East End Eats

Tate's Bake Shop Takes Best Chocolate Chip Cookie Award

May 07, 2012

Southampton staple Tate's Bake Shop was recently awarded best chocolate chip cookies in America by Consumer Reports. Over the past 12 years, the thin, crisp chocolate chip cookies, as well as other sweets from founder/owner Kathleen King and team, have garnered a loyal following. Oprah's a fan and come summer, seasoned Hamptonites and tourists alike pack the storybook Victorian bake shop for a taste.

The confections have deep roots in the area—Kathleen King first made chocolate chip cookies at age 11 to sell at her family's farm stand, not far out of town from where Tate's stands today. In addition to their famous chocolate chip cookies, Tate's also sells a variety of other cookies, as well as cakes, pies, muffins, brownies, and even gluten-free baked goods. The brand even offers sweets available for purchase online, and King has authored a cookbook, Tate's Bake Shop Cookbook. We can't wait to see what's in store this summer, and sink our teeth into the award-winning cookies. 43 N. Sea Rd., Southampton, 283-9830

—CAIT ROHAN

Dessert in a Glass: The Strawberry Cobbler

September 01, 2011

Whether she’s mixing mojitos in New York or sangria in LA, James Beard-honored mixologist Kim Haasarud (liquid-architecture.com) knows how to wield a muddler and a shaker. Having worked the bars at hot spots all over the country and boasting six books detailing 606 different concoctions, there is no cocktail recipe (or ingredient) that surprises Haasarud—including her very own Strawberry Cobbler.

The Strawberry Cobbler
SERVES ONE

3 ripe strawberries, hulled
1 ounce simple syrup
1 ounce fresh lemon juice
1/2 ounce Navan vanilla liqueur
1 1/2 ounces vodka or gin
Splash of soda water or Champagne
 
In a mixing glass, muddle strawberries with simple syrup and lemon juice. Add the vanilla liqueur and vodka, top with ice and shake vigorously. Pour into a tall glass and top with soda water or Champagne. Stir and garnish with a strawberry.

—STEPHANIE STARK

Endless Summer: Year-Round East End Eating

August 30, 2011

All the fixings at Town Line BBQ

It’s hard to believe that Labor Day weekend is upon us—even more so since Hurricane Irene stole one of our final, precious summer weekends. But time is by no means up. If you are able to spend some of the shoulder season out East, September is a beautiful month. The weather is often magnificent and the crowds are usually gone. If you’re like me and you spend a lot of the off-season on the East End—whether full-time or otherwise—you will need to determine who stays open and what they offer. Here are my choices for dining out year-round in the Hamptons, no matter what you crave.

Barbecue: Town Line BBQ, Bridgehampton

Burgers: Rowdy Hall, East Hampton

Family Style Dining: Harvest, Montauk

Pasta: Nick & Toni’s, East Hampton

Pizza: Serafina, East Hampton

Sushi: Sen, Sag Harbor

Thai: Phao, Sag Harbor

Wings: O’Murphy’s Pub & Restaurant, Montauk

Old School Cognac Cocktails

August 27, 2011

	Old Fashioned
	Sidecar

Living up to its name, Courvoisier VSOP Exclusif boasts an award-winning blend dominated by spicy eaux-de-vie grown in the Borderies cru—the smallest, most exclusive cru in the Cognac region. The spirit evokes a rich aromatic complexity and marries well with apple juice, fresh lime, cucumber and ginger. These retro preparations are our favorite way to enjoy the exclusive blend.

Old Fashioned
SERVES ONE

2 ounces Courvoisier VSOP Exclusif
1 Demerara sugar cube
1 tsp. orange zest
3 dashes Angostura bitters

Add sugar cube and bitters into a rocks glass with a fresh ice cube and orange zest. Pour in cognac and stir slowly until the ice is almost melted and sugar is dissolved. Garnish with orange peel.

Sidecar
SERVES ONE

2 ounces Courvoisier VSOP Exlusif
1/2 ounce lemon juice
1 1/2 tsp. simple syrup
1/2 ounce orange liqueur

Pour all ingredients into a cocktail shaker with ice and shake vigorously. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass and garnish with a lemon twist.

JRN Wines and Spirits, 74 Montauk Hwy., East Hampton, 324-1230

—GRETA SPANGENBERG

Bedell Cellars: A Good Year for Viognier

August 25, 2011

2010 was an exceptionally good year for viognier grapes on Long Island. An early wave of dry summer heat and just enough rain produced hearty vines and led to an early harvest of bright, fragrant and intensely flavored grapes. From these fine grape specimens came 310 cases of Bedell Cellars’ 2010 Viognier ($35). Aged in stainless steel and 100-percent fermented, the vintage is truly magnificent with fruit forward aromas of white peach and honeysuckle echoed by notes of apricot, green gage plum and ripe honeydew melon. Though supply is still strong, the winery predicts a rapid reduction in early September, when many of the remaining bottles will be sent out to its wine club members. Bedell North Fork, 36225 Main Road, Route 25, 734-7537

—GRETA SPANGENBERG