Hamptons
July 30, 2007
As I plow through the perpetual blizzard of new eateries, I've discovered many a dish that aught be devoured immediately. Thus, I'm officially kicking off my newly inducted weekly edition of "Dish of the Week", or in this particular case...dessert.
Seeing that summer's in full and much of the New York dining set have, for better or worse, made the Hamptons their weekend escape, I've sifted through the lot and happened upon a dessert so divinely dreamy it's just wrong. That's right...dreamy. While the parking lot mayhem at dining fixture Nick & Toni's may compel you to continue farther East to The Clam Bar in Amangansett (a worthwhile & laid back alternative), the peach & walnut tarte is inarguably worth clamoring for a parking spot. As we sunk our spoons into the gooey depths of this blissfully warm nibble of summer, silence fell over our table. A dense, flaky pastry shell was the perfect platform for a mess of supple chunks of fresh peaches & crunchy bits of walnut, all topped with a intense nectarine ice cream. But pastry chef Molly Harding didn't stop there. Oh no, she went beyond the call of duty, drizzling the already toothsome creation with caramel sauce. While dinner at Nick & Toni's is anything but a bargain (an appetizer of sheep's milk ricotta, speck & honey goes for $18), the nearly transporting whisper of this $12 sweet nothing seems like a bargain.
Address: 136 North Main St., East Hampton
Phone: 631.324.3550
Weekly Hamptons Fix: The Beach
Until we eat again,
Restaurant Girl
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May 30, 2007
New York City's loss tastes a lot like Sag Harbor's gain as Scott Conant resurfaces at the beach. After his recent split with partner Chris Cannon, Conant made an exit from the kitchens of L'Impero & Alto. But before parting, he left his mark as a capable Italian chef with a clientele so loyal they followed him all the way to a quaint new eatery overlooking the Sag Harbor Marina. Co-owners Larry Baum & retired Conde Nast CEO Steve Florio brilliantly wrangled Conant to consult on the straightforward Italian menu. "I'm not reinventing the wheel," Scott explains as he details the bold, but simple flavors in an asparagus & mussel soup or fritto misto.
The cozy, yellow-tinted setting offers 30 thirty already very precious seats. Only the Thursday before Memorial Day Weekend and there was already a 45 minute wait for a table. There's also patio seating, but that's presently serving as a waiting area while the staff settles in for the summer. I scrambled for one of five bar seats: with generous wiggle room and a view of the marina, these are unquestionably the best seats in the house. Known more for its flashy club scene than haute dining, Tutto Il Giorno throws the Hamptons a curveball.
First came glistening pearls of branzino, silkened with olive oil and avocado, then dusted with the perfect sprinkling of sea salt. Next, an enormously flavorful bowl of emerald green pea soup, served cold and capped with goat cheese & crunchy tarragon croutons. But Conant throws the knockout punch with an intoxicatingly fragrant polenta with truffled mushroom fricassee. (Heads turned as my truffle-seduced polenta traveled through the dining room. Seriously.) I hadn't even gotten to the main courses and I'd already hit a culinary climax.
While the rest of meal was mostly excellent, nothing could trump the polenta. Still, endearingly irregular strands of spaghetti brushed with just-plucked tomato sauce, made a sterling effort. A few dishes did veer slightly off course: an uneventful snapper lacked gusto and what seemed like an entire ciabatta loaf swallowed a terrific soft shell crab. Mingled with avocado, tomato and a spicy kick of dressed-up mayonnaise, slices could quickly remedy this otherwise delicious sandwich.
Let's just hope Scott Conant returns to the city come Labor Day.
Address: 5 Bay Street, Sag Harbor NY
Phone:631.725.7009
Until we eat again,
Restaurant Girl
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June 27, 2006
341 Pantiago Road
East Hampton, NY
631-324-3199
TYPE: Contemporary American
VIBE: The city takes the Hamptons.
OCCASION: A family outing.
GO WITH: Grownups (parents or family).
DON'T MISS DISH: BBQ baby back ribs
DON'T BOTHER DISH: Laundry chowder
PRICE: $45 & up
RESERVATIONS: Recommended (It's the Hamptons).
HOURS: Dinner, Monday-Sunday, 5:30-11 PM.
Losing its lease after twenty-five years, The Laundry, practically a Hamptons restaurant insitution, has moved into the former home of the Farmhouse (an alluring country chic space). What could've been a potential blessing in disguise, has been sadly undone by the recent renovations. The newly modern Laundry lacks all of the charm of not only the old Laundry, but also the now defunct Farmhouse. It's been transformed into a minimalist white space decked with black-and-white accents, mirrored walls, potted orchids & the occasional orchid print (all of which seemed out of place at the beach never mind a farmhouse).
There is hope: a black marble bar with an attractive wood-burning oven is a great solution for reservation-challenged diners, a casual meal, or dining alone (seats 15-20). It was definitely buzzing Sunday night with lots of see-and-be-scenesters, of the older NY money crowd, 50-70 year olds. Lots of divorcees slyly prowling over their extra-thick sirloin steak, juicy, but slightly overcooked.
I was relieved to discover the new menu still has most Laundry classics intact (BBQ ribs, chicken). Call me nostalgic, I started off with the BBQ baby back ribs, sufficiently smothered in a smoky yet subtly sweet sludge of BBQ sauce, tasty but not fall-off-the-bone tender (which is apparently intentional according to owner, Stuart Kreisler, as they braise the ribs first). The roasted organic beets were simply dressed with slivers of fresh fennel, pistachios and a rather remarkable black walnut vinaigrette (they should bottle the stuff). However, the chowder was tomato broth heavy and very light on seafood (I found but one lone clam in my bowl). Experiencing buyer's remorse by way of chowder, I snuck a bite of a friend's Laundry Hamburger, overcooked and chewy, then refocused my efforts on a salty mountain of perfectly crunchy fries. We ordered seconds. A food fight ensued over the grilled scottish salmon: mine arrived overcooked and dry (must be a new theme), while my friend's was moist & perfectly cooked. We called a truce over the accompanying roasted artichokes, leeks and a flavorful puddle of potato puree, all doused with a first-rate tapenade vinaigrette.
Sometimes, going back to a reincarnated restaurant can be like having dinner with an ex - it's just not as good as you remembered. Thus was the case with the toffee cake, a mere phantom of the gooey sweet toffee cake of The Laundry's past - this one, was overly-cloying and gluey. All was not lost at The Laundry - the BBQ ribs were still worthy of their long-standing reputation and more importantly, matches were made & digits exchanged at The Hamptons most unlikely singles bar.
Until we eat again,
Restaurant Girl
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