Review: Dark Horse Restaurant

Overview: opened in September 2010. Located on the corner of Peconic Avenue and E Main Street, the restaurant is about as close to 'downtown' as it gets. Owner Dee Muma and Executive Chef Jeff Trujillo both come from neighboring Tweed's Restsurant and Buffalo Bar, after operating its off-premesis catering company, Dark Horse Catering, for the last several years.

Decor: With possibly the busiest intersection in town only steps away, it's hard not to feel like Dark Horse is located in a busier area than it actually is. that those days are not far away. Large windows spanning from one corner of the restaurant on Peconic Avenue to the other on E Main Street bring the action inside. Add to it the posh-meets-casual interior decorating which includes throwback paraphenalia inside glass, waist-high rails, leather seats lining the exterior of the room, and a bar that takes up nearly an entire wall of the restaurant, the Dark Horse has a feel all of its own. The setting is intimate, seating roughly 40 at tables and another half dozen or so at the bar.

Drinks: Dark Horse offers more regular taps (4) of Greenport Harbor Brewery beers than any other bar or restaurant, said Greenport Harbor's head brewer, DJ Swanson. The wine selection varies from Peconic to California to France, with glass prices ranging from $7 to $9, and bottle prices ranging from $28 to $36. Cocktails include the locally-inspired 'Watermellow,' 'Latino Mary' - which uses house-made salsa - and their national-finalist, 'Sange Froide.'

Menu: Soups, salads, shellfish, and a couple entrees on the menu contain two prices, for a bigger and smaller serving. Six salad options ($6/$11) are available for green eaters, including a brasserie salad which contains roasted walnuts, (perfectly salted) roasted beets, and sliced apples that provide a welcome twist. The french onion soup ($4/$7) is thick, creamy, and full of flavor.

 The braised shanks of lamb ($18) fit right into chef Jeff Trujillo's menu. Served with onions and not over-spiced, the lamb shanks complemented the smashed red b potatoes ($5), though the creamed spinach ($5) worked well next to the shanks also. Other side options include sauteed mushrooms ($7), caramelized onions ($5) and almond rice ($5).

'Special sides'($9) include the award-winning duck pate and bison pate, served with bread, spiced mustard and a side sauce.

All entree items, except the MP fresh catch fish, are under $20. Unless you take "The Expensive Spread (but oh-so wunderful!)" route on the menu. A porterhouse prime, $94 for two people, tops the list.

Options on the entree list range from the garden (brown lentil salad with orange and smoked turkey confit - $19) to the sea (salmon paillard, buerre blanc, chives - $19) to the farm (pork tenderloin, red wine redux and roasted fruit - $18). Muma and Trujillo harken back their Tweed's days, offering two bison burgers with fristes and three sauces for $16.

For dessert (all $6), the wait staff suggested the blondie with caramel ice cream and peanut brittle: sweet but not too filling. Entree dish sizes, coupled with the right amount of side dishes, save just enough room for a sweet and tasty dessert.

Signature Dish: Duck pate