Art of Eating
74 Montauk Hwy., Amagansett, NY, 267-2411
Art of Eating Catering and Event Planning offers cutting-edge catering in the Hamptons. Owners John Kowalenko and chef Cheryl Stair are perfectionists; they are
obsessed with the notion of attending to every detail and are driven to offering flawless service. Let’s put it this way: when Martha Stewart needed a caterer for her
annual summer staff beach picnic, she chose Art of Eating. Art of Eating has been the caterer of choice for NBC’s Katie Couric, for the wedding of Houston’s Astro’s
first baseman Jeff Bagwell, and for director Barry Sonnenfeld. Perhaps the highest compliment was being chosen by a chef (Nick & Toni’s Joseph Realmuto), and by a
prominent New York City restaurant publicist (Karine Bakhoum), for their respective weddings that had plenty of observant and opinionated foodies in attendance.
Cheryl Stair is probably the most talented chef on the East End of Long Island that nobody knows about -- that’s the lot of the caterer these days. Stair creates
anywhere between 5 and 20 new menus a week. Her culinary talents are vast enough to produce menus that range from Brazilian to Mediterranean to BBQ to
Moroccan to Thai to Portuguese to Cuban. She has a library of over 250 cookbooks to refer to and years of back issues of food related magazines. Her passion is
stopping at farm stands to nab a particularly sweet melon or the first crop of white asparagus. Art of Eating uses organic produce from these farmstands whenever
possible. top
The Clam Bar
Montauk Hwy (Napeague Stretch), Amagansett, NY, 267-6348
The Clam Bar is the perfect casual outdoor restaurant for local seafood. This "clam shack" features a bounty of fresh seafood straight from the docks in Montauk
(owner Dick Ehrlich goes down to get it himself). Popular items include: clams on the half shell, cajun popcorn shrimp, shrimp cocktail, lobster, steamed mussels, fried
clam strips, fish n' chips, fried scallops and more. Joan Reminick of Newsday stated that "the clam roll featured the sweetest, most tender, most perfectly fried clams."
Richard J. Scholem of The New York Times claims that "the true spirit of Long Island can be found in places like the Clam Bar." They are open everyday for lunch and
dinner in season from noon til 8 p.m. It is "the" stop to make on the way to Montauk.
Estia
Main Street, Amagansett, NY (631) 267-6320
The New York Times says that Estia is a place of delightful inconsistencies and consistently good food. Chef/owner Colin Ambrose has driven himself to culinary
excellence. When he hit the Hamptons in 1991, he took over what was a Greek coffee shop and has transformed it into a culinary destination with such dinner specials
as Cervena Venison and Whole Roasted Striped Bass for two. Colin is especially known for his organic garden behind the
restaurant where he gets all of his vegetables for his dishes. The garden has become so popular that both Newsday and Bon Appetit magazine featured it in their publications. Observers note his personal
dedication to his product; each off-season Ambrose works in the kitchen of such masters as Charlie Trotter, Fred Eric and Charlie Palmer. He’s appeared at the James
Beard House and -- in short -- has arrived. top
Pacific East
415 Main Street, Amagansett, 267-7770
Opened in the spring of 1997, Pacific East has become an impact restaurant on the increasingly dynamic Hamptons dining scene. Located a mile from the Atlantic
Ocean and the pounding surf that massages one of the East End's most popular beaches, the restaurant seats 200, which includes an outdoor dining area, a circular bar
that seats 20, as well as an enclosed smoker's area. Chef and owner Michael Castino apprenticed under genius chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten of Jojo, Vong and
Jean-Georges. From there Castino worked with Steve Hansen (Isabella's, Park Avalon, Bluewater Grill and Ocean), leaving to work at China Grill. In 1995, Castino
headed to Miami's South Beach where he became the Chef de Cuisine at Pacific Time, a restaurant that continues to garner national praise. He left Miami to open open
Pacific East in 1997. His menu at Pacific East is Asian influenced. Two popular first courses are Grilled Vegetable Sushi Terrine with Pickled Ginger Vinaigrette and
Iced Local Line Caught Yellow-fin Tuna Tartare with Fresh Coconut Juice, Japanese Horseradish Spiced Tobiko and Idaho Chips. Entrees include Grilled Filets of
Florida Pompano over curried black beluga lentils with gingered carrot broth and carrot chips and Three Pepper Maple Leaf Farm Roast Duck with plum wine, fresh
plums, huckleberries and ginger scallion duck pancakes. Joanne Starkey of The New York Times boasts that Pacific East is a "stunning Asian beauty," while Sheldon
Landwehr of The New York Post comments that "Pacific East rises with an inspiring and inventive Asian seafood specialties;" and Peter Gianotti of Newsday says
"Pacific East is a performance . . .three stars." top
