We headed to Fauna in Westhampton Beach with a party of 10 people. Normally you do not get the best experience with such a large party and it is hard to judge a restaurant with this size party. But it is what it is.
A few quick things about Fauna, it is one of the seven restaurants run by Rooted Hospitality. We have had a whole bunch of fun at Cowfish and Rumba. At Fauna, they went with a New American culinary experience. New American sounds like fancy and upscale way of traditional American food. It turns out that New American cuisine is a culinary style that emerged in the 1980s, characterized by its fusion of diverse culinary influences and a focus on fresh, local, and seasonal ingredients. It builds upon traditional American cooking techniques while incorporating flavors and techniques from various international cuisines, including French, Italian, Asian, Latin American. As much as I want to hate this kind of neuvo farm to table food, it turns out that I am fan Who knew?
Ambiance and Atmosphere
When you arrive at Fauna, you feel like you are walking into someone’s home because it is an old house renovated into a restaurant. Each room is set up as different dining alcoves with rich wood paneling and large windows that create an open and airy feel. My key lesson is that there are definite tiers of rooms (or outdoors) that you want to sit in. Each room has a distinct feeling. My preference is the outside seating. They even have a separate outside area for large parties. I don’t know who you have to know to get that table but it is ideal.
The Culinary Experience
The menu when boiled down is a choice of fish, steak and chicken. If you go, there are some standout dishes that need to be ordered.
Appetizers: The Popover is absolute must. It was the highlight of our meal. It came out warm and fresh along with herbed butter. Hats off to the Rooted Hospitality group because they tend to nail the bread appetizer (a reference to the amazing skillet cornbread at Cowfish!).
For a table of 10, our appetizer choices were not that broad. We ordered 4 half orders of the Caesar Salad, a Wedge Salad and a Lobster Bisque. A helpful note, they will split most salads (other than the Baby Gem Salad) for an additional charge. While the Caesar Salad was good, I do miss the days of the Caesar Salad table side preparation. My one gripe about the Caesar Salad is that I like the lettuce to be cut as opposed to being served whole. Too much work on my end.
After the popovers, the best appetizer was the Lobster Bisque. They really nailed the combination of a real lobster flavor (along with nice chunks of lobster in the soup) and a rich and aromatic soup. The soup had a creamy texture that had the appropriate thickness but not to the level where it could be confused with a chowder. This was the best Lobster Bisque that I have had in the last 5 years!
For entrees, we had two Whole Chickens, three Flounders, one petit filet mignon, one Salad with Petit Filet Mignon added to it and 1 Scallop special. Once again the lack of variety is amazing. Everyone seemed to enjoy their meals. The best presentation award goes to the flounders with the plantains draped over it. For me, I shared the chicken and tasted the scallops. The scallops were prepared perfected and seasoned really nicely.
The Fauna’s Signature Chicken for two is worthy of a description. It is a fully deboned whole organic chicken, roasted garlic, charred lemon, French pressed poultry glacé. The French pressed glace really complimented the succulent flavor of the chicken. This entrée was definitely a highlight of the meal for me. I will say that I nailed the ordering that night. From the popovers to the Lobster Bisque and ending up with the Fauna’s Signature Chicken. I almost could not ask for anything more except for a good dessert.
While we did not order a dessert, I would have high hopes for them based upon the desserts from their other restaurants (the flower pot, skillet cookie and banana cream pie)
Service
Our waitstaff was super-efficient to the border of being rushed. We were finished in an hour and half. That is the quickest meal that I ever had with a large party. Our waitress never asked if any of us would like a second drink or coffee after our meal. She also downplayed the dessert options. Other than the rushed feeling, out waitress was knowledgeable and did steer us right when we asked for her opinion.
Overall Impression
Fauna in Westhampton Beach delivers on its promise of an upscale New American dining experience. It has an elegant but comfortable setting with various indoor and outdoor options. The menu combines seasonal ingredients to deliver expertly prepared dishes. Some dishes outshine others. The best in breed are the Popovers, Lobster Bisque and Fauna’s Signature Chicken. I just wish it was not such a fast paced meal bordering on a fast food restaurant.