THE GIST Perched on a hill overlooking Shinnecock Bay and tucked inside the grounds of the nearly 70-year-old Hampton Maid is R.aire — the authentic, Spanish-style restaurant helmed by chef Alex Bujoreanu and proprietor Tara Poulakis, granddaughter of the resort’s original owners.
Chef Alex Bujoreanu brings authentic Spain to the menu of R.Aire’s airy, unmistakably East End dining room. (Photo credit: Doug Young)
THE VIBE To the right of the host stand sits a seven-seat gray-topped bar. Across it, a trio of small, round cocktail tables beckon guests to the 88-seat sun-kissed dining room, where tables are neatly set with white linens and caramel-colored wooden chairs. Two distinct seating areas are carved out thanks to a wooden partition adorned with a row of half a dozen small, hanging potted plants. Cream-colored walls run throughout but are frequently broken up by large, dark wood-trimmed windows, providing diners with an abundance of natural light and a peek of the bay just beyond.
THE FOOD Bujoreanu’s offerings are both imported and seasonally charged, all heavily influenced and inspired by his native Spain with a few familiar American classics peppered into the mix. With the hope of providing his guests with healthier cooking methods, Bujoreanu’s Mediterranean menu refrains from using butter and seed oils, predominantly opting for avocado and olive oils. Most dishes are designed with sharing in mind, and large-format paellas and fideuàs — a traditional dish from Valencia similar to paella but made with short, thin noodles, or fideos, instead of rice — are at the heart of the menu.
Compressed watermelon salad Minimally manipulated ingredients truly shine here as peppery arugula is tossed with basil and lemon oil and a few paper-thin slivers of red onion. The greens are piled atop a meaty triangle of compressed watermelon, which, thanks to the vacuum-sealed process of forcing out air and water, has a dense and intensely flavored texture. Finished with a heavy sprinkle of crumbled feta, it’s a familiar summertime fave.
Patatas bravas Idaho Russet potatoes are cubed, baked and then deep fried, serving as the superior vessel for a duo of complementary sauces: the smoky, spicy salsa brava and a creamy, rich garlic aioli made from soy milk, garlic and olive oil.
Croquetas Delightfully decadent yet light as air, these Spanish-style fritters contain bite-sized pieces of Alpine jàmon — salt-cured ham from the hind leg of the pig, renowned for its nutty, sweet-meets-savory flavor profile — folded into thick, creamy bechamel and formed into finger-sized pieces before being dusted with flour, dipped in egg, dredged in panko bread crumbs and deep-fried until golden and crispy. Four pieces are arranged neatly on a wooden board over a cushion of salsa brava, a smoked red pepper aioli.
Sardines Imported, wild-caught and deboned, these meaty sardines are butterflied, pan-seared and then heavily drizzled with a garlic parsley picada and healthy squeeze of grilled lemon. Richly succulent, balanced and briny, the dish blows any canned iteration you may have had of the fish right out of the water.
Pintxo Moruno Plush chunks of lamb tenderloin are marinated in sweet paprika, ras el hanout — an Arabic spice mix — lemon juice and olive oil, then grilled. Served over a bed of Moroccan-spiced couscous and a drizzle of mojo verde consisting of green peppers, cilantro, garlic, vinegar and onions, the spice and tang of this dish offer an elevated riff on a classic street food item.
Land and Sea Paella Bomba rice — the premium, short-grain Spanish rice renowned for its ability to absorb three times its volume in liquid — is cooked in a sofrito of onions, tomatoes, garlic and red peppers, finished with a hit of saffron and dotted with tender rings of calamari. Topped with a split, whole-grilled Maine lobster and eight ounces of grilled, sliced Wagyu filet mignon, it’s the pièce de résistance of the restaurant and enough to feed, quite elegantly, a small army.
R.aire at The Hampton Maid
259 E. Montauk Highway, Hampton Bays, 631-728-4184
hamptonmaid.com/raire
@raire_athamptonmaid
Hours Tuesday to Sunday from 4 to 9:30 p.m.
