With Valentine’s day right around the corner and the 12″ of snow on the ground I know a lot of you are thinking about a nice romantic evening with a glass of wine….. or 6…. in front of a roaring fire! So are there any good spots for that romantic dinner before dipping into the champagne glass tub (you know what I’m talking about) without heading to the Poconos? Yes, there are my friends and I’m here to tell you more!
First up… The American Hotel, Sag Harbor. – The Hotel has a big huge hearth and a style from an era gone by…. and I’m not talking about the clientele. Big fluffy chairs a warm wooden bar and some nice dark lightening that would make Joan Rivers look like Kate Upton…. or at least Florence Henderson. It’s the perfect date night location with a solid menu, great service and dim flickering lights that are going to make you look good!
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| Hey baby, am I making you hot? At EH GRILL. |
1770 House, East Hampton. – I love this place but I’m particularly fond of eating in the basement. Its far less formal than the main dining room and they have the rustic brick walls, gas fireplace and some of the best meat loaf I’ve ever had! Be sure to make a reservation if you want to eat downstairs, it’s now more popular than ever before. A nice relaxing place to spend your Valentines Day.
East Hampton Grill, East Hampton. – Where did you think the EH Grill would be, Quogue!? A great
bar scene, great food, a huge fireplace and some of the fastest service on the East End. So, why is fast service so important? Well if you’re looking to get lucky that night, who has time for a 5 hour dinner!?!?
Robert’s, Water Mill. – If one of you is from Southampton and the other is from East Hampton, this is the perfect place. My favorite dish there is the “penne bolognese”… but I can’t eat that anymore. Summer is around the corner…. oh hell i’ll order it anyway. Featuring a great menu, great service, a really extensive wine list and a toasty gas fireplace, Robert’s is a great place for a little smooching.
There are two more I want to mention but I’m running out of space. Red Bar in Southampton is another great location for a romantic evening, featuring it’s great open space and plenty of candle light. Also, Race Lane in East Hampton…. Big sofas in front of a fireplace… enough said.
Finally for those desiring something a little off the beaten Hamptons path, may I suggest going to Riverhead. No, I won’t suggest going to the only waterfront McDonald’s with boat slips in the country (trivia fact.. check it out) but rather one of the most innovative and different restaurants I’ve experienced in a long time. THE RIVERHEAD PROJECT or RHP is located at 300 E. Main St., Riverhead and in addition to the chic decor, diverse menue and great service there are some out of the box events like “The Wine Project” … with a sommolier supervised wine pairing dinner and “The Movie Project”… which is…. well you get it. Go to their website for more information. It’s fun stuff! Recently, I had the chance to talk with owner Dennis McDermott (formerly of The Frisky Oyster in Greenport ) and chef Lia Fallon about what makes RHP so unique.
I keep hearing everyone talk about how “The Hamptons have changed so much over the past few years.” Well, I beg to differ. I’ve compiled a list of things that are still the same out east. And remember as Carly Simon sang, “these are the good old days.”
The American Hotel still has a great Saturday night bar crowd.
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What does it say: If it’s on a Friday or Saturday night.. it means they have connections. They’re also not short on cash and willing to go head to head with some of the biggest attitudes in the Hamptons. If they order the zucchini chips (at N&T) or onion rings (Palm) they’re daring… not afraid of calories because they’ll be at the gym in the morning. It also says, they really know the menu. If one of the hostesses or maitre d’s say “hello,” you know they’re doing well because they obviously slipped one of them a few buck$ for Christmas. They deserve a least a second date or to go a few bases. If you’re date is on a Sunday or prixe-fixe night, it’s up to your discretion.
What does it say: Chances are your date is a summer renter here in the Hamptons. They’re still new to the scene so if you’re waiting for that invitation to Jerry Seinfeld’s residence forget it. If this is a first date, finish the evening and change your cell number. You can do better.
What does it say: Your date obviously knows some of the hidden treasures of the Hamptons. It also says, they’re willing to go to a quiet place and they’re not afraid to hold a conversation with you. They’re smart and into the finer things in life. Confident and not afraid to spend a little extra for something special. Now, I want to be clear we’re talking about the upstairs restaurant here… if you end up in the downstairs pub it only says one thing to me; THEY’RE MARRIED!
What does it say: If it’s Friday night and he’s taking you to Almond, he’s gay! If you already knew he was gay… then just enjoy he probably knows a lot of people.
What does it say: People go to Cyril’s for one reason to drink. Odds are your date just got out of rehab or is probably fresh from the daily Montauk AA meeting. I would also be suspect of everyone your date just said hello to, odds are they’re tomorrow’s date! If you drove separately (hopefully you did) pretend to get a text message and leave immediately to deal with a “personal issue.”