amount of meat on each bone was a little light. While I liked the flavors, the amount of the meat was a little disappointing and can only give it an 8.

Nasi Goreng with egg, pickled chili, and cilantro. I think the winner of the night was the Nasi Goreng, which is the national dish of Indonesia. And the restaurant prepared a great version. If you are wondering what it is, think fried rice, and this one had a soft egg atop. The flavors, texture and balance were great, loved the oozing egg and complemented the other two entrées. I absolutely give this dish a 10.

Chocolate mousse served with avocado ice cream. Remember that the owner’s father is Jean Georges, a master in French cooking, which explains the absolutely brilliant chocolate mousse. But this is an Indonesian restaurant, so they added a few crispy chocolate pieces atop the mousse and accompanied the mousse with avocado ice cream, yup avocado. The mousse was spectacular, and the ice cream was delicious. This was an easy 10.

We also ordered the King Oyster Mushrooms that were charcoal kissed, with sambal hijou. They were pretty much inedible. The kitchen placed so much salt on the mushrooms, that we all stopped after one bite. The dish was removed from the table and the check. No need to rate a DNR.

Overall, this was our introduction to Indonesian cuisine, and I was very excited when we arrived. A few of the dishes were spectacular while others I thought failed a little. The meal started with three great appetizers and then took a pause, primarily in the size of the portions; both entrées were on the smallish side. As a pop-up restaurant for the summer, Wayan & Madé is a place you should visit to experience the cuisine of Indonesia.

313 Three Mile Harbor Hog Creek Rd.

East Hampton, NY 11937

(631) 439-0785

Beacon (Sag Harbor) – Very Good, But Pricey and Rushed

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Located just west of downtown Sag Harbor and overlooking the harbor, Beacon offers elevated bar food, in a vibrant setting, with limited seating, both outside under the awning as well as tables inside.

A few items you need to be aware of. First, the prices reflect the location and the fact they are only open seasonally and secondly, there is a strict time limit on tables (with a slight grace period to pay the check) of 90 minutes for a foursome. This is a shared responsibility of the kitchen and guests to accommodate so do not delay in placing your order, and you are lucky if you have time on the clock for dessert.

Our visit included two appetizers for the table and a companion and I shared an entrée. We would have ordered desserts but we ran out of time.

A quick overview of the dishes we enjoyed.

CLASSIC CAESAR SALAD W/ HEARTS OF ROMAINE, ANCHOVY, PARMESAN, GARLIC & CROSTINI ($21) (Above) – This version included whole romaine leaves with a good amount of dressing and a large dusting of grated parmesan. The crouton was one large piece and was a little difficult to maneuver and enjoy. The salad was a little overdressed which was to my liking. This is a large salad and easily shared between 2 people as a normal-sized starter. I give it a 7

TUNA TARTARE* W/ CAPERS, WHOLE GRAIN MUSTARD, CUCUMBER, RED CURRY PASTE & POTATO CHIPS (RAW) ($25) – A medium-sized mound of nicely prepared tuna. Do not be afraid that the menu states red curry paste, it did not increase the spiciness but did add a nice deep element to the dish. The chips were also seasoned and were very good. This size was a little smallish given the other sized dishes. I think others at the table enjoyed it more than I did, but I did like it. I give it a 6

DUROC PORK CHOP MILANESE W/ FRISÉE, ROASTED TOMATOES, CARAMELIZED ONIONS, CREAMY TRUFFLE VINAIGRETTE & SHAVED PARMESAN ($46) – Two of us shared the dish as the pork medallion was enormous. It was pounded super-thin, breaded and fried. It was nicely seasoned and still maintained its flavor. I thought the breading-meat ratio was a little heavy to the breading side and a touch oversalted. The salad that sat atop was very large, full of flavor, and like the Caesar was over-dressed, approaching soggy. I really liked the addition of the roasted tomatoes and caramelized onions to give a different flavor profile. I give the dish an 8.

Overall, I liked Beacon with reservations. Given the high prices and the requirement to rush through the meal, I am somewhat reluctant to return prior to Labor Day, maybe after the summer crowd leaves it will be less of a rush. When I am spending this kind of money in a bar atmosphere, I do not want to inhale my meal or feel I am about to cause an issue. The staff handled everything professionally, I would just like a little less watch the clock pressure.

8 W Water St, Sag Harbor, NY 11963

(631) 725-7088

beaconsagharbor.com

Death by Pizza in Delray Beach – Pizza to Die For

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Death by Pizza…what a way to go!!

I have been very fortunate in my pizza journey. I grew up with New Jersey style, spent a ton of time in NYC eating some of the best New York style, time in DC where Greek style pizza is prevalent, two years in Chicago enjoying thin-crust, stuffed and deep-dish and over 20 years in CT, enjoying New Haven style. The one box that was not checked was Detroit style, and when I started hearing that Death by Pizza in Delray Beach was serving some killer Detroit, it was time for a visit.

The West Delray location is west of nowhere, in a strip mall on West Atlantic west of the FL Turnpike and west of Lyons, for those who know the area. This non-descript storefront has one word on the building, “PIZZA.” Inside there is more than one word…delicious, fantastic, brilliant, unbelievable…just keep going.

They only serve Detroit style, and I am a bit embarrassed to say this was my first foray into Detroit pizza. I have yet another word to describe this pizza, outrageous. Let’s start with what I was served. DBP serves freshly made to order and slices (think Joe’s in the West Village of NYC). I only wanted a couple of slices (should I call them squares?) and they reheated the two I ordered, so these were reheated for those who want to scream “they are burnt.”

The first was the Roni Jabroni (ezzo’s pepperoni cups, mozzarella & sweet sauce). The crust was great, the sauce had a little spice to it and the ‘roni were cupped, crispy and fantastic. This was a perfect 10.

I also wanted to go out of my normal comfort zone and ordered a square of Mr. White (whipped ricotta, mozzarella & basil pesto). Same delicious crust with the topping reminiscent of the insides of a great ravioli plus the pesto added another great flavor. Another 10.

Overall, I was a little nervous as I drove and entered, but when I took my first bite, I was sold that Detroit style pizza deserves all the accolades it receives. And Death by Pizza deserves all the accolades it receives.

DOWNTOWN DELRAY (Take out only)  528 NE 2nd St. Delray Beach, FL 33483 (561) 666-9111  WEST DELRAY (Dine-in and take out) 15065 FL-7 BAY 400 Delray Beach, FL 33446 (561) 666-8976  
Death by Pizza

Gordon Ramsay Burger (Las Vegas) – What a Disaster

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Who am I to take shots at the restaurant of a world renown chef who has earned 17 Michelin stars?

I am almost embarrassed by writing a review of a restaurant that represents the TV personality who has entertained me for years, but when that restaurant totally performs multiple nose-plants and tarnishes the renown chef’s name and reputation, someone needs to throw the BS flag.

I have watched so many different series by Chef Ramsay, and my visit to Ramsay Burger in Las Vegas was more watching the first 10 minutes of Kitchen Nightmare then his offering a Head Chef position to an up-and-coming super-talent. It was a complete and utter disaster, there is no way that Chef Ramsay would like my experience.

From start to finish, there was barely a single touchpoint where Ramsay should be proud.

After I was seated, I was handed a menu with no prices. When I asked the server, she blamed the printer, but they were expecting the new menus the “end of the week,” yet it was a Thursday evening. I later found out that the server was supposed to tell the customer about a QR code to take you to the on-line menu, but mine did not know this. I was eventually told by the manager, clicked to the website and even the website did not have the prices (hard to blame the printer on this).

So much for the customer to menu interface.

I ordered the Backyard Burger, which is served with American cheese, butter lettuce, tomatoes, pickles, and red onion. I ordered mine medium-rare without the onion. I also asked if I could have 50-50 fries and onion rings. After I was told a resounding “No,” I asked for the fries and then asked for a separate order of onion rings. Again, there was a resounding “no” from the server. Time for a manger visit, who apologized for the menus and told me he would make the French fries and onion rings happen.

When the burger arrived, it was overcooked, the fries were a measly portion, and the onion rings were cold and hard. (As an aside they did place the raw red onion on the burger). I asked for a re-fire. The server removed the rings and burger but left the fries. About 10 minutes later they brought a new order of rings, but no burger. The rings were piping hot but not very good, way too much breading. I ate one and decided these were not worth the effort.

The burger finally arrived, and I cut in half, again way overcooked but I was not asking for #3, so I took a deep breath and took a bite. The burger was absolutely tasteless, no seasoning and while the menu says they are cooked over wood to add flavor, mine had none. The tomatoes were oldish. I asked for fresh fries so I could have what I ordered in a single seating. I ate half the burger, a few fries and called it a night.

As I waited for the check, I can almost hear Chef Ramsay yell “shut it down.” Two tries at a simple burger, fries and onions rings, and each was poorly executed.

My review:

  • no prices on the menu, they tell you to go to the website for the prices and none there as well
  • two burgers, neither cooked close to requested doneness,
  • the burgers were completely tasteless patties
  • the tomatoes were aged,
  • they served the raw onion on the burger when it was ordered without the onion
  • the onion rings were first served cold and hard and, when hot, they were not very good.
  • the manager tried hard with a re-fire; the second round was just as bad, he was at the mercy of a completely unfocused kitchen.

I give (out of 10):

  • Burger – 1
  • Fries – 2
  • Onion rings – 1
  • Service – A nice try
  • Manager – at the mercy of a poorly executing kitchen
  • Kitchen – send them back to cooking school

Domenic’s Pizza in Boynton Beach – Stick with the Pepperoni

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The Boynton Beach and Delray Beach areas have a large population of transplants and Snowbirds from the Northeast and Midwest, and I assumed that there would be a lot of great pizza choices. While I have found a few that are noteworthy, some try hard with good intentions, but cannot get the full experience to “delicious.”

After a few people recommended Domenic’s on North Congress in Boynton Beach, FL, it finally got to the top of my go-to list and I ventured for a quick lunch. Upon entering I approached the front counter and ordered a slice of pepperoni and a slice of sausage. I waited in the dining area, only one other table was occupied.

When the plate arrived, all I could do was stare. Neither side looked like they had spent any time in the oven, there was no color, no visible crispiness and the sausage and pepperoni were haphazardly thrown on the slice, care was not a word I would use. To ensure they were actually hot, I touched the tops of the meats, they were heated, but I would not categorize them as “hot.”

I first tasted the pepperoni, and I was impressed, a good level of spice and the pieces that dangled over the edge had a little crispiness, but no cupping of any of the ‘roni. I next tasted one of the sausage slices (which is served in pre-cooked rounds versus chunks) and it had no flavor, no texture, no nuthin’ other than occupying space, and the consistency was more emulsified bologna versus sausage.

The crust had a nice crunch, good flavor, and was nicely prepped. The sauce had a little spiciness, and you could also taste a good amount of oregano. The cheese was pretty basic cheese, with that little tang screaming that it was pre-shredded and processed.

Overall, the pepperoni slice was pretty good, all the spices played well together, and the crunch from the crust added some fun to the eating. The sausage slice on the other hand was pretty bad. After two bites I decided to throw the white flag and just remove the sausage, it was detracting versus adding to the enjoyment. The now-plain slice was better with a little spiciness from the sauce, but I was still not a fan of the cheese.

I will give the pepperoni slice a 7.2 and the sausage slice a 4, and after removing the sausage, the plain slice receives a 6.0. The sauce, dough and pepperoni were very good, but the cheese was pedestrian and the sausage was a complete wash-out.

1790 N Congress Ave, Boynton Beach, FL 33426

(561) 734-3033

dominicspizzapasta.com

Experience Artisan Pizza at Mister 01 in Boynton Beach

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With the opening of the new Whole Foods on the northeast corner of Hagen Ranch and Boynton Beach, the other storefronts are beginning to open. One of these stores is Mister 01. This location is one of 22 opened or planned Mister 01 pizzerias in Florida, with another two in the Atlanta metro area and five in Texas. The brainchild of Chef Renato Viola, Mister 01 delivers artisanal pizza, made mostly from ingredients that are either locally sourced or imported from Italy. Viola started his pizza apprenticeship at the age of eleven and won numerous awards in Italy and Europe. After settling in Miami Beach (using a 01 Visa category), Viola opened his first pizza restaurant and has been expanding rapidly.

The location in Boynton Beach is furnished with several tables sitting alongside the long counter. The menu includes pizzas, calzones, burrata plates and salads. The pizza can be ordered in one of two sizes, a personal 8” and a larger 13”. As a solo diner, I ordered an 8” with pepperoni and sausage (half-half not an option). In hindsight, I should have ordered the 13”, not thinking that an 8” pizza can fit on a sheet of paper. When it was delivered, I knew it was a snack versus a meal, but hey a great snack is better than a lousy meal.

The crust was super paper thin and crispy, a true cracker crust. It was topped with just a touch of sauce and cheese and topped with a good amount of ‘roni and less than desired sausage. The flavors were great. I really liked the sausage/cheese/sauce combination, but the sausage took a backseat to all these vibrant flavors. The sauce was a good complement to the meats. After eating the entire pizza, I kicked myself again for not ordering a larger version, but this will not be my last trip to Mister 01.

Overall, I give the pizza I ate at Mister 01 a good solid 8.5.

7381 Boynton Beach Blvd Suite #305

Boynton Beach, FL 33437

352-722-0812

Boynton Beach