Long Island Restaurants

Matto

If you like Matto, you may also want to try: cittanuova 29 Newtown Lane East Hampton 631-324-6300 Tuscan House 10 Windmill Lane Southampton 631-287-8703

East Hampton was a snarl of traffic and we were running late for our reservation at Matto.

"No problem," said the sympathetic hostess when I called from my cell phone. "You must be so grumpy and hungry by now."

We arrived to find our friends waiting at the bar, relaxing over glasses of wine. The restaurant exuded an overall vibe that was part easygoing style, part down-home friendliness. I felt all vestiges of stress evaporate.

Although our table was wedged into a tight corner, it felt somehow pleasingly cozy. The room's buzz was muffled slightly by white fabric draped from the ceiling, a decorative touch that added to the aura of an Italian summer resort.

Chef Franco Russo's menu read like a list of familiar favorites. A platter of tender calamari fritti -- crisp squid with hot cherry peppers and a lively tomato dipping sauce -- was well turned-out. I liked the simple baked clams topped with seasoned Italian bread crumbs, too. But an Asian appetizer with an Italian name -- tartari di tonno, or tuna tartare with roe and wasabi -- seemed out of place and, while fresh, hardly compelling. Nor was I sold on the rather overcooked gamberetti arrabbiata ("angry" shrimp), sauteed with garlic, scallions and chile peppers.

The friend who ordered chicken Parmesan -- breaded and fried boneless poultry in a lush melt of sauce and cheese -- devoured virtually every bite. Understandable. Her boyfriend's vitello Matto (veal cutlet with radicchio, endives and pear tomatoes) proved both tender and savory. I, on the other hand, was busy poking my fork into my husband's al dente bucatini amatriciana (thick spaghetti with a smoky bacon and onion tomato sauce), which I preferred to my bistecca al pepe verde (green peppercorn-crusted steak with brandy sauce). The meat, while rare, was nonetheless dry and fibrous.

Dinner concluded with a light and boozy tiramisu, which our good-humored waitress assured us was house-made.

Owner Lydia Buonanno stopped at every table to check in with her customers. The consensus at our table, we told her, was that we were "happy campers."

For if every dish wasn't perfection, most were highly gratifying. And, in a region where some in-places are off-limits to all but the well-connected, it's nice to find a haven that manages to be both chic, comfortable and democratic.

Reviewed by Joan Reminick, 6/29/07.

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