Right about now, you should be calling one of your pals to make plans to get to Verace, the newest restaurant from the Bohlsen Group, the folks who bring you Tellers, H2O and Prime. Verace is a slight departure for the team – not in quality of food or style – but perhaps in accessibility. Not that the aforementioned institutions are out of one’s reach, it’s just that Verace is there for the “everyday,” if you will.

The menu by Tuscan-born Executive Chef Francesco Torre harkens back to the rustic roots of Italian cooking in its simple elegance and plating.

Prices and portion sizes encourage diners to enjoy three or even five courses without busting one’s wallet or waistline – although I did leave rather full! There’s sfizi (little bites) such as grilled bread with tomato-fig marmalade and ricotta ($4). Antipasti or appetizers include assorted salumi, sliced on a 100-year-old slicer, with olives and bits of cheese and a selection of pizzas.

I had the pancetta pizza with mozz and mushrooms ($11); I didn’t want to share. Primi or pasta offerings include a grilled shrimp risotto with broccolini and maltagliati pasta with Tuscan Bolognese ($8-$13). But if you dare leave without trying the spaghetti with meatballs “A la Verace,” I will hunt you down. Among secondi or main dishes are braised veal osso bucco with creamy white polenta and a veal chop with Castelfranco radicchio and crispy artichokes ($14-$23). Four contorni or sides are polenta e formaggio, funghi saltati, pecorino potatoes and garlic broccoli rabe ($4).

For dessert, get the cannolis – they are made with white chocolate! Verace is one of those restaurants that upon leaving, I sighed, “I wish I lived closer.”

Tunisia is a modern Arab country with moderate politics located east of Algeria, south of Italy and west of Libya in North Africa on the Mediterranean Sea. Even though they have been an independent country since 1956, French is still spoken by almost every citizen due to the fact that France was a protectorate for decades. Tunisia was part of the Roman Empire for a few centuries and it also produced one of the great military minds of all time, Hannibal Barca of Carthage. Roman ruins abound in this nation roughly the size of Georgia.

On a recent visit – okay, it was a vacation – I was reintroduced to harissa, that wonderful piquant condiment prevalent in North African cooking. It appears in some form at every Tunisian meal period and is an excellent accompaniment to soups, stews and curries. (It’s hot but not habanero hot; the harissa heat is short-lived and stops short of needing hospitalization.) I don’t think I ever fully appreciated this sauce; now I am one of harissa’s evangelists. I am reminded of the Brylcream commercial of years ago (Yes, I am showing my age – it was a hair gel – and no, I don’t have any hair upon which to use it); their tag line was, “a little dab will do ya.” Indeed, a little dab of harissa will do you – or any of your dishes – well.

Rub it on meat or chicken before cooking. Mix it with a little olive oil and serve it with any meal as something to dip one’s bread in. The other night I put chopped cashews, raisins, figs, black olives and tomato in a saucepan. I added a half-teaspoon of harissa (maybe it was a whole teaspoon) and I cooked it for 10 minutes while I broiled chicken breasts. I simply spooned my “chutney” over the chicken, served it with mashed potatoes and voila: I had a unique dish that my 16 year-old son scarfed down with his compliments to the chef!

If you go to Tunisia make sure you hit the medina (aka the souk or “the market”); it is there that you will find a vendor selling fresh harissa, canned harissa, or garlic, dried peppers, coriander, cumin and caraway to make your own. The stuff you get in a can in a supermarket or gourmet store is also fine and quite serviceable. I was fortunate enough to drive through a town where they grew a LOT of peppers just outside Tunis, and saw the peppers hanging out to dry. Quite a sight.

Cu29 Wine & Bistro (100 S. Main St., Sayville, [631] 563-0805) is the brainchild of Manny Lakios the brilliant businessman and Sayville landlord of the former iconic Collins & Main. Smart guys do smart things – like hire all-star chefs: enter Sean Blakeslee formerly of Porters on the Lane, Mazzei’s and the Crows Nest. If you wondered where he’s been, well, you’ve found him now.

The new restaurant is named after the periodic table element of copper (Cu) and its atomic number (29). The décor is warm; the food, dynamic. There are two dining rooms separated by French doors, a cozy bar area and an enticing lounge with black leather banquettes. Sleek comes to Sayville.

For starters we had winter panzanella salad ($9) with white beans, roasted tomatoes and focaccia – which was ravaged with multiple forks and a pulled duck confit flat bread ($11); I could have eaten about five of them.

From the entrée selection – items which are designed to be shared – we had duck rolled cigars with apricot dipping sauce ($10), and Thai BBQ chicken skewers with grilled pineapple slaw ($7). Both were solid, appetizer-style selections.

Two entrees - seared Day Boat scallops with wild mushroom risotto and black truffle essence ($16), and Algerian spice- rubbed lamb chops with cous cous and roasted baby peppers ($17) – are rich, full flavored dishes.

Oh, one last thing: dessert. I’m still thinking about a very light raspberry phyllo dough Napoleon with coconut lemon curd and Thai basil syrup. Very light. Very nice.

The service is professional; the atmosphere was cozy. And we were there on Night One. Cu29 could be code for See You To-Night. (Get it?)

Every so often we run into an existing restaurant that we knew nothing about save an overheard nice comment here and there: Thyme Restaurant and Café Bar in Roslyn is one such eatery. We had heard of it, sure. But we didn’t know what to expect in terms of quality of food, service, let alone décor.

Owned by longtime single mom, Nancy Serna, and with a kitchen manned by Lebanese cuisinier, Khaldoun Said, Thyme’s moment is now. (Notice I didn’t say, Thyme’s “time” is now? It was tempting but bored even me to death; I digress.) Said has a deft touch with each of the dishes we tried; he’s a superb cook.

But what intrigued me most were some of the combinations: I’ve never had diced hash-brown potatoes with crabmeat. It worked!

A new menu item – braised short ribs – was served over cheesy grits (not polenta). Real grits. As in Savannah, Georgia grits. I always figure that restaurants have a signature dish. Whether or not Thyme has one they are partial to, I’ll name one for them: the double cut pork chop with this delish fruit tart. The chop was enough for two – thick, juicy, dressed with a nice rub. The accompanying fruit tart was clearly created with thought: apricots, apples, cherries, and mini-chunks of sweet potato were housed in a light pastry shell: I had to have another bite, another bite, and another bite.

Other dishes sampled included Fuji apple and endive salad, crispy sautéed crab cake (excellent jicama and apple slaw) and warm wild mushroom and goat cheese. All were really pleasing. A seafood paella (solid) and pan seared Diver sea scallops rounded out the entrees. (It was the scallops that featured that flavorful crabmeat-Yukon potato hash.)

Desserts were all house made (yes, the ice cream too).

If I lived closer to Roslyn, I would make it a point to befriend this restaurant, this restauranteur and this fine chef. In the meantime, you could go. Now.

Power dining: The Great Chefs event at the Hayground School on August 9 was a success – and why wouldn’t it be? When you have chefs like Tom Schaudel, Kevin Penner, Gerry Hayden, Andrew Engle, Cheryl Stair, Claudia Fleming, Joe Realmuto and Paul DelFavero cooking up the treats, those folks from Weight Watchers just shake their heads and walk away. And, oh yes, Le Bernardin’s Eric Ripert! I arrived late as I was winding my way down all day (three ferries, thank you) from Ogunquit, Maine. The night before, I had the pleasure of dining at Arrows. I stumbled upon Arrows to be honest, but I’ll return: I rate it just below my dining experiences at Tru and Per Se. Some nice touches: they have a rather large garden adjacent to the restaurant – many of the herbs, lettuces and vegetables found their way to my plate. My lasting memory is my first impression: as we walked up the stone pathway to the restaurant from the parking lot, a server was stationed out front offering canapés. Nice.

Tis the Season: Check out the shrimp tacos at La Fondita in Amagansett . . . or a lobster roll at the Clam Bar out on the Napeague Stretch – you’ll often see Alec Baldwin flying solo chowing on fried clams and chowder at the counter.

I know it’s truly summer when it’s Chefs & Champagne time. Each year the James Beard Foundation holds a summer fundraiser by that name at Wolffer Estate Vineyard in Sagaponack in mid-to-late July. The basic premise is this: chefs from Manhattan come out to the Hamptons to show their stuff, and foodies from the metro area come to feast. Yes, you pay money and the money supports the foundation’s mission, which is to: “celebrate, preserve, and nurture America’s culinary heritage and diversity in order to elevate the appreciation of our culinary excellence.” I think James Beard would be very pleased.

The people-spotting is fantastic – especially if you’re a foodie. One time Martha Stewart practically knocked me down to get some gazpacho. This year the JBF honored award-winning restauranteurs Alex von Bidder and Julian Niccolini of the Four Seasons for 50 years of running the Four Seasons. In the past, I’ve had the honor of meeting Julia Child, Wolfgang Puck, Daniel Boulud, Alfred Portale, Thomas Keller and Ruth Reichl. Put the event on your list for next summer.

A couple of local restaurants are invited each year, and this year Chef/owner Damien O’Donnell of Harbor Bistro (up on Three Mile Harbor Road in East Hampton) killed em with local lobster and mango crisps with citrus nam pia (awesome) and Citarella adjunct, Jeremy Culver of Fulton could barely keep up with the demand for his delicious grilled octopus. I hit Rebecca Charles’ (Pearl Oyster Bar) table about three times for her mini-lobster rolls. And I went back to Vermilion’s table for Chef Maneet Chauhan’s Indian street food (Latin duck vindaloo; Indian Chaat Pani Puri and cucumber-watermelon gazpacho). Yum. The Harrison’s Amanda Freitag and her pastry chef Colleen Grapes wowed me with grilled heirloom tomato soup with poblano sour cream and cilantro and tri-star strawberry shortcake with corn biscuit and basil.

To top the evening off, I scored a Blenheim cigar (co-produced, if you will, by Winston Churchill’s grandson and Davidoff) at the VIP after-party. The tobacco is Dominican grown with Cuban seed. Smoked like it was straight from Havana. Nice. Thank you James Beard Foundation.

Every once in a while one is privy to a culinary surprise, in this case the marvel came in the form of an extraordinary spur-of-the-moment dinner at the new Rugosa on Montauk Highway in Wainscott. The location is one known to anyone who traverses Rte. 27; it’s the restaurant with the tank. Forget the tank: go to dine.

Rugosa is the brainchild of Bill and Yvette Mammes. Here’s what you need to know: Yvette cooked for Thomas Keller at Bouchon, at Le Cirque at the Bellagio and at Alex at the Wynn in Las Vegas; Bill opened Hubert Keller’s Fleur de Lys in the same town. They met while working at the Ritz-Carlton in New Orleans. He’s a CIA grad and originally from Massapequa. Now that we’ve qualified them, could you go?

Need more convincing? Then take my word for it. Try the duck cannelloni ($11) for starters: duck confit, trumpet royale mushrooms and sautéed spinach with star anise – I inhaled it.

Or the summer gazpacho ($10) with stuffed squash blossom with scallop mousse, brunois zucchini and red pepper – very refreshing.

Entrees sampled included roasted Cod ($23) with canelli beans, artichokes, chorizo and garlic in artichoke broth (wow); seared Long Island duck breast ($31) with curry polenta cake, date chutney, turnips and five spice duck jus (loved this dish); pan roasted chicken breast ($25) with local fava beans, roasted fingerlings with red pepper, and pearl onions with chicken jus; and seared sea scallops ($28) with blanched cauliflower, cucumber-horseradish sauce and beet confit.

Desserts – courtesy of Mrs. Mammes – were inventive. I loved the chocolate rice pudding with milk sorbet! The frozen noughat vanished about as soon as it hit the table; ditto the marscapone cheesecake with poached rhubarb.

The sleek and warm dining room is very ably patrolled by accredited sommelier, Chimene Visser. Colorful art adorns the walls courtesy of local artists. This is a serious restaurant with relaxed professional service that deserves recognition - and a visit. It’s just a really, really good restaurant. Go!

Every town should have a Library Café. Farmingdale does, and as a testament to its pull, J.T. dined there during the U.S. Open. Yes – THAT J.T. – Justin Timberlake, who worked Bethpage Black just prior to the Open while prepping for a Pro-Am with Michael Jordan and Pittsburgh Steelers’ quarterback, Ben Roethlisberger.

While Megan and I didn’t quite command that kind of buzz, we did have a great mid-week lunch. Starters included a goat cheese and pear salad (Meg – she liked) and Cajun popcorn shrimp (which I devoured).

Meg opted for the penne alla vodka with artichoke hearts and prosciutto, while I had a creatively named North Fork grilled cheese, which included goat cheese, rocket arugula, roasted tomatoes, Applewood bacon on seven grain bread – along with a healthy portion of sweet potato fries.

Dessert – as if we had room – consisted of a very yummy blondie with ice cream, which we split.

I guess the thing that strikes a chord with me as per the Library Café is that it’s an honest restaurant: solid service, solid food and a warm, uplifting interior. There’s a second floor that seats 30 or more, a tall mirror behind the bar and the requisite bookshelves. Best read? The menu, of course!

Been a whirlwind lately - here’s what I’ve been up to: had a nice lunch with Helen Cleland of Plum TV at Estia’s Little Kitchen in Sag Harbor. It’s a perfect little lunch spot - she had the day’s special which was grilled halibut over greens; I had Dolores’ egg salad sandwich on whole grain: excellent. They kept filling my iced tea. Nice.

Later that evening - en route to Manhattan for Peter Tunney’s art opening (BTW - his brother is John Tunney of Besito, HONU Kitchen + Cocktail, and American Roadside Burger fame), I noticed that the third Hamptons Citarella opened right on Montauk Highway in Bridgehampton, so I stopped in. And there was owner Joe Gurrera urging all construction-types to finish up here, move that there. Meanwhile the store is spankin’.

In ethnic food news: the very authentic La Fondita (Mex take-out in Amagansett) has reopened in its familiar location next to Art of Eating. Been there three times in ten days: fresh tamales, wicked guac with plenty of cilanthro, fresh watermelon juice. Love that place - may as well be in Mexico City. And finally, last Saturday found me barreling down Bay Parkway in Brooklyn to get to a free salsa lesson. On the way, I noticed a Turkish spot by the name of Istanbul. I talked snookums into a post-lesson bite: we were blessed by better than average acili ezme, falafels, hummus, lamacun, salmon kebabs and cunefe. I’ll be back, but you should go - to all these places. Cheers!

Who’s got it better than us? We got to hit the newly transplanted, upgraded, redone Mirabelle now ensconced at The Three Village Inn in Stony Brook, before the crowds, the other night. First, we tip our berets to Guy’s lovely wife, Maria, who runs a smooth dining room but also knows how to make any Anglo feel at home with a “high French” menu by immediately describing dishes in need of a Berlitz translator. Now that we were disarmed (Papeton is an eggplant mousse), we took a look around the elegant dining room: it is spare, elegant, warm – one of those rooms where one feels special. And clearly the effect of the design is to make the real focus of one’s attention on one’s plate: it’s about the food.

Raw hamachi with sea salt and fennel salad titillated my mouth and the trilogy of rabbit is a beautifully executed dish in terms of presentation and flavor. I had bites from my mates’ loin of lamb; “Painted Hill Farm” beef fillet; and the aforementioned Papeton Provencal vegetables – one of the more dynamic vegetable plates I’ve ever encountered. Desserts included a wonderful raspberry soufflé, a perfect profiterole and a classic crème brulee. Even the coffee service – French press – was top notch. Dang that Guy Reuge is good.