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NEW ROOTS FOR IVY COTTAGE

After 14 years, Williston Park's Ivy Cottage has changed hands. Joe Lester, who opened the place in October 1998, is in the process of selling it to Kevin Madison, a veteran manager who has worked at Lola's in Long Beach, Peppercorn's in Hicksville and Hemingway's in Wantagh, among other Long Island restaurants.

Madison has made at least one promising decision so far: He hired chef Jeffery Slade, whose resumé includes The French Laundry in Yountville, Calif., Le Bernardin in Manhattan and Taillevent in Paris. Most recently, he earned 2½ stars at The Farmhouse in Greenport (which closed earlier this year).

For now, the restaurant is still operating as the Ivy Cottage and is open for dinner Wednesday through Sunday. In early July, Madison plans to close for a week to update the interior and launch a new, modern menu. That's when the Madison's on Hillside sign will go up. Stay tuned for details. Ivy Cottage is at 38 Hillside Ave., Williston Park, 516-877-2343.

-- ERICA MARCUS

NO LONGER SMOKIN'

Kansas City Smokehouse in East Meadow has closed. Last August, the place opened as RUB BBQ, a joint venture between the noted Manhattan spot of the same name and the Singh Hospitality Group. But there was ongoing disagreement between the two businesses and, in December, RUB withdrew, taking its proprietary recipes out of East Meadow.

The restaurant changed its name and put out a new menu. Apparently, that was not enough to save it. The site, not readily visible to passing Hempstead Turnpike traffic, has housed a succession of other Singh-owned restaurants, among them Long Fin, BeSi, Ruby's Famous BBQ and two incarnations of Louis & Marxx.

-- JOAN REMINICK

LI SUMMER WINES

The Long Island Wine Council is hosting a summer kickoff at the Fairgrounds Barn in Old Bethpage Village Restoration on Saturday. More than 100 wines will be poured by more than 30 local wineries, including Anthony Nappa Wines, Clovis Point, Croteaux Vineyards, Gramercy Vineyards, Old Field Vineyards, Roanoke Vineyards, Shinn Estate Vineyards and Wölffer Estate Vineyards.

On the menu are cheeses from Catapano Dairy Farm (Peconic) and Mecox Bay Dairy (Bridgehampton), produce from Harbes Family Farm in Mattituck, and nibbles from chef Tom Schaudel of Jewel in Melville.

The event is from 5 to 7 p.m., and tickets are $75 a person.

Old Bethpage Village is at 1303 Round Swamp Rd., Bethpage. For more information on the event, or to purchase tickets, go to liwines.com or call 631-722-2220 or email info@liwines.com.

-- ERICA MARCUS