Estia's Little Kitchen Wins Prestigious Slow Food East End Award

SAG HARBOR, NY-A popular South Fork eatery just garnered a prestigious honor.

Slow Food East End announced this week that Estia’s Little Kitchen in Sag Harbor was recently awarded the chapter’s prestigious Snail of Approval.

“The Snail of Approval recognizes businesses that incorporate the Slow Food ideals of good, clean, and fair food into all aspects of their food operation. When customers choose a restaurant that has been awarded the Snail of Approval, they know they are consuming quality food that is mostly local, sustainably raised and grown, and delicious. The mission of the East End Chapter of Slow Food is to spread the word about the health, economic, and environmental advantages of eating locally and seasonally,” a release read.

For over 25 years Estia’s has been a fixture on the South Fork and an early adopter of the farm-to-table philosophy.

“Chef Colin Ambrose, owner, is committed to sourcing the freshest, seasonal ingredients. His connection to farmers and local producers has spanned 22 years as a member of Quail Hill Farm and the steward of his own kitchen garden,” the release read. “Estia’s satisfies the senses on many levels with Colin’s creative take on healthy American-Mexican fare, his friendly, knowledgeable staff, and the cozy ambience, reminiscent of a gentler time on the South Fork. Customers crave this experience and their favorite signature dishes enough to wait patiently for an available table or stool at the bar.”

Chef Ambrose, Slow Food East End said, “lives Slow Foods’s philosophy and practice of good, clean, and fair food by offering quality dining at affordable prices and his involvement with the local community.”

Ambrose, Slow Food East End Said, is a staunch supporter of school gardens, opening his restaurant to fundraisers such as Eileen’s Angels, and participating in The Joshua Levine Memorial Foundation and Slow Food East End’s fundraiser for Edible School Gardens the past six years.

Estia’s Little Kitchen joins The North Fork Table & Inn in Southold, Nick & Toni’s in East Hampton, Noah’s in Greenport, 18 Bay Restaurant on Shelter Island, and Love Lane Kitchen in Mattituck as restaurants having earned the Snail of Approval.

Slow Food is a non-profit, member-supported organization that advocates for healthy food produced with minimal damage to the environment. The East End Chapter, encompassing the North and South Forks, is part of the global Slow Food network of over 100,000 members in more than 150 countries. Through a vast volunteer network of local chapters, youth and food communities, the organization says they “link the pleasures of the table with a commitment to protect the community, culture, knowledge and environment that make this pleasure possible. Our mission as an international grassroots membership organization is good, clean and fair food for all.”

Patch photo by Slow Food East End: Slow Food East End Vice Chair, Pierre Friedrichs, Snail of Approval Chair Robin Tyson-Stoehr, Estia’s Owner / Chef Colin Ambrose, Slow Food East End Chair Anne Howard.