When Ali Katz and her chef husband Fritz Beckmann moved out to the North Fork about six years ago, they wanted to bring a part of New York City with them. When they were living there, a lot of spots were hosting tasting dinners.
“There was a lot of that going on in Brooklyn, when we lived there,” said Katz, who owns Ali Katz Kitchen in Mattituck. “We loved the idea of it. A lot of times, it was in people’s houses or in small restaurants,”
For the second year in a row, as part of a way to bring that to the North Fork, Katz, along with Beckmann, is hosting a pair of tasting dinners called the Black Cat Supper Club.
Set for March 28 and April 4, both $90-a-person tasting dinners will have the same menu focused on Asian cuisine cooked by Beckmann, who runs the Lucharito’s food truck, and dessert made by Katz. Although each course is not set, Katz did give a little preview of what could make the cut. A crispy tuna roll, dumplings and cod with seasonal greens are all in the plans.
“There’s been a lot of requests for fish-based because several people from last time around said that they didn’t come because it was a lot of meat,” she said. “We just wanted to go with a lighter meal.”
Along with the food, each course will be paired with wine through a collaboration with Robin Epperson-McCarthy of Saltbird Cellars.
“We do it in the front of our shop and we set up dining tables,” Katz said. “I come out, tell everyone what’s on the menu, and then Robin talks about the wine that is paired with it.”
Katz said the dinners, although not something she typically does, are a great way to expose customers to something new and brings a boost to her business at a time of the year that might otherwise be slow.
“When we opened Ali Katz Kitchen, we just really wanted to think of other ways to use the space, and have people be able to try different things,” she said. “I love meeting new people, and I love having our regular customers come in and try just the new thing that we’re making. It’s more of a casual atmosphere where we’re eating and we’re drinking and we’re talking about food.”
It’s also a great way for her and her husband to take even more advantage of local products.
“We have so much access to fish. We have such good farms, and it is nice to be able to use local produce,” Katz said. “[Fritz] just likes to be able to flex his creativity and try new things that we think people out here haven’t tried or don’t have as much access to.”
To make a reservation, call Ali Katz Kitchen at 631-298-7694 or email them at [email protected].
