Each Memorial Day, the East End welcomes a host of new restaurants, but the summer of 2017 has particularly rich offerings, including two outposts of iconic Manhattan spots as well as new eateries and offerings from Hamptons favorites. If there’s anything that ties them together, it’s the emphasis on local produce—and there’s a bounty of it.
OPENINGS EAST HAMPTON Eleven Madison Park comes to the Hamptons. It’s perhaps the most eagerly awaited opening of the season, now that EMP was voted number one on the World’s 50 Best Restaurants list. But don’t expect a duplicate of Gotham’s temple of haute cuisine. Chef Daniel Humm says that while some recipes and techniques will be incorporated from EMP, the menu will be à la carte rather than a tasting menu, and the emphasis will be on local produce and seafood. “We designed EMP Summer House [341 Pantigo Road; empsummerhouse.com] to be a more casual version of what we do at Eleven Madison Park, the type of restaurant you’d want to visit in the summertime after a day at the beach, or a place for a fun meal with friends.” Humm says they are planning to take full advantage of the locale, sourcing from local fishermen and farmer’s markets. “We’re still fine-tuning things, but you can expect bouillabaisse, steaks, pastas, oysters, stone fruit cobblers, and large-format experiences like a fried chicken dinner or a lobster boil.” Locavore also extends to the wine list, which will be comprised of selects from top East End vineyards. “And because it’s summer, we will definitely have plenty of rosé,” says Humm. SAG HARBOR Another must stop for bold-facers, which may well turn into their summer clubhouse, is Le Bilboquet’s new outpost in Sag Harbor. Le Bilbo, of course, is the powerhouse restaurant owned by Ron Perelman, Steven Witkoff, Eric Clapton, and Philippe Delgrange, the mastermind behind the restaurant as well as its gatekeeper, who plans to be at the restaurant four days a week. It will be twice the size of the New York City location (280 seats versus 115). Favorites from the East 60th Street spot, like the poulet Cajun, tartare de boeuf frites et salade, and the signature tartare de thon will also be offered in addition to summer edibles like la grande Niçoise and la salade de homard Caesar with poached lobster. The restaurant, located at 1 Long Wharf, will offer great views of the local marina and yacht harbor. Sag Harbor is going to see a lot of hot dining action this summer as LuLu Kitchen & Bar (126 Main Street; 631-725-0900) comes to town. Owned by Apollo Global Management cofounder Marc Rowan, with the kitchen under the direction of Phillipe Corbet, most recently of Arbor, the restaurant will focus on what the LuLu team is calling “wood-burning” cuisine.devised by Corbet with dishes created to take advantage of local produce. For example, seafood platters (available throughout the day) include Montauk pearl oysters and Bonac razor clams; the duck leg confit appetizer comes with frisee salad and Mecox blue cheese; Mecox cheddar turns up on the Lulu cheeseburger, while spicy Long Island grapes are served with the grilled heirloom cauliflower. As for the wood-fired pizzas, the Market version includes prosciutto, onions, raclette cheese, and tomatoes and the Terroir option is topped with Crescent duck sausage, broccolini, and fontina. Other offerings include wood-oven cast iron market fish and grilled prawns and smoked ratatouille The menu will also feature weekly specials each day such as Monday’s bouillabaise and Tuesday’s chef’s mussels. THE SPRINGS The Springs Tavern (15 Fort Pond; 631-527-7800) will open in the space formerly known as Wolfie’s Tavern, a historic locale where guests once included abstract artists Jackson Pollock and Willem de Kooning. Food is American pub style by chef Michael Ruggiero, an alum of Nick & Toni’s, Fresno, and the Montauk Lake Club. WATER MILL The team behind such New York favorites as Amali, Il Cantinori, and Periyali will bring the flavors of another trendster watering hole, Mykonos, to Calissa (1020 Montauk Highway) in Water Mill. To get the Mykonos vibe down pat, the team from Amali, along with managing partner James Mallios, spent time on the island, studying its beachside tavernas. The food will give local ingredients a Greek twist—look for salt-baked striped bass and modern interpretations of Greek favorites like corn croquettes with spicy feta, chiles, and cilantro yogurt. Three full-time sommeliers will assist guests with a 150-bottle list that highlights wines from popular Mediterranean vacation destinations such as Santorini, Crete, Corsica, Sardinia, and St. Tropez, building on Amali’s award-winning history curating Greek and biodynamic wine. In true Greek style, the kitchen will remain open until 2 a.m. (The restaurant is planning to stay open year-round.)
EXPANSIONS AND UPDATES
EAST HAMPTON: Dopo la Spiaggia, one of the East End’s favorite Italian eateries, opens a second larger (nearly 3,000-square-foot) location in East Hampton (31 Race Lane). Restaurateurs Maria and Larry Baum and chef owner Maurizio Marfoglia will continue offering locally sourced Southern Italian favorites like cavolini with shaved Brussels sprouts and toasted pine nuts; a seafood tagliolini with bay scallops, shrimp, and calamari; and Ippoglossion—a pan-seared halibut with faro, kale, and chanterelle mushrooms. BRIDGEHAMPTON: French bistro Almond (1 Ocean Road; 631-537-5665), a Hamptons mainstay (since 2001), has a new chef, Jeremy Blustein, formerly of Eataly, Margaux, and Trememon. MONTAUK: Arbor (240 Fort Pond Road, 631-238-5430) returns for its second season, with an outdoor dining area and an outdoor bar, overseen by The Garrett, noted for its top mixologists and popular watering holes in the East and West Village. No East End summer is complete without a stop at Duryea’s (65 Tuthill Road; 631-668-2410), where The Lobster Deck returns and presents a bounty of local seafood and produce. Order your lobster grilled or steamed, or as part of a fresh Cobb. The Farmer’s Market at Duryea’s—offering artisanal and local fare, including Mecox Bay Dairy Cheese, Fairview Farms jams and cheeses, and Nounos Creamery Greek yogurt, among many other items—is great for takeout. Popular beachfront restaurant and celeb magnet Navy Beach (16 Navy Road; 631-668-6868), cofounded by Leyla Marchetto, heads into its eighth season with new menu options and new twists on favorite pasta and fish dishes like spaghettini with cherry tomatoes, chiles, mint, ricotta, and breadcrumbs; and Montauk Mako shark with charred tomatillo salsa, roasted corn, tortilla crisps, and avocado. The cocktail menu will include a section of large-format cocktails, great for when you have a group in tow. Try the Navy Grog, made with light and dark rums, grapefruit, orange, and pineapple. Yachtsmen will be glad to know that the restaurant’s Torpedo service will return, providing a food-delivery service to boats anchored in Fort Pond Bay. SAG HARBOR: Acclaimed French chef Laurent Tourondel’s LT Burger (82 Main Street; 631-899-4646) adds two new burgers this summer: the Route27, made with caramelized onion, peppered bacon, and local Mecox cheddar; and the American, with two pepper-crusted patties, bacon, American cheese, pickles, and LT sauce. Also new this season is The Montauk Catch, beer-battered flounder served on an onion bun. Boozy Rated R Shakes for grown-ups are back, including the new Barking Bourbon with Jim Beam and maple pecan ice cream, and new seasonal cocktails like The Whaler, made with gin, St. Maarten guava, and tonic.
