Roots Bistro Gourmand of West Islip hires new chef
Butter poached lobster is served with creamy polenta, cherry tomatoes, Vidalia onions, fava beans and citrus white butter inside a lobster bisque emulsion at Roots Bistro Gourmand in West Islip. Credit: Alessandro Vecchi
Roots Bistro Gourmand, one of Long Island’s most innovative restaurants, has added a new chef to its mix. The West Islip restaurant opened in 2012, a collaboration between owners James Orlandi and Philippe Corbet, both of whom oversaw the kitchen. Newsday’s Peter M. Gianotti awarded it three stars.
Now that Corbet has departed for the Hamptons, Orlandi has brought in another chef, Charles Paciuta.
A Long Island native who once worked at Captain Bill’s in Bay Shore, Paciuta has spent the last five years cooking in Sweden. Orlandi said that diners could expect some Nordic accents on future menus.
Meanwhile, Corbet has taken a position with Montauk Asset Holdings, a new hospitality group whose Montauk restaurants include The Arbor and the rebooted (with quinoa tabbouleh) Duryea’s Lobster Deck. Corbet will be the executive chef at Lulu Kitchen, a new Sag Harbor restaurant scheduled to open in March where Doppio used to be.
399 Montauk Hwy., West Islip, 631-587-2844, rootsbistrogourmand.com
