Sothfork Kitchen is open and it was worth the wait!

So after months of false starts and opening dates that have come and gone, Southfork Kitchen in Bridgehampton is finally open. The big question is now, was it worth the wait?! The answer is a definitive yes. Southfork Kitchen is billed as a sustainable “farm-to-table” restaurant with seafood and local produce, and boasting it’s very own on-site gardens.

Chef Joe Isidori has has created a menu that is both innovative and delicious. Some of the featured appetizers on the menu include 8 o’clock Ranch Pork Belly with breakfast radish, sea salt and Yazu, Southfork Kitchen Clam Chowder with soy cured bacon and vegtables and a amazing Garden salad with homemade buttermilk dressing and ewe’s blue cheese.

Entrees include Icelandic Artic Char with white organic miso and tonato fondue, Milowski Farm Hertiage Turkey Saltimbocca with egg, orgainic spinach and guanciale. I’m not a food writer here so I’m just copying what the menu says. So don’t ask me what guacnciale is!? I actually ordered the Chicken… yes, chicken.. but I have to say it was really quite good. Ok, I’ll be more adventurous next time.

The wines were local as well featuring Channing Daughters and Wolffer vineyards for example. All in all it was a great evening, with a few little kinks in the service but it IS A NEW PLACE! Owner and blogger Bruce Buschel has created a warm and friendly enviornment where his greetings of many of the diners will no doubt make Southfork Kitchen the hardest reservation in the summer of ‘011! Wow, I was nice… no complaints.. but I have to say SFK earned it. Good luck guys!

Southfork Kitchen is open at 203 Sag Harbor Turnpike, Bridgehampton, NY 11932

Call (631) 537-4700 for hours.

Me, SJP and 13 nice things about the Hamptons!!

Last night I was at the NY Sheraton for the annual Empire State Pride Agenda, fall dinner. It was actually a really great event for a great cause. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand was there as was Mayor Michael Bloomberg and Governor David Patterson. The event was hosted by Andy Cohen of Bravo and Sarah Jessica Parker. Now, I’ve known Andy for years and he introduced me to Ms. Parker or as he calls her SJP. I have to say, she was more attractive in person than in any of her movies or on the TV show. She was also absolutely charming. So now, if you read this blog you know I wasn’t crazy about “Sex and the City 2” the movie. Well, I take it back. I’m going to only say nice things about the Movie and SJP! She’s my new BFF.

So that had me thinking. Now that I’ve turned over a new leaf of saying only nice things about S&TC2, maybe I should say nice things about some other places and people I’ve often slighted. So, since today is Friday the 13Th I’m going to add some positive energy to the day and say 13 nice things. Here it goes….

#1 Bay Burger in Sag Harbor … nice thing… they have a very smooth parking lot!

OK, how did I do? I’ll keep going….

#2 The smell of the East Hampton Gym and the stale smelling towels keep me alert when working out!

#3 Bagel Buoy in Sag Harbor… the bagels are very round!

#4 Joan Jedell’s Hamptons hot sheet is great for starting bonfires!

#5 The traffic on 27 isn’t really that bad on Sunday mornings in January!

#6 The Golden Pear’s $10 gazpacho makes me spend $10 less on wine!

#7 That agent that looks like Ms. Piggy is much better looking than their boyfriend!

Gosh this is hard… I’m thinking… I’m thinking… hummmmmm….

#8 The produce in Walbaum’s isn’t as rancid as it looks!

#9 Riverhead is a great place if you like fast food!

#10 Murphs in Sag Harbor has a floor that’s very difficult to slip on!

#11 I don’t have to ever worry about sleeping too late, now that I have my Beagle Russell!

#12 ATT’s lousy reception keeps me from spending too much time talking to long winded real estate agents!

and…. drum roll….. #13 the orange parking ticket on my window looks so great with all of the Fall colors!!!

Whoa! Oh before I forget. I have to post this video. If you haven’t seen it yet you should. What do you think happens to a McDonalds Happy Meal after 6 months. Take a look. Bay Burger may not seem so bad now!

More Hamptons business obituaries and Water Mill’s new sweet spot!

So, if you read the blog recently you know that Citarella Water Mill is gone, Saks Fifth Avenue in Southampton is gone and one of my favorites Tutto Italiano shuttered up last week with no notice leaving some residents and a dozen employees miffed and angry. Read more here: http://bit.ly/9JacMv Well now you can add Ziggy’s in Bridgehampton to the list. The restaurant which catered to families and served a pretty good burger (hello maybe they could sell the recipe to Bay Burger) is becoming something called “M&E CONTEMPORARY TAPAS”. I don’t know who is running this or doing it but let me just say, does the Hamptons really need a SECOND tapas place?! I like Copa on School St. in Bridgehampton. In fact, I ate there last night and the flat bread pizza with chicken was over the top great! I have no idea who is opening the new place M&E but once I get the dope, I’ll write asap! I don’t have anything against tapas but there are a million other cuisines out there that we could use out east. My biggest beef is a decent Mexican!

Meanwhile, NY TIMES blogger Bruce Buchel has finally opened his long awaited Southfork Kitchen on the Bridge-Sag Turnpike in Bridgehampton. According to the blogger, the first night went off without a hitch or any major catastrophes. http://nyti.ms/au74FJ Meanwhile, I heard via a friend of a friend that the food was worth the wait. No comments about the service though. Really… they didn’t mention the service. It could have been great! Who knows!?

Finally, something we do need in the Hamptons… CUPCAKES! Enough about Magnolia, Cupcake Cafe and Crumbs we now have THE WATERMILL CUPCAKE COMPANY. Run by two cousins from the city Ruth Balletta and her cousin Cindy have brought a welcome confection to the East End! Located at the Blockbuster/former Citarella/Muse shopping center in Water Mill the girls have baked up some great stuff. My personal favorite was the “red velvet” which are the real McCoy with dark coco and not just food coloring. The cakes were fresh and buttery and the brokers at my recent open house where I dispensed these cakes, gave them an A+! The Water Mill Cupcake Company is opened at 10 am til 5pm. The coffee was pretty awesome too. Great job ladies! 631-726-044 is the number!