New Restaurant to Open in East Quogue

A new restaurant is set to open Memorial Day weekend in the former two-year-old La Lanterna restaurant in East Quogue.

The new 80-seat restaurant, called the Station, according to owner Rafe Worthington, of Quogue, and his partner, Marina Rutherfurd, is based on a farm-to-table model where most everything served is either grown or landed locally.

The owners said they are already working with local farms, including Invincible Summer, Early Girl Farm and Mecox Bay Dairy.

"Our small menu will most closely fit the eclectic 'new American' box—with an emphasis on seasonality— but without being bound by it," said the owners, who have brought in Lucia Soria as the restaurant's executive chef.

Soria trained under South America’s pre-eminent chef, Francis Mallmann, working for seven years in his restaurants in Buenos Aires, Punta del Este. She then opened her own restaurant, Restaurant Lucifer in the Uruguayan resort town of Garcon and a second restaurant, Jacinto in the Uruguayan capital, Montevideo.

Worthington, meanwhile, started his professional career in Italy, helping to open a restaurant and nightclub in Abu Dhabi and Rutherfurd worked and freelanced at Vanity Fair for three years  —  first in editorial and later in the special projects department, which included promotions, event planning and marketing. 

As to drinks, the restaurant's wine selection will also be local with wines from Shinn Estates, Lieb Cellars, Channing Daughters represented. Cocktails will also be infused with local flavor, featuring garden herbs and fresh juices.

For the past several months, Rutherfurd, who has worked as a freelance consultant for several interior design, fashion, and decorating companies, and Worthington have been working to transform the location into a "destination, not just within the community, but for all those looking for a departure from the ordinary."

"We want each guest to feel as though they have walked into a boisterous and elegant dinner party," said Rutherfurd.

To bring the vision to life, Rutherfurd and Worthington have worked "domesticate" the restaurant with details as Custom Cool Kilim deck chairs, Sister Parish Design pillows, Le Labo candles, C.O. Bigelow rosemary mint hand soap, custom-made canvas aprons, black palm wood table settings, and an outdoor backgammon nook.

Aside from its 35 indoor seats, there are 55 outdoor seats on a patio, surrounded by plants and a Patrick Blanc-inspired Vertical Garden.

Station will not only be open in the evening with a slate of live music events this summer, but also in the early morning until noon, serving Stumptown Coffee and breakfast treats baked in-house by Station's pastry chef Carolina Ferpozzi, who hails from Uruguay.

For more information on Station, visit them on Facebook.