HAMPTONS WEB - Key Persons
Pacific Rim; Asian Fusion. Also known as "ENE"; located in the Lion's Gate Motel, just off the gazebo circle, heading toward the harbor. Upscale, this restaurant is a wonderful new addition to the East End. In addition to the outstanding job that has been done with the interior, the view is also worth seeing, should you arrive before dark. The variety of large and small plates are served per couple, so the more friends you bring, the wider the variety of flavors you can try. Do not, under any circumstances, miss the duck taco appetizer (unless, of course, you don't like duck). This dish alone should make you come back for repeat visits. Casual dress; full liquor license; beautiful sit-down bar. Watch for a more complete review coming soon.
American/Continental. One of the few upscale restaurants in East Hampton with a dining deck directly overlooking the water, this has to be one of the prettiest places in the area (during daylight hours). Dinner is quite good, but Sunday's all-you-can-eat buffet brunch is better, featuring made to order omelettes, a very superior French toast, bacon, sausages, tasty salads, pastas, and both hot cold original dishes (however, their terrific raw bar featuring all the clams and oysters you could eat has been discontinued). The service on the outdoor deck is vastly inferior to the service inside the restaurant. Another Jerry Della Femina spot. Open for lunch and dinner, 7 days a week from 5:00pm during the season; because of the brunch, regular lunch is not served on Sundays. Casual dress.
Contemporary American; Health. Family style restaurant open for breakfast, lunch and dinner, located directly across Newtown Lane from the A&P in East Hampton Village. Chef Daniel serves up "healthy cuisine," meaning whole grain breads and pancakes, tempeh, tofu, and no red meat, but seafood, turkey-burgers and chicken mean its not vegetarian. Ratings given are for dinner only; brunch gets considerably higher grades (and larger crowds). AE, MC, V. Entree price range: $7.50 to $18.95. Full liquor license; sit-down bar.
Seafood; Traditional American. Somewhere between family style and upscale, this restaurant's pleasing view of the lake compliments its nautical interior. The food, whether seafood or land fare, is well-prepared and nicely presented. The local seafood is always fresh and we recommend it highly. A popular spot for lobster dinners, service is a bit inconsistent and will vary from very attentive to harried, depending on how busy and how well staffed the restaurant is on any given night. Entree price range: $17.95 to $29.47. Casual dress; full liquor license; large sit-down bar area; catering available.
Contemporary American. Located at the east end of the Southampton railroad station (in the building which formerly housed Southampton's Village Hall). Although this restaurant's name might lead one to believe that the food is southern American, the menu here boasts a satisfying variety of cuisines, including seafood (such as a very nice miso glazed monkfish with soba noodles, $30), steaks (22 oz. bone-in rib eye with creamed spinach and tuscan fries, $39), Italian (a variety of homemade pastas and excellent risottos, $24-$29; add a 1ΒΌ lb. lobster: $35), and (yes) southern American (Louisiana bayou roasted poussin with black beans, long grain rice and caramelized plantains, $26). Wood oven pizzas with a variety of toppings are available for $22. Our review group was a demanding one, and included two chefs, a graduate of the Culinary Institute of America, and the owner of one of New York's great restaurants (Chef Mark Lahm of Henry's End). We tasted virtually every item on the menu with very few negative comments. Overall, the food is wonderful. If it is available, do not miss the fried green tomatoes and eggplant milanese with brie and pancetta appetizer ($9). For risotto fans, there were no less than three types (risotto with fresh shaved summer truffles, seafood risotto, and risotto with fresh porcini mushrooms & Bel Paese cheese). Other noteworthy dishes were crispy wood oven Long Island duckling ($28), spinach fettucine with beef tenderloin tips ($25), grilled whole branzino with roasted vegetables couscous ($34). The menu includes a nice selection of salads and desserts (their "Best Banana Pie This Side of Georgia" probably is). A rather minor negative comment: relative to the excellent appetizers and entrees, the bread basket was bland and unimaginative. The one bigger negative: although the wine list featured some excellent selections, it was, in our collective opinion, considerably overpriced. Open for dinner Sunday through Thursday from 5:00 pm to 10:00 pm; Friday and Saturday from 5:00 pm to 11:00 pm; brunch served Saturday and Sunday only, from 10:00 am to 2:30 pm; AE, MC, V. Entree price range: $22.00 to $41.00; Casual dress. Reservations recommended; full liquor license. Exceptional outdoor patio dining (cigars are available outdoors). See more about Savanna's at Great Restaurants of Long Island.