Barney's
Gracious dining on the fine New American fare of chef Mitchell Hauser in a historic building with fireplace.
You'll enjoy it in summer or spring. But autumn and winter do bring out its best. This is a cozy, fireplace of an establishment, where a pumpkin on the mantle seems right.
Barney's is on the site of a hotel that dates to 1893. The great belts that belonged to to W.H. "Barney'' Burnett, a fireman, hotelier and master of the gin mill, still stretch across the wall. A portrait of the 750-pound gentleman is near the bar.
Barney's has a subdued, delightfully rustic look. But it can get pretty noisy. You can be sure a lot of the conversation is about the food.
The menu changes with the seasons and the whims of chef Mitchell Hauser, who also operates Aix en-Provence in Huntington.
Some favorites over the years: excellent crab cakes, full of deftly-seasoned shellfish, accented with a lemon-caper mayo; rack of lamb spiked with rosemary and lemon; sesame-crusted ahi tuna; wild striped bass with orange beurre blanc; and game specialties.
Chocolate bread pudding, flourless chocolate cake and a variation on strawberry shortcake suit Barney's. --Peter M. Gianotti
