Vitality at Vitae Restaurant & Wine Bar

It’s always a treat to check out a restaurant before the reviewers get there. Such was the case last night when four of us hit Vitae Restaurant & Wine Bar at 54 New St. in Huntington. It was their fourth night of operating.

Put this place on your list.

Vitae (pronounced Vee-Tay) offers modern Continental cuisine in a very smart setting. Located on the site of the former Abel Conklin’s, Vitae is managed by the very able John Estevez (former Bin 56). The kitchen is manned by Lawrence Palladino; he’s a welcome addition to Huntington’s rocking dining scene.

Behind the discreet exterior façade of Vitae, in keeping with village neighbors, is a richly designed and cutting-edge interior décor that is cool and modern, warm and sensual. Walls are dressed in soft and textured metallic shades of bronze, copper and gold. Artwork is by celebrity-collected Long Islander Dean Johnson www.deanjohnsonart.com. A large Venetian-style floral in oil hangs in the dining room. A 12×4-foot multi-media wall relief, with vineyard theme, rises high in 11.3-foot high lounge and over a 29-foot brown leather upholstered banquette, nearly the length of the room.

In the lounge, the amber back-lit bar, with 26-foot long honey onyx marble top, incorporates panels of glass basket-weave tiles in shades of bronze and silver. A striking floor-to-ceiling wine room, encased in glass with brushed chrome racks, showcases the 1400-bottle inventory. An architectural panel treatment decorates French doors.

In the dining room, banquette seating, upholstered in burgundy leather, complements chairs with bronze-textured fabric and sleek table tops of mahogany with a walnut finish. Soft lighting, from brass and fabric framed sconces, reflect the warm and inviting ambience. In season, the main patio opens for dining. Though Vitae resides in a building dating from 1841, there is nothing old about it. The building has been completely renovated with modern design evident in the dining room and lounge but also a newly installed kitchen and porcelain-tiled restrooms with state-of-the-art fixtures. This makes for a happy chef.

We ordered four different appetizers and all delivered on flavor: a sensible chopped salad that included chick peas and currants with a lemon honey vinaigrette; short rib croquettes with horseradish crème fraiche and a red-wine demi-glace; seared scallops in a parsnip puree and lemon butter white truffle sauce and seafood bisque. Entrees included a Berkshire pork chop with hot and sweet cherry peppers and artichokes hearts (yum!); Chicken Vitae (wild mushroom demi-glace, marsala, and scalloped potatoes; crab crusted sole with diced grilled vegetables, orzo and lemon beurre blanc; and seared tuna steak with white bean ragout, spinach, and olive relish. The trio of crème brulee, organic carrot cake, and Stefani’s cheesecake were delightful desserts.

Photo Credits: Chris Foster, Jim Lennon

Tags: Abel Conklin's, Bin 56, Huntington, John Estevez, Lawrence Palladino, Vitae Restaurant & Wine Bar