Greenport has another hit restaurant - Biere

Biere. Yes, please.  One of the best parts of my job is getting to check out all the new dining places on the East End so that I can really know what I am talking about food-wise to my guests. There is a need for fine dining, and there is also a geat need for casual dining. It is great to have a fantastic and reasonably priced eatery right around the corner from The Stirling House. Biere is a restaurant with a European Bistro flair. It provides fine dining in a casual atmosphere.  The specialties are the mussel pots -  Moules/Pommes Frites (mussels and fries) There were three choices, and I went for the Orient Mussels. The mussels were broiled in a fresh ginger sauce. Delicious! I need to mention that you get 2 lbs of mussels, and it is rare that I leave a restaurant on the East End "full", but I actually had to take a Doggy bag home, and had a great lunch the next day. We also tried the hot wings, which were plentiful and spicy. They also do a tapas special at the bar. I got to try a few of the items, and they were excellent. A leek & potato soup that reminded me of the exact soup my Parisian grandmother would make...Biere is the perfect informal place to relax after a day of wine tasting and strolling Greenport's beautiful historic district. This will greatly appeal to so many people. If you are a beer lover, they have a very nice selection, as well as the wine from One Woman winery. Biere has quickly become a local favorite, which is the true test of success. If the locals give it the thumbs up, then evryone else will come. They don't have a website yet, but I am sure one is in the works. The menu is small but does have something for everyone, carnivores, vegetarians and seafood lovers alike. This will be a hotspot during the Winterfest I am sure!  It is just a three minute stroll from the B&B to Biere, and I wish them much success.  While you are there, pick up an expresso and a pastry at d'Latte, which is right next door. And bring back one for me, as well ; )

B and Bs are just Better ; )

Whew, this was a rough weekend with my bum arm and a full house.  I started physical therapy for my arm (I fell skiing last week in Jackson Hole, Wyoming) I'll be fine and ready to ski again in a few weeks.

 I thought the Oscars were tonight...my bad. I am going to see Lady Gaga with or without her egg on Tuesday with my great friend Kelly. I was thinking of seeing the Spiderman musical, as it might be one of those shows that you wish you had after it closes...which it will.


One of the guests played the Chickering square grand piano this morning, and I really need to make a call and get it tuned again.  The B and B affiliation site http://www.bbnofo.com/ is getting on more and more websites, and that is good. The Elegant B and Bs of the North Fork are truly the best places to stay out here, and that includes hotels. The most reputable lodging ratings system shows that the top rated East End hotels start off with 4.5 out of 5  ratings, while the top B and Bs on the North Fork earned 5 out of 5. Check it out. The mindset has finally shifted. A decade ago, people though B and Bs were going to be like staying in someone's home in some spare room . Now the educated guest knows that the B and B experience is superior, that the Band Bs are a tightly run little business, and that the top B amd Bs have amentieies on a par with a 5 star Manhattan hotel. The concierge service cannot be beat as the hosts are the local owners - people who really know the restaurants, the chefs, wineries, who has been fired, or moved to a new location.

Jazz on the Vine Winterfest has been great for the guests to go and spend some time listening to great music. http://www.stirlinghousebandb.com/  is offering Winterfest guests (2+ night stays) exclusives at the inn.

Here are the Long Island Winterfest Jazz on the Vine Venues for next week:

FEBRUARY 26

1 pm Southampton Cultural Center Inside the "Out" Side of Jazz – FREE!

Discussion with Ed Green. Moderator Steve Watson.

"Ellington, Jazz, the Opposites – and You!"

3 pm Laurel Lake Vineyards Monday Michiru

3 pm Baiting Hollow Farm Vineyard Janine DiNatale

4:30 pm Sherwood House Vineyards Ahmad Ali

4:30 pm Martha Clara Vineyards Groove Gumbo

FEBRUARY 27

S U N D A Y 2 pm Raphael Isaac Jaffe Quintet

2 pm Bedell Cellars Matt Marshak

 

2 pm Brecknock Hall, Greenport Hot Club of the Hamptons

3:30 pm Osprey's Dominion Vitaly Golovnev

3:30 pm Jamesport Vineyard MEM3 (Ernesto Cervini)

Let it snow, let it snow let it snow

OK, it is beautiful and all, but enough snow already!!!

When you get lemons, make lemonade, so being housebound, today will be new recipe day at The Stirling House. I like to try new things out and test them on friends before putting them out for the guests. I watched Zombieland last night (the movie is funny and crazy...but you cannot dislike like Woody Harrelson and his twinkie fetish!) So today I am going to create Twinkies from scratch and see how it goes. I think I have a good idea of how to approach them. If they are good, they will be a fun addition to the afternoon snacks, they will be all natural, so no 20 year shelf life! LOL . Hey I guess with todays weather, I should be trying to make snowballs and not twinkies. I am also experimenting with my French Madelein recipe. The Parisian chef might scoff but I am trying maple syrup as a flavoring. I will let you know how it all goes.

The Vine Time getaway has been moving along. Stirling House is now sold out for March's VT date, but there is still availability at the other 3 participating B&Bs. They are all great with wonderful people running each B&B. This recession has proved that people still want to enjoy life a little. They are travelling closer to home, and our breakfasts and waterfront (walkable to everything) location has been a major plus keeping us quite busy all Winter.

I got a few calls from friends who saw me on "The Good Wife" earlier this week...it was fun doing that bit, as I don't carry a decapitated head every day.
OK...time to shovel! Talk to you soon...Clay