Sunday Saturday, October 9 8, 2011
6 Bay Street Sag Harbor, NY 11963 (631) 725-7009We have had a couple, what we consider, untraditional Ninth at Nines (e.g., picnic in the park), but this one may take the cake. That is because this experience actually takes place on the 8th. Let us explain.
We happened to have planned a getaway to Montauk, NY the weekend of the ninth and were due back to Manhattan for our much-anticipated dinner in the wine cellar of il Buco. The weather ended up being perfect. As a side note, we learned the hard way that rental car companies do not hold reservations. No matter, a generous friend saved the day with loaning us her Pontiac Sunfire we aptly nicknamed Sunny-D.
Anyways, after a sunset stroll on the beach we were on our way to Tutto il Giorno in Sag Harbor. The good news is we arrived right at 9:00pm, but we know that we are a day early. The reason we now write about Tutto il Giorno and not il Buco is because of a torn ACL that occurred Sunday morning while playing Frisbee on the beach…doh! Swollen knee, ice pack and delivery from Chelsea’s Westville (wonderful array of vegetables accompanied by two sandwiches) is how we spent our ninth; therefore, Tutto il Giorno it is.
Tutto il Giorno does not accept reservations and is well known among the Long Island elite as the place to go for Italian. The tiny 38-seat restaurant is co-owned by chef Maurizio Marfoglia and Donna Karan’s daughter Gabby Karan, who opened a second location this past summer in Southampton.
We arrive to Tutto il Giorno and as we suspect, the wait is well upwards of an hour, but we get lucky and slip into a highly coveted seat at the bar. The soft glow of the interior mixes well with the white washed walls and invites us to stay a while, so we instead of eating at the bar, we opt for a bottle of wine and wait it out for our table: A good choice indeed.
A bit giddy from our red wine starter, we take our seats in the main dining room. Although we do not spot any celebrities, the restaurant has a certain aura that makes everyone feel famous and we are happy to play along.
We do not need much time with the menu to decide on Polenta and Carpaccio for starters and the Pumpkin Ravioli and Oxtail Pappardelle as our mains. The food is exquisite. Each dish is simple, but elegant in a rustic way. The flavors leap off the plate and surprise but never venture too far from comfort-food familiarity. Some Tiramisu and Espresso and we are all smiles. Perhaps a knee injury is not the only reason we decided to make this 8th experience our 9th.
Experience: 8/9