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Updated: December 18, 2008, 1:49 pm	Share    Print    Email

Brothers Pietro, Executive Chef and Proprietor, and Antionio Buttero keep the Italian flavors front and center at Annona. Photos by Sheila Cosgrove Baylis

Westhampton Beach - Annona Restaurant in Westhampton Beach has a clandestine but ritzy location, giving it a speakeasy private-club sort of feel. Annona sits atop a luxury car dealership, and as you ride the elevator up to the restaurant floor, you imagine you're in the company of millionaires eager to buy mint-condition classic Corvettes and Lamborghinis and ascending to the bar to have drinks to consider the offer.

And what a bar it is. Beautifully appointed with a curved glass top, the bar is the perfect setting to discuss one's car collection. You can sample heavenly drinks like the coconut martini, but that's not the only celestial taste, the Gnocchi Sugo di Manzo in beef ragu was positively paradise, but let's not get ahead of ourselves.

Annona rests above Manhattan Motorcars of the Hamptons, a glass showroom of Rolls Royce, Bentley, and other tasty treats for the car lover. The restaurant's décor is simple and beautiful with comfortable tables and curved banquettes. It also boasts a wall of enormous glass windows that could easily make the interior cold, but the muted and warm colors make the space cozy. The dining room is relatively intimate, requiring a reservation on weekend nights, even in the winter.

Scallops with garlic foam.

The crowd is an established set that knows the place and the Executive Chef and Proprietor Pietro Bottero, who runs the restaurant with his brother Antonio. Pietro explains that Annona is named for the Roman goddess of the Harvest, and the restaurant tries to feature local ingredients as often as possible. He adds that having a family member to work with is important for support, and the two clearly have a love of the restaurant business as well as Italian food and culture.

The appetizers are creative departures from classic Italian flavors. Take for example the Warm Caprese Salad, a hot and gooey paraphrase of the classic that's perfect for cold weather. The grilled tomatoes and baked bufala mozzarella brought the dish into the fall and winter, while maintaining the essential fresh basil flavor of the chilled version.

The 18-month Prosciutto San Danielle was another inventive variation to the standard Italian theme. Instead of wrapping the prosciutto around a melon slice, the cured ham is served with a honeydew shooter. The small smoothie on the side doesn't deliver the texture of the traditional plate, and the shooter was a bit sweet but it won points for originality and presentation.

The Antipasti menu also features a Wood Oven Roasted Baby Octopus Salad with grapes, olives, parsley, fingerling potatoes, and pureed yellow lentils, and a Salsiccia Fiera Strada with sweet Italian sausage, and sautéed peppers and onions served street-fair style.

Four Story Hill Farm's Veal Chop

For Primi, Fresh Corn Ravioli with truffle infused mascarpone cream is a delicious seasonal favorite. The Pumpkin Pillows with brown butter and sage are a cold weather delight. The pumpkin was fresh and inviting and a wonderful complement to the sage.

Made fresh daily are other favorites such as a risotto with wild mushrooms, parmigiano, and white truffle oil and a Spaghetti Vongole with littleneck clams, spring garlic, birds-eye chili and parsley. Everything on the Primi menu can be ordered as a small plate or large plate, perfect for those who want to sample and share.

Secondi offers in-season sea scallops, seared and served with cauliflower puree, miatake mushrooms, asparagus and sweet garlic foam. The scallops were luscious and rich, winterized by the cauliflower and asparagus flavors.

The Four Story Hill Farm's Veal Chop with sprig garlic, fava beans, carrots, and anchovy-porcini sauce was a festival of flavors. The veal was served on the bone, which makes it heavier and more appropriate for cold weather.

On the Secondi menu, you can also find a 29-day Aged Ribeye with buttermilk mashed Yukon potatoes and arugula; Grilled American Lamb Chops with farro, haricot vert and cinzano vinaigrette; and Whole Grilled Branzino with lemon oregano jam, sautéed broccoli rabe and garlic.

Finally to the Specials! Oh, the specials. Available through Spring 2009 is the Gnocchi Sugo di Manzo. Go and make a reservation just for this one. It is a to-die-for, rich, flavorful, balanced dish that you'll crave all winter long. Gnocchi lovers will be fainting, and beef ragu fans salivating at the memory.

The evening's special - a Ferrari 575 Super America is waiting just down- stairs in the dealership lobby.

It's not unusual to salivate over the last special as well. It's a Ferrari 575 Super America Black for a mere $269,900. I heard a few nearby tables ordering it, though they were joking. Or were they?

For dessert, the Molten Chocolate Cake with vanilla gelato is a must. The chocolate 'lava' pours out of the brownie-like cake, and each bite is a stir of ecstasy. If you're not a chocolate person, you will be now. Or, you can go for a classic Crème Brulee or Lemon Tart.

An imperative companion to dessert is the Annona-cellos. Handmade by Antonio, they come in lemon, strawberry, and raspberry flavors. This sweet and rich ambrosia is the perfect end to a delectable meal. Even more perfect would be driving away in the Ferrari.

 • Annona is located at 112 Riverhead Road in Westhampton Beach. For information and reservations, call 631-288-7766 or go to www.annona.com.

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