Weekend at the East End
When it comes to the Hamptons, I’m of two minds. Their physical beauty certainly lives up to the hype. The 40 mile stretch of coast on the East End of Long Island between West Hampton and Montauk is seriously stunning. Glance at a map and you’ll see that the beach literally stretches from one end to another—you could walk/run/bike/skip/hop this entire stretch, uninterrupted. This unusual shelf is due to the glacier shelf retreating North. The coast is dotted with mansions that you may have glimpsed in movies or on The Real Housewives of NYC, if that’s your thing. On a March weekend, the waves were rugged and the beaches were spectacularly calm. I can’t deny the natural beauty.
But on the other hand, what about the interior life of the Hamptons? The socializing, dining, and culture beyond the beach. That’s a more complicated story and one that I can’t get a complete read on from one weekend in March. As with any coastal vacation destination, there are two strong undercurrents in the Hamptons. There are the locals, those whose families go back generations; those who staff the restaurants and hotels; those who farm. For a fascinating photography series on some these locals, click through to this slideshow by Tara Israel. And then there are the Manhattan transplants. I went into the weekend realizing that there would be people acting like Lily Van der Woodsen, and yet I was still disconcerted to observe the similarities between a tv character and reality.
Have you ever been in a place where you immediately sense that people are watching and appraising you? It’s not a comfortable feeling. The Hamptons–even in March–is one such place. Sitting at dinner on our last night, my husband reported that the man who had just walked by had evaluated both of us—and given me a much higher mark than himself. “How did you know?” I asked. “Because he literally looked us both up and down to appraise our monetary values.” The Hamptons are a place where the luxury stores of the Upper East Side have exchanged 5th Avenue storefronts for the ‘small town America’ feel of Main Street. But they’re still the same stores. The Hamptons are a place where you pay Upper East Side prices for entrees that should be much cheaper. Where you are expected to feel lucky for snagging a coveted table at Nick and Toni’s or Fresno or The Living Room.
We returned to Brooklyn feeling rejuvenated from the crashing ocean waves and exhausted from the calculating social dynamics. A return trip to Montauk or Sag Harbor? Perhaps. The Hamptons are amazingly beautiful. Much of the vistas, farmland, and marshes are preserved by the Peconic Land Trust. And the massive homes on their massive lots ARE preventing quick-and-dirty condominium complexes from springing up around the beach. The natural beauty is preserved.
The best way to see the Hamptons, both the luxurious main drag of East Hampton and the more working class parts of West Hampton, is to follow Route 27, with an eye on your map for potential detours. One Hampton leads to another. We organized our trip from Brooklyn to East Hampton on Friday with several stops before our end destination. And along the way, like any road trip, we discovered both gems and letdowns. Please remember that because our visit was in March, several attractions that I wanted to see (notably The Pollack Krasner House and The Longhouse Reserve) were not open. If they had been, they would be on the below list! Here’s a selection of the best from the weekend.
See/Do:
Drive along Lily Pond Lane: Besides being the residence of Martha Stewart, the Grey Gardens Home, and the Spielbergs, it’s just a fun drive. I’ve never seen hedges as massive and pristine. These 12 foot walls of hedge allow just the smallest glimpse of certain homes. With a few exceptions, each home is in a similar clapboard style, though far from quaint. The drive swings you around to several beach entrances.
Numerous Nature Walks: East Hampton has a 20 acre village trail, complete with a duck pond. Check out both Hither Hills State Park and the Atlantic Double Dunes in Amagansett.
Montauk Lighthouse: The entrance to the lighthouse was closed so we couldn’t get any closer than the fence, which still allowed for spectacular views. Instead we wandered along the rocky beach.
Eat:
Tate’s Bakeshop, Southampton: Their packaged cookies are everywhere in New York–they make over 50 million cookies each year–but have you had their crumb cake? Or their black and white cookie? Tate’s was originally called Kathleen’s Bakeshop, after the owner, and then renamed Tate’s in 2000, after her father.
Breadzilla, Wainscott: Breadzilla seems to be a Wainscott institution. Even in March, the line was long and the parking lot was full of people devouring their sandwiches in their cars. Breadzilla has a funky, low key vibe. Their sandwich menu changes daily. My recommendation is to get any sandwich that prominently features their bread—keep it simple because their bread is the star.
Pizzeterria Brunetti, West Hampton: We ended our trip here, with a Sunday lunch. It was a perfect ending to our trip because it provided something we had been seeking all weekend: creativity and passion in a relaxed setting. Michael and Jason Brunetti’s shop is sandwiched between a Haagen Daaz and catering company. There are about 12 seats and a giant wood burning pizza oven made in Naples. We chatted with the Michael, learning about his favorite pizza places in Manhattan and Brooklyn, as well as his pizza background (Motorino). We watched Jason make our pizza, before we quickly devoured our pies. These pizzas now rank highly with some of our favorites from Keste, Franny’s, and Co. I’d love to tell every food-lover I know about this gem of a place.
Jack’s StirBrew, Amagansett: Yes, we went here 3 times. We love coffee and this is a genuinely good coffee spot. I’ve only been to a Jack’s in Manhattan once, and was excited to discover how good their coffee is. They use Hudson Valley Fresh milk, sell Ronnybrook products, and bake and source delicious pastries. Each brisk March day was immediately livened up by a trip here.
Lucy’s Whey, East Hampton: Lucy Kazickas has a shop in Chelsea Market, but the original outpost, since 2007, is in East Hampton. Housed in a sweet shop on Main Street, the store is full of all of my favorite jams, chutneys, and crackers including Sweet Deliverance, Freddy Guys Hazelnuts, and McClure’s. The selection isn’t as big as Chelsea Market’s, but we thoroughly enjoyed chatting with the cheesemonger and sampling cheese. We left with a new favorite cheddar (Milton Creamery’s Prairie Breeze) and a fun cheese called ‘Across the Pond’.
Southfork Kitchen, Bridgehampton: I had to include this restaurant, even though it wasn’t open when we visited. I hadn’t heard of it but as soon as we passed it, on our way to downtown Bridgehampton, Justin pulled a u-turn and backtracked to their parking lot. The restaurant building is arts-and-crafts style, with a minimalist Americana vibe; the front yard is full of raised beds. Unfortunately, the restaurant was scheduled to re-open the following week! We were incredibly disappointed, but did snag a rain-soaked menu featuring their New Year’s dinner menu. With items like ‘Buttermilk Fried Rainbow Trout with Celery Root and Green Tomatoes’ and ‘Local Jonah Crab with House Curry’, this restaurant, started by Bruce Buschel, practically begs for a return visit.
Sleep:
This section is a little bit difficult to write because you can only stay at one location during a weekend trip! Here are my thoughts on where stayed, and other options.
c/o The Maidstone: I hadn’t heard of the Maidstone until it showed up as a Google alert, related to a search on Satur Farms. The website immediately captivated me. Formerly The Maidstone Arms, the inn was redone in 2008 by Swedish hotelier Jenny Ljungberg in a funky, entirely Scandinavian motif. The website showed pictures of vibrant fabrics, Malin and Goetz products, and touted their restaurant, The Living Room, as Slow Food.
Here’s the positive: The Maidstone is expertly redone and one of the most stylish places I’ve seen or stayed in. The reading room alone is worth a peak inside. The negatives: Style doesn’t equal function or substance. Our room lacked ventilation, lights, and space. And at the price point, especially what one would pay for the room in the summer, these deficits were shocking. The restaurant is not Slow Food, but certainly talks a good talk (and charges for it). We were disappointed. I plan on putting up a more detailed review on TripAdvisor soon.
I researched a few other options for places to stay.
The American Hotel: The American Hotel looked like a gem in Sag Harbor, especially if you like New Americana style.
Millhouse Inn: We walked by the Millhouse Inn and it looked sweet. Be warned that it’s also on Main Street, so you’ll want a back-facing room.
The Reform Club: This place looks stunning on their website: crisp linens, soothing, minimalist rooms. It’s also slightly off the main street but in walking distance of Jack’s.
