Hamptons, New York

Starr Boggs

Starr Boggs is decorated with Andy Warhol screenprints, including the classic Judy Garland Blackglama ad, with its tagline, "What becomes a legend most?"

The answer: Not this.

Starr Boggs electrified the East End with four-star fare at his small, namesake spot in 1986, a restaurant identified by a typewritten menu on a sheaf of gray paper attached to the window.

He kept the high rating in 1992, after moving to a more opulent waterfront site, where the food was outstanding, but toward the end, often reined in.

Boggs, returning now after a two-year break, still can be an exceptional chef, and several dishes at his new showcase underscore it.

But the 2004 restaurant, while larger in size, is more limited and less ambitious on the plate. It reflects his last summer on Dune Road more than his first season on Sunset Avenue.

This modern, attractive establishment also is almost undone by service ranging from absent-minded to clueless. Early on, the process of making a reservation was matched only by the eventual discussion of why it wasn't recorded. It's as if the whole process is more than they can manage.

Of course, the dining rooms, indoors and out, have been under siege since opening night. No eatery this season has been more anticipated than the reborn Starr Boggs.

And, despite the disappointments, you still should try to get in, if only to sample Boggs' delectable fish soup, a Mediterranean reminder of his initial eatery, heady with garlic and saffron. The soup, among other dishes, calls for more bread than what's so parsimoniously parcelled out. Pour your own wine while waiting.

Some evenings, you may choose the vivid, chilled and chived vichyssoise from the changing menu, even if the waitress welcomes your choice with the painful commentary, "Oh, yeah, the potato-leek."

Clam chowder, with a Manhattan slant, is excellent. But the white bean-and-escarole soup arrives curiously underseasoned. Boggs' plum soup with thyme apparently belongs to history, as do the memorable apricot and peach productions, the Vidalia onion tart and the lobster pate.

But the plump Virginia crab cake returns with flair, generous with shellfish, with roasted corn relish and sauce remoulade. And baked local clams are tender, finished with garlic and herb butter. A combination of seared tuna and tuna tartare provides a visual effect for minimalists, at the center of an oversize white plate. The tunas are fine, and the portions ensure you'll go on to the next course.

The roasted beet salad, with frisee, pea shoots and crumbled Gorgonzola cheese, is tasty enough. Likewise, the arugula-and-roasted pepper composition, capped with a star of Parmesan shavings.

Boggs' baked, thickly cut slab of swordfish, under an herbaceous breadcrumb crust, is a wonderful dish, paired with roasted tomatoes. But once, it showed up mercilessly overdone. Better is a reprise of the almond-crusted flounder, nutty and sweet with lemon butter, draped with a glazed half-banana. Sauteed soft-shell crabs are delicate and light, with a peppery undercurrent.

"Snake River Farms Prime Flat Iron Steak" is the full title for a rosy, very tender, sliced production, with grilled onions and a slablet of blue cheese. You're advised that the steak is similar to Kobe beef, though the cattle and the diners may file a dissent.

Duck breast, with mushroom syrup, turns out dull and chewy. Instead, have the roast organic chicken, a flavorful bird flanked by morels and hen-of-the-woods mushrooms and chard.

Vegetarians find an artfully fashioned zucchini-lentil pie, the ribbons of squash wrapping the lentils. The package rests on braised kale and watercress, sweet potato puree on the side, and a balsamic vinegar reduction for effect.

Desserts are good-looking, unfussy and almost homey. The strawberry shortcake and banana upside-down cake are irresistible. Steamed lemon pudding and warm chocolate cake also are handsome and rewarding.

Devil's food cake has a touch of spice, but the dense square with fresh cherries can seem leaden. The cinnamon-pecan coffee cake, despite a scoop of grand strawberry sorbet and some crème fraîche, is an expatriate from breakfast.

On a Friday or Saturday night, glasses and cups will start to vanish the moment they're emptied. Plates, spoons and forks go next. Finally, the check arrives before it's requested.

Have you gotten the message yet?

You're not permitted much overtime, especially since the growing group at the bar seems increasingly more impatient than the employees. First-name regulars already abound, from previous establishments and from this one.

At the entrance to Starr Boggs, on the menu, the wine list, wherever the name appears, is the symbol of the restaurant: a stylized star.

Consider it an asterisk.

Reviewed by Peter M. Gianotti, 8/15/04.

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