Gurney’s Inn Debuts a New Patio and Music Series
June 13, 2012
The new ocean view patio at Gurney's Inn
Open for more than 80 years, Gurney’s Inn is a much-loved Montauk institution. In addition to its relaxing beachside locale and stately accommodations, the inn is also a great spot or cocktailing.
With a brand new ocean view porch, guests can watch the sunset, listen to the waves crash, and indulge in small bites and cool drinks. Two to try are the Steeple Chase on the Rocks, made with Purity Vodka, Domaine De Canton, and crushed lime, and the Montauk Transfusion, a mixture of Bacardi Arctic Grape, club soda, and grape Juice. For a nibble, try the Montauk lobster martini, made with fresh lobster and cilantro vinaigrette, or the sautéed wild mushrooms on toasted garlic bread.
New Life Crisis performing at Gurney's Inn
Also make time for the Tuesday night concert series on the inn’s private beach. There’s no cover charge and you can dance near a bonfire while classic surf films play on screens in the background. Hot Wax, Big River Ransom, and New Life Crisis are a few of the bands that will be performing this summer. 290 Old Montauk Hwy., Montauk, 668-2345
—MARCIA FROST
East End Sweets: Ice Cream Sandwiches We Love
June 12, 2012
Coolhuas red velvet and dirty mint ice cream sandwich
Though craved year-round, ice cream sandwiches are especially desirable during hot summer months. There's something decidedly perfect about fresh-baked cookies and cool, just-churned ice cream—full butterfat, of course! In the Hamptons, cookies vary from thin and crisp to soft and chewy, and ice cream fillings range from decadent and dark to light and studded with fresh summer fruits. Here are a few of our favorite East End ice cream sandwiches.
Coolhaus
Known for bold flavors and velvety textures, the Coolhaus ice cream sandwich truck has returned to the Hamptons for a second season. You can find the truck parked outside of Trina Turk East Hampton every Saturday (1–3:30 PM) throughout June. The menu at Coolhaus is a mix-and-match affair. Try combining red velvet and dirty mint ice cream (ABOVE), which we think is pretty close to perfection. Fun fact: The wrapper, made of rice paper and soy-based ink, is completely edible. 79 Main St., East Hampton
Pierre’s
At the takeout patisserie of Pierre's in Bridgehampton, head straight to the back freezer for two flavors of ice cream sandwiches. One couples vanilla ice cream with chocolate chip cookies, while the other pairs chocolate ice cream with white chocolate chip chocolate cookies. Both the cookies and ice cream are house-made at Pierre's. If you crave a soft, chewy cookie and creamy ice cream, this is where you want to be. 2468 Main St., Bridgehampton, 537-5110
Tate’s Bake Shop
Sandwiching together whisper-thin chocolate chip cookies and Joe & Liza’s ice cream (locally made at Bay Burger), Tate’s Bake Shop’s Tate-Wich is the most talked-about ice cream sandwich of the season. The crisp and addictive cookies have a buttery flavor that makes them ideal for ice cream sandwiches. 43 North Sea Road, Southampton, 283-9830
Coming Soon…
One sandwich that didn’t make the list but will debut soon is a collaborative effort packing Joe & Liza’s ice cream between two dreamy Sag Harbor Baking Co. chocolate wafer cookies. Word has it that the sandwich will be sold at Bay Burger later this season.
—KATHY YL CHAN
Dining Diary: Joe Realmunto’s Healthy Hamptons Diet
June 11, 2012
Executive chef of Nick and Toni’s, Rowdy Hall, La Fondita, and Townline BBQ, Joe Realmunto cleaned up his diet in a major way last year. The talented chef put himself on a strict eating regime in order to donate a kidney to his wife. The successful operation took place on Valentine’s Day of this year. Here, the healthy chef takes us through a day in his Hamptons diet.
Breakfast: Since my recent health kick, my breakfast is usually either a homemade smoothie or oatmeal. For a quick smoothie, I go with Stonyfield non-fat yogurt, fresh berries, bananas, low-fat milk, and ice. On days when I have a little more time, I’ll whip up some quick-cook oatmeal with steel-cut Irish oatmeal, sweetened with a little agave syrup.
Lunch: During the day, I am usually at one of the restaurants. If I’m at Rowdy Hall, where our executive office is, I usually have a chopped vegetable salad. I like to keep it light with a salad and save my larger meal for dinner. If I am over at La Fondita, I usually lean towards the fresh fish tacos, like the blowfish tacos on our hand-pressed tortillas.
Snacks: I really try not to snack—and if I do, I try to stick to raw fruits and vegetables, like carrot sticks or apples. And I always have water with me all day long.
Dinner: My wife usually cooks dinner. A typical meal might include a roast rack of pork with roasted potatoes, grilled asparagus, and salad. We also eat a lot of chicken, roasted or grilled with roasted fresh vegetables. Traditionally, I eat at home with my family five nights a week. We also tend to grill a lot in the summer—everything from fresh fish and steaks to veggies. Another local treat we enjoy at home in the summer is raw shellfish. My kids walk to the bay at the end of our block and harvest clams and oysters and we serve them up raw at home.
Occasionally, the staff and I head into Manhattan to try out some new restaurants and do a little field research. Recently, we stopped in at Marea and enjoyed some appetizers at the bar, such as clams, oysters, and caviar, and then went to Jean-Georges’ Nougatine, where I indulged in a lobster burger.
—JOE REALMUNTO
Cook This: Mauro Maccioni’s Stuffed Calamari
June 08, 2012
Mauro Maccioni’s Stuffed Calamari
SERVES FOUR
8 three-inch calamari
1 zucchini
1 carrot
1 shallot
2 garlic cloves, smashed
1/3 cup breadcrumbs
3 to 4 basil leaves
Pinch of red pepper
Olive oil
Clean calamari, ensure bone has been removed, and chop off legs. Set bodies aside and dice legs finely.
Chop zucchini, carrot, and shallot into quarter-inch cubes and toss with diced legs. Chop basil and add to mixture, along with red pepper. Heat a pan to medium and add a few turns of oil and garlic cloves. Bring to a simmer, remove garlic, and add calamari mixture. Sauté for approximately seven minutes, turn off heat, add breadcrumbs, and let cool.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Stuff cooled mixture into reserved calamari bodies until they are plump. Use a toothpick to seal the end.
Add a few turns of oil to a casserole pan, lay stuffed calamari in the pan, and season with salt and pepper. Pour in a quarter cup of water, cover with foil, and bake for approximately 20 minutes. Remove foil and bake for an additional ten minutes to brown.
Serve with diced tomatoes, a dash of olive oil, and basil leaves
Part of the family that owns Le Cirque, Mauro Maccioni writes in on one of his favorite dishes to entertain with in the Hamptons.
When in the Hamptons, I prefer to cook at friends' homes—they open up some good wine and I do the cooking. Last year, for example, I would buy zucchini blossoms from Schmidt’s market in Southampton, stuff them with anchovies and fresh imported mozzarella (also from Schmidt’s), and tempura fry them. I would then go to Cor-J Seafood in Hampton Bays and buy striped bass, littleneck clams, and calamari. The bass and clams were simply baked, but I stuffed the calamari with vegetables and seafood. A dear friend, Franca Franceschini, of the great seafood restaurant Romano in Viareggio, Italy, who allowed me to cook in her kitchen for a summer, inspired this recipe.
Dinner Plans: A Mediterranean Meal at Andrra
June 07, 2012
Andrra, which, in Albanian, means "The Dream."
Overlooking Three Mile Harbor in East Hampton, Mediterranean newcomer Andrra is a great pick for dinner with a view. Co-owners and brothers Sami and Noti Krasniqi, together with partner Rich Silver, have given the waterfront space formerly known as The Boathouse an airy top-to-bottom makeover—complete with a lounge area that looks and feels like it was transplanted from a yacht in Mykonos.
Chock-full of locally-sourced cuisine, executive chef Sami’s menu includes Gardiners Bay baked cherrystone clams with Mediterranean sea salt; chilled Napeague littleneck clams; pan-roasted Peconic chicken with lemon-mustard sauce and sautéed farm greens; and Springs local fish of the day. Highly recommended are the soft shell crabs, served flash-fried or pan-seared with cool greens, avocado, cumin, coriander, and lemon brown butter.
Tower of seafood: Local littlneck clams, lobster, oysters, colossal shrimp, and jumbo lump crab
For something more exotic, try the calamari fried with harissa or the Andrra mezze platter with hummus, Cyprian feta cheese, tomato bruschetta, and your choice of Toskan barbecue shrimp, calamari, baked clams, or grilled sea scallops. Toskan shrimp (Noti’s favorite dish) are described as “spicy and sweet” and come bathed in ale, garlic, and both hot and smoked paprika.
Though you won’t find the combination on the menu, do ask for an order of feta, ajvar (a piquant roasted red pepper dip), and warm pita. It’s an off-the-menu staff favorite that will make your tastebuds swoon. Also irresistible are dishes inspired from recipes by the Krasniqi brothers’ mother, especially Mama’s Mussels, which are steamed, studded with fennel and shallots, and piled atop a heavenly ouzo, white wine, and tomato broth. The homemade pita at every table, served with luscious garlic butter, is also to mother Krasniqi’s credit. The baklava, however, is grandma’s recipe: layers of phyllo, walnuts, pistachios, almonds, and rose-petal-honey syrup. Sami allows each batch of baklava to set overnight so that the flavors infuse and the dessert binds for a sticky, sweet, and ultra-comforting result. Don’t forget to order an espresso or macchiato with this dish—or, better yet, grappa!
Toskan barbecue shrimp
Speaking of spirits, wine connoisseurs will be pleased with the extensive international wine selection, featuring everything from smart eclectic selections like Billaud-Simon’s petit Chablis ’09 ($43) and Chablis grand cru ’08 ($90) to more recognizable labels including California’s Ferrari-Carano Chardonnay ’07 ($92) and Mondavi’s reserve Cabernet half-bottle ($120).
Bookmark this refreshing new spot for your next romantic tête-à-tête or big night out with the crew—the adjoining lounge hosts live music and DJs on Thursdays and Sundays. 39 Gann Road, East Hampton, 631-329-3663
—LEYLA MARCHETTO
