Hamptons Magazine: Culinary Comfort

culinary comfortELEVATING CLASSIC DISHES WITH LOCALLY SOURCED INGREDIENTS, EAST HAMPTON GRILL OFFERS A RESPITE FOR END-OF-SUMMER DINING. BY MATTHEW WEXLER PHOTOGRAPHY BY ERIC STRIFFLER

Tuna Tartare with hand-chopped

sushi-grade tuna, avocado, and deviled

egg is a popular dish at East Hampton Grill.

ABOVE, FROM LEFT: Dining Room Manager Gibran Baydoun, General Manager Sarah Diehl, and Culinary Manager John McConnell.

“ We’re creating food that is unique but also familiar.”

—JOHN MCCONNELL

Even in East Hampton—one of the most idyllic places on earth—you

may find yourself in need of some serious comfort food by August.

Traffic on Montauk Highway is unbearable (as it was back in May),

your linen outfit has seen one too many wine dribbles or canapé mishaps to

survive another cocktail party, and you’d rather have someone else do the

dishes. Enter East Hampton Grill. Once home to the infamous Della Femina

restaurant (caricatures of former owner Jerry Della

Femina and wife Judy Licht still loom over the dining

room as eternal party hosts), Hillstone Restaurant

Group reinvented the space in 2011 as homage to

Americana with a modern twist.

General manager Sarah Diehl and dining room

manager Gibran Baydoun oversee the swanky dining

room that was redesigned from its former whitewashed

aesthetic into a dark-paneled, dimly lit library

vibe with an art collection that will instill envy

in anyone with an empty wall. Don’t be fooled

by these fresh-faced twenty-somethings, though. Some have arrived with

a top-notch pedigree through Hillstone’s management-training program,

now based out of the East Hampton Grill and overseen by Diehl herself.

Both she and Baydoun are relatively new to the East End

and have been quite taken by its charm. “I have found

[East Hampton] is one of the most welcoming and tight-

knit communities I’ve ever lived in,” says Baydoun.

“You can’t go somewhere without seeing someone you

know. And we were excited as an organization to move

into the neighborhood.”

continued on page 140

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Oysters St. Charles (fried oysters on the half shell with creamed spinach, artichokes, and lemon aioli) are a standout on East Hampton Grill’s menu.

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OFF THE VINE “Wine and beverages are made to pair with food,” says

general manager Sarah Diehl, “so they should be accessible

without breaking the bank.” Most of East Hampton Grill’s

wines are only minimally marked up, and there’s no corkage

fee. But why bring your own with these picks?

• Laurenz V., Laurenz und Sophie Singing Grüner Veltliner,

Austria ($46)—A zippy summer white that presents notes of

apple and peach with a hint of white pepper and fine acidity.

• Domaine Serene, Evenstat Reserve Pinot Noir, Willamette

Valley ($90)—This Oregon Pinot Noir is restrained and

concentrated with red fruits and baking spice.

• O’Shaughnessy Estate Winery, Howell Mountain Cabernet

Sauvignon, Howell Mountain ($138)—The quintessential

California Cabernet with a long finish and no heavy tannins.

A ROOM WITH A VIEWReclaimed American white oak flooring in the bar, custom

mahogany finishes, and pin-spot lighting set the stage for an art

collection that may rival those of nearby galleries on Park Place.

Hillstone owner and CEO George Biel has amassed an array of

pieces from notable artists including Chuck Close, Dan Rizzie,

Michael Dweck, and Suzanne Caporael. Although all tables are

open to the hustle and bustle, request Table 42 to be in the middle

of the action and take in the impressive display. If you’d prefer a

more secluded enclave, opt for Table 3, where you can observe

the open kitchen and watch the service staff’s fast-paced comings

and goings under a sign that reads LA TOUCHE FINALE.

That welcoming attitude translates to impeccable and occasionally

overzealous service. Order a refreshing (and potent) Vesper martini, and

if you haven’t consumed it in a matter of minutes, a server will inevitably

swoop in to replace your glass with a freshly chilled one. This may

happen repeatedly, but with such stealth and precision you’ll wonder if

Diehl is secretly training staff for the FBI. “Tight service is what gives us

an edge here,” says Diehl. The informed servers can guide you through

the menu, which on the page appears fairly straightforward but contains

hidden gems that ref lect locally sourced ingredients and Hillstone’s

culinary viewpoint.

“We’re creating food that is unique but also familiar,” says culinary

manager John McConnell. “We’ll add an extra ingredient or pairing to

play with this idea of anticipation. The initial interpretation from the menu

will give you a vision, but what arrives at the table will have a wow factor.”

The Oysters St. Charles is just such a dish. A riff on Oysters Rockefeller, a

half-dozen delicately fried Malpeques arrive nestled in their shells atop

creamed spinach and artichoke. A dollop of lemon aioli seals the deal for

the beginning of a great meal. But just as you think the evening may go too

highbrow, tear into a Heavenly Biscuit f lecked with rosemary and served

with a slab of butter topped with coarse sea salt and a squeezable honey

bear from The Hamptons Honey Company.

McConnell, who arrived in East Hampton this spring but has been with

the restaurant group for more than three years, brings a bright-eyed freshness

to the menu and serious culinary chops. A graduate of the New England

Culinary Institute, he completed an internship and worked at Terra in Napa



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Valley under chef Hiro Sone, followed by time at

Robert Sinskey Vineyards, where he discovered

his passion for wine. McConnell has been sourcing

much of the produce and seafood from nearby

Round Swamp Farm, but is quick to point out that

he doesn’t want to clutter the menu with a laundry

list of purveyors. “Being [in East Hampton] is a

great resource. It’s an opportunity to get our staff

excited and tell the story of these ingredients, so we

keep the menu short and as simple as possible.”

Entrée descriptions state the obvious but leave

the bells and whistles for the plate. Jumbo lump

crab cakes are for the purist, forgoing bread

crumbs and filler for a crab-only cake served

with whole-grain Pommery mustard and

coleslaw. The barbecued ribs have a cult

following and with due cause. Slow-roasted

overnight and fall-off-the-bone tender, the ribs

are finished with a secret-recipe barbecue sauce

that balances smoke, sweet, and heat. Arriving

on a massive diner-style platter with a heaping

pile of shoestring fries, its presentation is the

polar opposite of specials such as the locally

sourced wild striped bass “Royale” (a reinvention

of Filet Oscar), served with tender asparagus

topped with crab meat and Béarnaise sauce.

Desserts are sharable and familiar. The key lime

pie with graham cracker crust is a refreshing

palate-cleanser, while the hot fudge sundae with

locally made vanilla ice cream will put a smile

on your face—even if it is the end of summer.

99 N. Main St., East Hampton, 329-6666;

easthamptongrill.com H

Fresh HamptonsThe name of this rustic eatery says it all: a

seasonal menu filled with gluten-free,

vegetarian, and vegan options; most fruits

and vegetables are organic and local; plus the

fish, meat, and poultry are free of antibiotics

and hormones. And you get to choose the size

of your fish entrée, so you have complete

control over your portions. Love this! My

choice: raw local kale with hemp seed hearts,

sugar plum tomatoes, red peppers, zucchini,

and fines herbes lemongrass vinaigrette.

203 Bridgehampton–Sag Harbor Tpk.,

Bridgehampton, 537-4700;

freshhamptons.com

FishbarFish doesn’t get much better than this. The

seafood served at this Montauk beauty is

local and delicately prepared, and there is a

selection of delicious vegetarian entrées

loaded with fresh produce. Be sure to snag a

seat outside. My choice: steamed lobster with

grilled local sweet corn, red potatoes, drawn

butter, and fresh lemon.

467 E. Lake Dr., Montauk, 668-6600;

freshlocalfish.com

Hampton Chutney CompanyCheck out this Amagansett hideaway for

some fun Indian-style dishes. This hot spot

for the whole family features gluten-free

dosas (large, crispy sourdough crepes) and

uttapams (savory pancakes) served with

fresh chutneys, as well as soups and

sandwiches. My choice: seasonal dosa.

6 Main St., Amagansett, 267-3131;

hamptonchutney.com

Harvest on Fort Pond Inspired by homegrown produce and local

seafood, this family-style Italian wonder

offers outdoor seating in the middle of its

very own herb and vegetable garden

overlooking the water—talk about farm- and

sea-to-table! My choice: mussels, clams,

scallops, and shrimp with a side of spinach

with mushrooms, garlic, and shallots.

11 S. Emery St., Montauk, 668-5574;

harvest2000.com

Jack’s Stir Brew CoffeeAs a java junkie, I am head-over-heels

for Jack’s stir-brew coffee. It’s organic,

fair-trade, and shade-grown coffee. They

also serve milk exclusively from Hudson

Valley Fresh (in New York State), which

allows its cows to graze freely without

antibiotics and hormones. My choice: Hot

coffee (yes, even in the summer!) with a

splash of whole or low fat milk.

healthy living VACATIONING IN THE HAMPTONS FOR YEARS—ESPECIALLY IN MONTAUK—NUTRITIONIST KERI GLASSMAN NAMES HER TOP SPOTS FOR WHOLESOME EATS OUT EAST.

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Key lime pie with graham cracker crust is a refreshing palate-cleanser.


CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: Fresh Hampton has a seasonal menu and Round Swamp Farm features local produce, which Keri Glassman loves.


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Hamptons Magazine: Culinary Comfort