Rugosa in Wainscott closed

By Peter M. GianottiJune 14, 2012

Rugosa, one of the top restaurants of the 2009 Hamptons' season, didn't make it into 2012.

The sign is gone, the eatery is empty.

But I have some good memories from Bill Mammes' streamlined, stylish Wainscott restaurant, including seared duck breast with curry-spiced polenta and loin of lamb with a braised escarole, raisin and pine-nut tart.

Restaurants arrive and depart regularly in the Hamptons. Actually, the survival of a lot of joints east of Riverhead is a mystery.

Plenty of restaurants have come and gone just from the 290 Montauk Hwy. site in the town of East Hampton that housed Rugosa, a locale easily identified by the M60 army tank in the nearby yard. It used to be a VFW hall.

Remember Ristorante Capri? (Excellent) Chez & Chez? (Not so) Gulf Stream Grill? (Meh)

I'll remember Rugosa.

Gone.