Hamptons

It’s a lot like my house but not as comfortable but the food is better!!!

So I finally hit what I have no doubt will be “THE” place this summer. The Living Room at The Maidstone. That’s the Maidstone Inn… not the the “Club” where they would never let me in…. and who are you kidding, they wouldn’t let you in the “Club” either!

Anyway, newly redone and newly fun the menu is pretty eclectic but not difficult. SI started with the winter salad of baby arugula, apples, endive, walnuts, cranberries, apple cider vinaigrette and grated blue cheese. The portion was generous and the salad was delicious ($14). Among the other appetizers are Swedish country Pate with lingonberry (why does that sound gross to me?) mustard, cornichons and radish ($12)… Peconic pride oysters (who knew Peconic oysters were gay but that’s what the menu said) on the half shell with citron mignonette.

The entrees include Sweedish lamb meatballs, Salmon, Codfish, Fettuccine with wild mushroom bolognese and pecorino. Yum, so what did I order. Chicken, I know I’m boring. Besides everything else tastes like it anyway, right? It was apparently a Heritage chicken, once again there words are not mine and that means and I quote “A happy chicken who leads a natural and relaxed like on a farm with family and friends” until he of course gets his head cut off and is tossed in a rosemary jus, with Long Island potato puree and caramelized Brussels sprout leaves ($28). In the end it wasn’t the chicken that was happy but rather it was me!

A nice room, plenty of am-beyonce which is much hipper than just ambiance. The Living Room was a comfortable and good meal with great service. Go now, you’re not going to want to in August! TRUST ME. Chef James Carpenter formally of Della Famina and one my favorites Susan Spicer’s Bayona in New Orleans gets an A for The Living Room. Anyone else agree? The Living room is located 207 MAIN ST., EAST HAMPTON 631.324.5006

Finally, the Sag Harbor express has a riveting intereview with a US Census taker in this weeks issue. www.sagharboronline.com Don’t wait for the movie kids, it’s always more exciting to read it!!!

You have been warned … act now or you’ll be lugging your cooler and hanging at Jones Beach!!!

EVERY YEAR… I tell everyone to get beach permits early. But do half of you listen to me?? NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! Last year permits ran out in March and I’m sure this year will be no different. I called the East Hampton
Village offices and they told me they’re already sold 1200 of the available 2700. It’s only FEBRUARY!! You need the permit on your car starting May 15th through September 15th. Main Beach and Two Mile Hollow Beach are the only village beaches where you can pay by the day for parking – $20 per day, weekdays only, not available on weekends or holidays. I’m not sure why you can’t on weekends but remember, it’s the Hamptons and logic stops at the Shinnecock canal!

Village parking permits are free to residents of the village and cost $300 per vehicle for non-village residents with a valid vehicle registration. Non-resident permits are limited in number and are issued on a first-come, first-serve basis. They already sold 1200… did I say that?!

Village parking permits are available at Village Hall, open 9 am to 4 pm, Monday to Friday. Residents must show proof of residency if you want a freebie. Both residents and non-residents must provide a valid vehicle registration. You got to remember, they’re serious about this permit stuff… If you don’t believe me read the following quote from the department of redundancy department of East Hampton’s website: “Town of East Hampton parking permits are not valid at village beaches and village permits are not valid at town beaches. There are no town, county, or state beaches in the Village of East Hampton.” Damn it!!!

In other East Hampton news, Sea Spray Cottages are nestled behind ocean dunes on a narrow strip between the ocean and and Hook Pond just east of Main Beach at the end of Ocean Avenue. The 13 cottages were once part of the famous Sea Spray Inn. The Village now owns and rents the cottages during the summer season from the second week in May until the third week in September. Well their auctioning off the leases for this coming summer. But if you think they’ll be cheap… think again. The leases are expected to garner prices well into the six figures. If you want more details… do a google search My computer is acting up ad I need to finish before it crashes! Don’t buy an HP Touch Smart!!!!

Hello sweeties!!!

So I’ve been in the Hamptons full time now for about 6 years and I’m still sane. While there are some things I don’t miss at all about NYC, the noise, the traffic and Time Warner Cable (“we’ll be there sometime between 8am and 6pm”). One thing I do miss is a good cupcake. I used to live down the street from SOUTINE bakery on W.70th and every now and then would stop by for one of their buttery creamy treats. While they were good, my favorites were always CRUMBS and CUPCAKE CAFE.

Now, I know there is a debate raging about MAGNOLIA BAKERY vs. CUPCAKE CAFE but to me it’s no contest. I prefer buttery over super sugary sweet and CUPCAKE CAFE is the winner. Now, my dilemma… there is no debate over cupcakes going on in the Hamptons there are only two choices. Citarella and Mary’s Marvelous. Yes, there are some from CRUMBS in the city available at Scoop Du Jour but only on weekends and I’m a full-time purist folks!!! But let’s not get off track here!!!

Citarella’s aren’t bad, they’re actually pretty good but they’re not in the same league as the ones from MARY’S MARVELOUS in Amagansett!!! Mary’s cupcakes are the best in town now…. this because Ina Garten shuttered the BAREFOOT CONTESSA a few years ago! But you know Mary’s hold their own. Her coconut cupcakes are my favorite and just as good as Ina’s were back in the day! Now I know Ina now sells here mixes at the grocery store but these confections are always awful! but that’s not Ina’s fault, I cant cook even with a mix!

In short Mary’s cupcakes are indeed MARVELOUS!!! So are her Scones and most everything else in the shop as well. So why am I thinking about cupcakes? Because I’m trying to cut out the carbs and cupcakes are all I can think of! Oh and my cousin Eileen’s home made sticky buns!!! Hello Jenny Craig!

Another blog about buidings, dogs and people!

I’m surprised more people dont know about the SPRINGS DOG PARK but given how the town is slowly trying to keep the fidos off the beach, I have a feeling more and more folks will start discovering it. Well maybe not today, given all of the snow we have.

The park is an open 42-acre former nursery, in which vehicles are prohibited, comprises about half the park. It is reached by a long driveway from Three Mile Harbor Road. It’s right past Squaw Rd on your right as you’re heading away from town.

You would think everyone loves a place where man’s best friend is allowed to frolic freely, but then again you have to remember this is East Hampton. Some of the neighbors are a bit cranky about the whole situation, including Councilman Brad Loewan who recently was quoted, “The majority of people in my community . . . feel excluded due to discomfort with dogs, fear, or whatever their reasons may be,” he said, vowing to make good on a campaign promise “to regain the park for everyone.”
Ummmm… Brad, there’s like 50 other parks out here where there are no dogs. Lighten up!

But thank god for a voice of reason Town Councilwoman Pat Mansir rebutted Mr. Loewen’s comments. “I think you’ve got one hell of a nerve,” she told him. “This is one park in this town that people use it and love it. We’re trying to make this park accessible to people…. who want to go down there whether they have a dog or not.”

Anyway, I love this park , I love the dogs there and it’s really one of the unique spaces that make the Hamptons special. When you’re there… make sure you walk to the end and check out the dog log. This was originally on the beach and owners would carve there dogs names into it. A few years ago, somebody brought the log to the park and there it stays!! Cool huh?

My Hamptons/Metropolitan diary observation of this week was at the Hampton Boooks store in East Hampton. A very smartly dressed man took a copy of Sarah Palin’s book “Going Rogue” and placed it in the “FICTION” section. If you have a diary moment… send it to me, I’d be happy to report.