By Josh Engel
It’s always tempting to line up for the big name venues on a trip to the Hamptons. Avoid the reservation lines and the crowds, though, and check out some of the more casual spots where Hamptons residents love to eat.
The Clam Bar
10 Main Street
East Hampton, NY 11937
631.324.8555
The quintessential Long Island seafood stand, The Clam Bar serves up ridiculously fresh maritime delicacies for an audience of hungry locals. Its owner, Dick Ehrlich, is also the proprietor of North Fork’s Seafood Barge, and is a fisherman at heart; he’s used the same fleet of native Hamptonites to stock his restaurant kitchens for the last two decades, and prides himself on offering a true catch of the day—specials are tailored to whatever fish are coming off the boats that morning. Other crowd-pleasers at The Clam Bar include Cajun popcorn shrimp, crab cakes, and the particularly popular lobster roll; turfier eaters can take comfort in burgers, hot dogs, and salads.
Rowdy Hall
10 Main Street
East Hampton, NY 11937
631.324.8555
A neighborhood favorite that aims to bridge the gap between French Bistro and English Pub food, the restaurant takes its name from a turn-of-the-century artists’ boarding house, much hated by church-going locals. Here the rowdiness takes the form of a beer-loving menu—suggestions for various brews are listed next to each entrée—and a selection of proudly unfussy comfort food classics. Choose between fish and chips fried in Guinness stout, St. Louis Ribs with local corn on the cob, or a more diet-friendly salmon with salsa verde. Desserts are appropriately decadent, and include a root beer float, New Orleans bread pudding, and orange creamsicle crème brulee.
MUSE Restaurant and Aquatic Lounge
760 Montauk Highway, Water Mill Shopping Center, Suite 5A
Water Mill, NY 11976
631.726.2606
Garnering praise for its quirky sensibilities as much as its cuisine, MUSE offers a very different type of experience than what you’ll find at the Hamptons mainstays. It boasts a hundred gallon salt water fish tank as a bar, and an authentic candle-lit chandelier. Menu items are similarly off-kilter. Take Los Dos Tunas—an appetizer of both ahi tuna poke (Hawaiian style tartar) atop Morroccan vegetable tabouli spiked with wonton crouton, and jerked tuna lollipop on whipped avocado. Or Breakfast For Supper—black pepper and parmesan French Toast with chipotle maple syrup, sweet potato corned beef hash, a poached egg, and sauce béarnaise. And bacon. Those with both hearty and adventurous appetites are well advised to add it to their agenda.
Fresno Restaurant
8 Fresno Place
East Hampton, NY 11937
631.324.8700
On the more classical side of the spectrum, Fresno Restaurant serves up traditionalist European cuisine, with an eye towards local product. Chef Gretchen Mesner was born in Bolivia and raised in Europe and Asia; her cuisine reflects a melding of global influences with European classics. Her menu changes frequently—past selections have included PEI mussels in a shallot, garlic, and white wine broth, grilled pork chop with new potato salad, smoked bacon, and haricot vert, and orecchiette pasta with sausage and broccoli rabe. The restaurant also offers a prix fixe option, available until 6:30 in the dining room and all night at the bar, with three courses priced at $30.
Pridwin Restaurant
Crescent Beach
81 Shore Road
Shelter Island, New York 11964
631.749.0476
It’s hard to get more local than Pridwin; owner Richard Petry and his son Gregg catch fish for the restaurant themselves, in the waters around Shelter Island and off Montauk. You’ll also find produce sourced from area farms, and a wine list based on regional vineyards. The menu excels at seafood, including a seared Yellow Fin tuna with local green beans, heirloom tomatoes and lemon aioli, but meat-eaters will be happy with the entrees, like their herb-roasted New Zealand rack of lamb with shallot breadcrumb crust, served with mint pesto and grilled radicchio. Pridwin also caters especially well to children, offering a kids movie night from 7:00-9:00 while adults dine, and featuring an extensive kids’ menu including hamburgers, chicken fingers, and pizza.
The Beacon
8 West Water Street
Sag Harbor, NY 11963
631.725.7088
Diners looking for a spectacular view as they dine will be thrilled with Beacon, whose second story deck offers a chance to dine al fresco and watch the sun set over Sag Harbor Cove. The menu is a catalog of local favorites, like crispy fish tacos with salsa verde, jack cheese, and tomato emulsion, sesame-crusted tuna with Napa cabbage-jicama slaw and Asian glaze, and steamed mussels “Beacon Style” with garlic, white wine, fresh lemon-thyme, cream and tomatoes. And if you’re homesick for Manhattan food, try some of the more adventurous appetizers, including duck rillettes with cornichons, whole grained mustard, and grilled baguette, or braised pork belly with soft tortillas, pickles, hoisin and sriracha.
