real estate.

DISCOUNT DINING ON THE EAST END… PLUS, WHY YOU DON’T HAVE TO WAIT TILL EXIT 70.

In case you haven’t noticed, it’s starting to look a lot like spring in the Hamptons.    Are the trees budding?   Have the lilies bloomed?   NO!   Traffic is picking up.   There are more cars today than there were last weekend and probably more next week.    One of the other rites of spring is also here, “RESTAURANT WEEK.”     From March 26th to April 2nd, a select number of eateries will be celebrating “East End Restaurant Week.”   I’m not sure how this IS different than “Hamptons Restaurant Week”….. but…..  many of the names are similar.   Fresno, Nick and Toni’s and Service Station in East Hampton, Le Charlot and Union Cantina in Southampton and Page, Wolffer Kitchen and Barons Cove in Sag Harbor are a few of the participating eateries.

zuccini chips
Zucchini Chips at N&T’s!

For a complete list of where to chow you can click here for the details. For a complete list of where to chow you can click here for the details.

Speaking of Union Cantina in Southampton..  I recently stopped by for dinner and was pleasantly surprised.   I went when they first opened and was initially underwhelmed.

UNION CANTINA 2
Deconstructed Enchiladas

Luckily, I decided to give them another shot.      You should too.    We started with what I assume are the homemade chips and guacamole,  very solid.   After that,  I had the “deconstructed” enchiladas, house salad and tortilla soup.    All were delicious with a little heat but not overwhelming.      The service was good… not great but good.   It could be that I was there on a snowy night and nobody really felt like working.   I know I didn’t feel like cooking on a snowy night!    We all love a snow day.    Anyway, I would say try for yourself and let me know if you agree.    Oh, the margaritas are definitely worth trying too…. not too sweet with a good kick.

Are we there yet??????  Are we there yet?    Well, I’m already here …. out of the traffic suckas!    But while you haul your buts… or is it butts… out here in the

Whale
This just screams fun!  Unlike Sea World where there are just screams.

next few weeks there’s something new along the LIE!   I know…  excitement on the expressway!   No longer do you need to ignore your kids and spouses and declare they, “hold it in until exit 70.”     You now have the Long Island Visitors at Exit 52!   That nearly 18 exits sooner!!!  Yes, I’m good at math… I took Calculus 101 twice!     Anyway, “THE” answer is yes… they are clean bathrooms.    Plus, they have a a market featuring long island specialties and some fine cups of coffee too.    But for me, I had a whale of a good time just walking into the place (see photo).   It’s almost as fun as Sea World but nobody gets eaten by the giant fish!

 

 

A SNOW JOB …. SAG GETS JUST WHAT IT NEEDS-NOT… AND LAST CALL FOR BEACH PERMITS!

So you ran to the store and you bought all the eggs, bread and milk you could find and now you’re eating French toast for dinner.    You was had people!  Yep, after much hype and hoopla , the blizzard that wasn’t hit the East End.

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EH Main St. after “Fluffy”

Forecasters were so convinced of this snowpocalypse that they even gave it a name.   I can’t remember what it was and it’s a good thing.    As we all know, it was a big snooze here.    While we did have some icing roads and a power outage in The Springs, the most significant impact of the storm I’m now calling “Fluffy” was a down tree in the middle of Main Street East Hampton.    So there you have it, now it’s time for spring to begin.

 

Sag Harbor needs lots of things… a shoe repair shop, a great day spa, a doggy day care or even a Cheesecake Factory or Outback Steakhouse as discussed in previous blogs.

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Another bank..

One thing they don’t need is another bank.    Well guess what Hamptons folks, your prayers have once again been ignored.   JP Morgan Chase has set its sites on the location once occupied by Capital One.   An application has been made with the Village of Sag Harbor to obtain a “Certificate of Appropriateness from the Village Board of Historic Preservation and Architectural Review.”     I personally will benefit from the fact I don’t have to pay a service fee for ATMs in town since I bank at Manufacturers Hanover….err I mean Chemical Bank…. I mean Chase.    But a bank?!  How boring… like a real estate office.

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99 of these puppies left!

Beach Permits…  you can’t live with them and you can’t live without ’em.    But while Southampton Village and Flanders Village continues to sell permits in unlimited numbers, the can’t be said of East Hampton Village.    So, how many are left?   According to my top secret reconnaissance (i.e. I made a phone call) there are only 100 passes are left!  So take two minutes and go online here and get your beach pass, otherwise you might as well go to Ocean City, MD.  I would have insulted New Jersey here but my family keeps getting nasty about my blog posts!  OOOPS… I meant to give you the link to get your passes online!  Yep you can do that by clicking here.

 

 

Are Short Term Rentals Harming The Hamptons… and I FINALLY got to Topping Rose!!

So the Hamptons are more crowded this year than last.  But yet, everyone from shop keepers and especially real estate agents (talking rentals) are saying that business is off.   One thing I always do when I take my stroll around town trying to look better dressed than the next guy, I always ask shop owners “how was your season?”   The response I keep hearing “not great.”    But it’s so crowded, which leaves me wondering what gives!?     Well some folks are blaming the increasing popularity of those short term rental websites for the problem.       For example, you can rent a house in Southampton from a website called Marquis for a nightly rate of $1,100 a night even though this is in violation of town code which requires a minimum of 14 days.     So, according to some there lies the problem.    You have a house which advertises an occupancy of 12 people each essentially paying $100 per person, they’re not the types who are going to be spending money about town in the shops and restaurants.     By the way, I like that the Hamptons are becoming more accessible to folks who wouldn’t normally be able to visit but by allowing overcrowding in houses it’s more like a spring break location than quiet escape from city living.    What do you think?

Finally,  I got the chance to visit the new Topping Rose by Jean Georges last night and I can say is it was worth the wait.  Although the reservation lines need some fixing… about 45 minutes of holds, hang ups and transfers… the total experience was great.   The menu is unpretentious with everything from an amazing mini pizza to a terrific kale salad and a really solid cheese burger.    Service was solid and entrees arrived within a half hour of ordering.  I had the penne with meatballs and thought they were over the top awesome.   My dinner guests ordered the burger and the salmon, each earning a thumbs up from each.   I also recommend the heirloom tomato salad which right now is on the tail of being in season so go try it now.    This is a huge step up from last year’s outing by Tom Colicchio.

5 Hacks for Surviving the Hamptons… plus great beach music!!

The answer for crappy cell service!Click here to buy on Amazon! 

Well this is the home stretch folks and if you’re like me,  the glass is half full.  We have a couple more weeks of summer!!!   Yes, there’s more left of “Summergeddon 16” in the Hamptons and believe it or not, there are a few things you can make these next few weeks more enjoyable.

Get a microcell for your cell phone – One of the biggest complaints people have about being on the east end is that their phones just don’t work.  But it doesn’t have to be the case.  You can go to your local service provider and buy a mini “cell tower” that hooks up to your internet for about $150.   You could also try calling them and see if they’ll cut you some slack and send you one for free.   Sometimes they’ll do that when you’re in a zone with no “mapped” coverage.   It’s bad enough for house guest but Lord knows even locals go nuts with the dead zones out here!

In Southampton behind Chase… plenty of spots!

Learn where to park – Going to dinner, lunch or just picking up a Lululemon shirt can be a nightmare during the height of summer.   Driving up and down main street hoping that you’ll be lucky and be granted a gift by your parking angel.  But what if that Escalade isn’t pulling out for your Mini-Cooper any time soon?   In Southampton Village, haul your four tires around the corner and use the village parking behind the Chase bank and West Main.    In Sag Harbor, during the day try the lot next to Dodds and Eder on W. Water St.   In East Hampton, the Walbaum’s lot is always a nightmare so instead try the lot off Gingerbread Lane Extension (by the YMCA) and cut through Herrick Park to the heart of the village.

Coming and Going –  We all know you don’t leave the Hamptons on Sunday afternoons at 4 pm and you don’t leave the city on Fridays from 11am-5pm… so when are the “optimal” times to make your trek back and forth?  Well since I’m now a full timer out here I had to ask a few of my friends who are citidiot’s to get an answer.  What is the best time to go back and forth to the east end?  The answer; Friday nights around 7pm departure from the city and Monday am at about 8 am departing the Hamptons.  That is of course if you can’t catch the “cannonball” from Penn Station.

Handling Your Hot Car – I’m not sure where I read this but when your car is a 105 degrees and it’s only 80 outside, there’s a simple hack that will cool it off ASAP.  I’m not sure how it works or why but it does. Open the passenger side window and then open and shut the driver side door a few times for about 15 seconds.  I kid you not, your car will be a whole lot cooler.   I failed physics in high school so if there are any geeks out there to explain this, I’m all ears.

See You in September –  Hello, summer doesn’t end till until September 23rd.   I’m letting you know the best kept secret in the Hamptons… SEPTEMBER IS THE BEST MONTH.  You have warm weather, warm water, less crowds and virtually ever shop in town is having a sale!     It’s my favorite time of year out here.    It will be yours too… by the way, all the hotels are cheaper too!

Finally… it’s my blog so suffer.  I want to tell you what I’m listening to this summer.   I can do that!   For some reason I stumbled on the new album from ABC (Look of Love and When Smokey Sings fame).  It’s called The Lexicon of Love II and it’s a “sequel” to their album of the same name which was huge in ’82.   I personally think it’s awesome and it’s great pop music for grown ups.   Take a listen to the clip below.  Yeah they look older but we all do!