I just got back from a lovely spring weekend in the Hamptons- my first time! From a culinary standpoint my expectations were absolutely exceeded, even though we didn’t go to any places that were fancy in any way, and what’s pretty incredibly is that we never spent more than about $20 per person for a meal, and usually much less. I had no idea that this string of tony Eastern Long Island towns had so much delicious bounty on offer, even on the cheap. Here’s a sampling of what we ate, and some things to try if you find yourself out that way!





After a late Friday night start, we arrived around 3 AM and hit the sack, so upon awakening Saturday morning, coffee was a must. But there was no cream or milk in the house! In a pinch, vanilla ice cream will do just fine as a creamer/sweetener for a very decadent cup o’ joe. It was a definite foreshadowing of all food indulgences that lay in our near future.




Nestled among the moneyed folks and high-end boutiques of East Hampton, the low key Scoop du Jour serves up fresh cinnamon sugar donuts that can’t be beat, for just 85 cents a pop!


They’ve also managed to meld candy bars and cupcakes in highly unorthodox and tasty ways. Scoop du Jour, 35 Newtown Lane, East Hampton, NY.




Sylvester & Co. in Sag Harbor, across the street from the Art Deco movie theater, offers coffee and tasty sweets, all while you browse the lovely home goods on offer. The pizza place next door serves up an above-average slice- although the price is about double what you’ll pay in Manhattan. Sylvester & Co., 103 Main Street, Sag Harbor, NY.
   



At The Seafood Shop in Wainscott, we bought fresh, wonderful local sea scallops, and cooked them up for dinner. The fish chowder there smelled divine but as we had other plans we didn’t partake.


We also bought some of the house-smoked mackerel—a true bargain at about $6 for 2 whole pieces—and made ourselves some nice appetizers with crackers, cream cheese, diced tomatoes, the mackerel, and a smattering of fresh chopped dill. The hors d’oeuvre of champions! The Seafood Shop, 356 Montauk Hwy, Wainscott, NY.
   



On Sunday, we couldn’t resist having 2 lunches. The first stop was Hampton Chutney in Amagansett, for some fabulous dosas with somewhat nontraditional fillings. The curried chicken and classic masala dosas were standouts, but don’t forget to ask for a side of cilantro chutney. They’ve got a terrific outdoor seating area with picnic tables as well. A dosa will set you back about 9 bucks. Hampton Chutney Co, Amagansett Square, Main Street, Amagansett, NY.
   



Our second lunch was on the way to the Montauk Lighthouse, at Lobster Roll Restaurant, affectionately known as “Lunch” because of the iconic sign.


Aside from the perfectly rendered eponymous lobster roll, with HUGE morsels of tender lobster meat, lots of celery and just a bit of mayo, they’re famous for fried puffer fish. What’s a puffer fish? I still have no idea but I definitely know I like them. They’re like a cross between a shrimp and a flaky white fish, and they are fried to perfection and served with to-die-for housemade tartar sauce. (N.B. The waiter was an EXTREMELY handsome young lad, but I swear that is not affecting or biasing this review.) Lobster Roll Restaurant, 1980 Montauk Hwy, Amagansett, NY.




Seeing as it was Lori’s special weekend, since we were ostensibly on this mini-vacation to celebrate the impending denouement of her bachelorettehood, I thought it fit to personalize the apple-strawberry pie I made for her. Click here for my pie recipe.




Right next door to the Seafood Shop, the bagels at Twice Upon A Bagel in Wainscott come with more cream cheese than I’ve ever seen in my entire life. But oh, what a delightful bagel- even if I did have to scrape off about 1/3 of the cream cheese...  Twice Upon a Bagel, 358 Montauk Hwy, Wainscott, NY.




We spotted this odd ingredient at the King Kullen supermarket. Is this an East Coast thing? I have certainly never seen it before and it scares me a little.




Sip N Soda in Southampton is a cute old diner and the place to go for thick shakes made with homemade ice cream. Try the Broadway- coffee ice cream with chocolate syrup. Sip N Soda, 40 Hampton Road, Southampton, NY.
  



Driving back, we got lovely local cheeses from the Village Cheese Shop in Southampton. The traffic we encountered curtailed our picnic plans so we made a picnic in the car. We enjoyed a stinky soft raw cow’s milk “Atlantic Mist” cheese from Mecox Dairy, and a tangy local farmhouse cheddar, with the buttery homemade toasts on offer at the shop.  Village Cheese Shop, 11 Main Street, Southampton, NY.