What can be said about the Hampton’s that hasn’t been said before? It is a land of contrasts. On the one hand, there are amazing farms offering some of the freshest and tastiest produce you will ever find. No matter that in the parking lot of the produce stand, you will find Bentley’s next to your Honda or the spare Ferrari. This is the land of the one percenters. But with some of the most beautiful beaches on the Eastern Seaboard, there is ample opportunity for some of us regular folks to enjoy it with a few helpful tips!
Where should you start? Many people have heard of East Hampton, which is a starry town known for fancy restaurants and Ina Garten, the host of the show “Barefoot Contessa” and best-selling cookbook author. It isn’t uncommon to see celebrities as this is ground zero in terms of their stomping grounds. Steven Spielberg, Jerry Seinfeld, Gwyneth Paltrow and many others live close by. In fact, we checked out GOOP, Gwyneth’s business located in Sag Harbor and ran into her daughter Apple and her mom, Blythe Danner. The first time I visited, John and I sat right next to the late Danny Aiello. It’s that kind of place.
The Hamptons are part of the East End of Long Island and comprise a series of villages that stretch along the South Fork of Suffolk County, New York. The most famous towns include Montauk, which is a surfers delight and Southampton, known for one of the best beaches on the East Coast, Cooper’s Beach, which is a string of white sand surrounded by some of the priciest real estate in the United States.
Each village has its own unique character, but all have establishments that many people will recognize from New York City including Citarella, a gourmet grocery store, and fashion houses including Tori Burch, Ralph Lauren and Jimmy Choo. There are fancy spas, cheese stores and fresh seafood to be found in virtually every town. No one seems to balk at the high prices, but when you see the number of private planes taking off and landing at East Hampton Airport, you will understand why.
The place that I fell in love with on one of my first trips was Sag Harbor. It seems like it is a world away from the New England styled villages that dot the lower part of the fork, yet the celebs are quite enamored of it as well. But it wasn’t always a well-heeled place. It has a unique history. It became a major port for the whaling industry and the processing and sale of whale oil. By 1789, Sag Harbor had more square-rigged vessels than even New York City, becoming an international port. But when the whaling industry depicted in Herman Melville’s Moby Dick went away in 1847, the town began to fall on hard times. And by the time John Steinbeck lived there it was a largely working-class town with no active tourism and had become a run-down factory town. To view this town today, you would have no idea of it’s past however. Now, there is a charming Main Street with fancy shops and restaurants and beautiful restored homes. Not to mention there are some of the biggest private yachts seen outside of Monte Carlo.
Restaurants and Other Establishments
Where does one eat when confronted with some of the most expensive prices one will ever see or experience in the continental U.S.? Thoughtfully as it turns out. Cocktails at some places are $20 or more each and entrees at even a roadside shack are $40. If you have a rental house, you can try to make meals. But even some of the grocery stores are fairly expensive. If you can shop before you come and get the basics, it will serve you well.
Here are a few places we liked that didn’t break the bank:
Bostwick’s Chowder House – this roadside establishment close to East Hampton is casual dining at its finest with a beachy feel and a menu to match the mood. The New England clam chowder was delicious, and we enjoyed the fluke special – fluke Milanese over arugula with lemon. It was unfussy and really fun.
Cappeletti Italian Grill – this well-established Italian restaurant located in Noyac, just outside of Sag Harbor, offers delicious pizza, pasta and all of the usual Italian fare that is common to many New Yorkers. Of course, being that this is New York, you can expect that it is a notch above where many of us live using only the freshest ingredients. The prices are also fairly reasonable, which means this should be a place on speed dial during the duration of your trip!
Page at 63 Main – For one of your splurge nights, may I suggest this establishment? With fresh seafood on the menu and lamb chops and steaks with fine cocktails, no one will go away disappointed. The setting is beautiful, right on Sag Harbor’s Main Street, with a gorgeous outside deck with heaters and an interior with a lot of spacing between tables.
Ditch Witch – okay, I know what you’re thinking. A food truck at the beach? How good can that be? Pretty good as it turns out. I admit I was a bit dubious, but a friend who was staying at a rental for a month told us we needed to try the Tomahawk poke bowl, and we became fast converts to the excellence. This is not the typical shack as fresh seafood, wraps, burritos and even ice cream are offered. If you come early, get the egg sandwich. This a truck that knows what its customers need after a day of surfing on the famous Ditch Plains beach!
Grindstone Donuts – every morning, I loved to get up early and take a quick drive over to Sag Harbor and head over to grab a cup of coffee and some of the best donuts at Grindstone with flavors such as churro, s’mores, maple sea salt, and lemon poppy seed glazed (my personal favorite).
Levain Bakery – as I am blessed to be married to a native New Yorker, I get up to the city most years on a few occasions and have had the chance to visit this well known establishment known for some of the best and biggest cookies anyone will every experience. Personally, I have never tried the oatmeal raisin, but I can tell you that if you like chocolate chip and walnut cookies, this is one of the best. It’s huge and it is as good as everyone says it is! This bakery offers a bit more than the Manhattan based establishments, including pizzas, breads, and loaf cakes. Don’t leave without checking it out!
Recommendations
1. Visit Iacono Farms and purchase fresh chicken and eggs. It’s an institution. I had been here once before on the recommendation of Ina Garten and it is delightful. The people who own the farm are friendly and they will give you a discount if the whole chicken you are purchasing happens to be missing a leg – true story! The chicken is juicy and delicious and is perfect for your grill or as a roaster.
2. Go to the Gorgeous Beaches. On this most recent trip, we visited Ditch Plains in Montauk and Sagg Main Beach in Sagaponeck. Both were stunning, but if you are interested in surfing, Ditch Plains is where you need to go. The only challenge is that parking permits are required and there is no easy way to come by one unless you are a resident. This is how the area keeps out the weekenders and others who may be interested in coming out for a few days. But we went to the beach early before they started checking permits at 9:30. It’s not ideal, but that’s one way to do it. Or you can visit a friend as we did who was staying at a rental in Montauk. Finally, you can have a friend or family member drive you and drop you off, or Uber if it comes down to it. Not the easiest, but at least you will avoid fines or tickets!
3. Check out Shelter Island. Take the South Ferry, close to Sag Harbor and visit Shelter Island. Things are a little more laid back there and the shops and restaurants are perfect. This is New York after all. You might think that on a place where time appears to have stood still, you might not be able to pick up your favorite wine. Think again. It’s a magical place and it entrances you from the second you step off the ferry.
4. Don’t even think about not visiting the North Fork of Long Island. Greenport is famous as one of the busiest ports during prohibition where a few enterprising bootleggers shipped liquor from Canada and even places as far away as France and the UK. But it’s a charming town, with nice restaurants, a carousel for the kids, boat tours, and more. Just outside of town are some of New York State’s best wineries and Orient Point offers a beautiful park with a beach and concessions. One of my favorite stops outside of Greenport in East Marion is Lavender by the Bay, a farm that produces soaps, and all kinds of products made with the gorgeous and relaxing scent of the purple hued flowers.
5. Have some seafood. Long Island is famous for oysters, scallops, and all kinds of fish. Fluke is often on the menu and is a made a variety of ways. My personal favorite is fried to a deep crisp and placed on top of a salad. But you should always have the scallops if you see them on a menu too. Their shells are all over the Peconic Bay and they are amongst the freshest available.
6. Stop at some of the famous general stores and farm stands. If you can swing by Riverhead, plan to do so and check out Briermere Farms, which is famous for it’s wonderful pies. Blueberry peach is heaven, but there are many other flavors to choose from! And when out in Orient Point, don’t forget to stop at the Orient General Store, where you can pick up a flawless blueberry pie in season and delicious salted oatmeal cookies.