eat & drink in the hamptons
Cavaniola's Gourmet, Photo By Justin Bernhaut, October 2007
- Hamptons Restaurants
- Cavaniola's Gourmet
- 89B Division Street
Sag Harbor
(631) 725-0095 Opened by a young couple, Tracey and Michael Cavaniola, this cheese shop is a gem. It has a fantastic spread of local products, including Art Ludlow's cheese, with descriptive names like Mecox Sunrise, a washed-rind tomme. We got a take-out lunch of homemade, hearty chicken gumbo and pressed-baguette sandwiches. The front shelves are stocked with gourmet dry-store treats like artisanal salts and oils, jars of beans and Barefoot Contessa cake mixes.
- Estia's Little Kitchen
- 1615 Sag Harbor Turnpike
Sag Harbor
(631) 725-1045 Start the day with brunch at this unassuming diner in a spruced-up cottage along the Sag Harbor Turnpike. Most shops don't open before noon, so no need to hurry through the blueberry pancakes here. The small but airy room's centerpiece is a yellow Formica counter with funny fish tiles on the wall behind and specials written on a board. During the summer, breakfast is a circus, but in fall it's super low-key: regulars reading the paper over coffee and a stack. A joy.
- Pierre's
- 2468 Main Street
Bridgehampton
(631) 537-5110 Pierre's starts serving lunch at 11 a.m. but stays open into the evening, in case you lose track of time while shopping. This is a genuine French bistro with traditional Hamptons decor (white, wainscoted booths, etc.). We had a restorative French onion soup, along with omelettes and fries and simple green salads—our kind of weekend lunch.
- Wölffer Estate Vineyard
- 139 Sagg Road
Sagaponack
(631) 537-5106 This South Fork concern harvests its own vintage as well as Big Apple wine from The Milk Pail apples— delicious served in tumblers with plenty of ice. The building is low and Tuscan in style, opening at the back onto vineyards and farmland beyond—very northern California in feel.
