The best new place in town is out of town, but not far: Hazelnut Kitchen in Trumansburg is serving up some of the most exciting, original cuisine you're likely to find in the area or out. Earlier this year, Chef and owners Jonah and Christina McKeough moved from Philadelphia to open Hazelnut, which has been in operation since April. With degrees from the Culinary Institute of America, Jonah and Christina have worked at several prestigious restaurants throughout the country, and they are committed to using local produce, listing Blue Heron, Bronson Hill, and Stick & Stone among the many regional farms whose harvest they utilize.
The menu lists six first courses ranging in price from six to 10 dollars; they could be appetizers, but could also serve as one of a series of tapas that would make a well-rounded meal - steamed mussels, beet salad, home-made pasta with smoked ham, collard greens, cream and taleggio are among the possibilities. A number of first and second daily specials are also available.
I started with the cheddar and Ithaca Nut Brown Ale soup; if you imbibe nothing else this fall, make sure you find this ambrosia. Smokey, sweet, and the cheddar is sharp, delectably so. Dining alone, I was able to concentrate on the atmosphere of Hazelnut: city-country-bistro, by which I mean that the Hazelnut has a rustic quality - informal ambience with the open kitchen tucked into one end of the dining room, and servers bustling about - but is as sophisticated as anything you might find in the East Village.
The collages on the wall, black and white tiles on the floor, and Nina Simone in the background make this a cosmopolitan pastoral. A salad with smoked salmon (hunks of salmon not slivers of lox), a poached egg, seasoned croutons, and red onions made a more than pleasant foil to the soup. That could have been a meal right there - fresh, lively ingredients, originally prepared, seasoned with a savory touch.
Behind the counter, Jonah was a pleasure to watch - completely absorbed in his work, he also heard every word uttered by his staff. Youthful, energetic, and in charge is Josh. Neither he nor Christine missed a beat; she has a savvy grace about her as she keeps an eye on all aspects of the service. One recommendation I have for improvement of the ambience: a little too bright inside Hazelnut. It would be more romantic with the lighting turned down; candles, and perhaps some greenery would soften some of the hard edges of the design.
Two white wines crossed my palate during my evening at Hazelnut: one, a Muscadet Sur Lie, very, very light, but nice with the potent appetizers, and then an Albarino, more medium bodied with a nice talk-back. There are 14 wines, mostly international, available by the glass, as well as beer, cider, ports and sherries.
Entrees run between 13 and 20 dollars. My hangar steak arrived with hand-cut fries and a malt vinegar aioli. The steak was perfectly tender at medium rare, and the fries were crispy, but without that greasily fried texture. I also sampled a vegan dish, buttercup squash filled with wheatberries, couscous, dried cherries, walnuts and caramelized onions, served with heirloom Calypso beans. This might sound like overload, but no, a perfect combination of flavors and textures. Hearty but not heavy. I took some home, and it held up well - for breakfast!
I also took dessert home. The offerings were overwhelming - hazelnut butter cake with raspberry puree, maple cheesecake with caramel sauce... but how I could resist this: dark chocolate peanut butter terrine with sesame seed brittle? Resist I did not, and Sarah, my easy-going and informed server, kindly packaged up my later-that-night treat. I'd never had before a sweet terrine nor sesame seed brittle. The terrine was rich and sexy, and that sesame seed brittle made the peanut sort of seem like a Mars bar. This was really subtle, the sort of thing that makes you run your tongue around your teeth for some time afterward.
Hazlenut was packed by 7pm - the word is out. Don't be left behind.
Hazlenut is located at 53 East Main St. in Trumansburg, and is open from 5:00-9:30 p.m., Thursday through Monday. Reservations accepted for parties of six or more. Their telephone is 607-387-4433. For further information, visit their website, www.hazelnutkitchen.com.
Restaurant stories in The Times are usually done with the knowledge of the establishment's owners. The writer generally is presented with a meal for two as a courtesy of the restaurant.