Round Swamp Farm

SIGNS OF SPRING!!!

I feel it!  Spring has finally arrived on the east end.   How do I know?  Because Round Swamp Farm has reopened.  YES!   Now, I no longer have to drive by longing and

round swamp
Elastic waistbands optional… ROUND SWAMP FARM!

slobbering in vain for my Mexican Layer Dip,  Sour Cream Coffee Cake or Brussels Sprout Caesar Salad or cinnamon rolls or guacamole or Lisa’s Oatmeal Raisin cookies or Claire’s Lemon Pound Cake or BBQ chicken or … no, I must stop.  Lucky for us they don’t publish the calorie counts on anything they make!

Another sign of spring is the Roses are in bloom!   By the way,  I’m not talking about the flowers I’m talking about Wolffer’s Summer in a Bottle.     After a shortage last year when supplies went dry at the end of July, production has been upped and everyone will be able to enjoy their Rose for breakfast throughout the summer!    The colorful

WOLFFER.jpg
THE BREAKFAST OF CHAMPIONS?

bottle which is a work of art itself hasn’t changed since last year but it is a new vintage.  In case you’ve been out of the loop, Summer in a Bottle retails for about $25 and is available at Wolffer Estate Vineyard or virtually every spirit shop in the Hamptons.        Remember, life may be a cabernet but rose is better!

 

 

Bikini Busters… the 7 deadly sweet and savory sins of Hamptons Dining! Plus it’s a time warp in Sag Harbor this weekend.

In case you missed it, a few weeks ago the Wall Street Journal announced that the Hamptons have gone  healthy.    The opening of the new Juice Lane in Wainscott, Soul Cycle and Tracy Anderson apparently have constituted a trend and now we’re all supposed to look like Brangelina.    Well, not so fast WSJ!   While, I’m not saying they’re going to start serving fried Coca Cola at Nick and Toni’s (look it up, it’s a real thing) there are quite a few pot holes and road blocks on the road to wellness here in the Hamptons.    So, here are my favorites and I hope you find as tempting as I do…

Dangerous territory!

1) Sam’s- East Hampton – It’s the pizza and chicken Parmesan that get me every time.     The cheese is thick on both and the sauce is thick and tasty, just like my mama never made (she was Lithuanian and Irish neither which are known for good cuisine).

2) Round Swamp Farm- East Hampton – What’s not to like?!  The cinnamon buns, the coffee cake, the guacamole, the chicken salad, the chocolate chip cookies…. oh, the list goes on and on your gut!    This place is not where you want to go while dieting.    I dare you to go into there and leave with just one thing!  It’s not going to happen!

3) Dreesen’s Donuts at Scoop Du Jour – East Hampton –  The donuts are freshly made and need I say more!?   It’s deep fried dough with sugar!   You could serve me deep fried wood with sugar and I bet I’d eat it but the dough is a little easier to chew…. fluffier too!

4) Bobby Van’s – Bridgehampton – If you’re allergic to shellfish you may want to avoid the shrimp nachos at Bobby Van’s.  But if you’re not, get ready for a spicy blob of shrimp, chips, jalapenos, guacamole and enough cheese to keep Lipitor profitable for the next century.    Yeah, the Chinese Chicken Salad is good too but for some reason it doesn’t seem as decadent.

Yeah, they look sweet and innocent at Mary’s.

5) Mary’s Marvelous – Amagansett – When Ina Garten shuttered the Barefoot Contessa years ago, I went into a deep depression.  WHERE WILL I BUY MY COCONUT CUPCAKES?!    Yes, I could go buy Ina’s cake mix but that would leave evidence around the house.    Luckily Mary’s is there to fill the void!   Her sandwiches and muffins are great too but it’s the coconut cupcake that is the standout!    If you don’t know my cousins Eileen and GiGi or Ina for some CC’s of lovin’ (as I call them) make sure you go to Mary’s and eat them there.   Coconut shreds are often a dead give away.

6) Fresno – East Hampton –  Tons of good stuff on the menu and a bar/restaurant scene that’s fun and unpretentious is what keeps me going back to this East End staple.    From some of the same people that bring you Red Bar and Beacon this is the closest to my house so I’m a little biased.  I’m also terminally in love with the Sticky Toffee cake desert.   I also drool over their …staff… I mean burgers and fries.   Gosh, I only hope I look attractive in my Sans-a-belt pants with Spanx
when I got there next time!!!?

Fat Free Biscuits at Grill…NOT!

7) The East Hampton Grill – Yeah, I know I write a lot about this place.  I’m the mayor on foursquare.com and yes they know my name ( no, smarty pants I tip well so that’s not the reason!).    The buttermilk biscuits, the ribs and the home made hot fudge (that I think comes with Ice Cream) are all impossible to avoid.  Although I don’t eat them all together at the same time…. hey wait… hot fudge on ribs and buttermilk biscuits on the side… no stop it… wait…

On an entirely different note, they’re having a Soap Box Derby this weekend in Sag Harbor.   The big event will take place this Sunday afternoon on High Street.   The festivities will begin with a parade down Main Street at 1pm (they have a parade for everything in Sag Harbor) followed by the big race on High Street.     While my 25 year old nephew had no clue what a soap box derby was, I proudly told him to keep an eye out for the kids named Spanky McFarland and Alfalfa Switzer.   They’re both heavily favored to win!    There’s still no word if Darla and Petey will be there.

Bikini Busters!!!! The best baked goods in the Hamptons!

I have long complained there are no good bakeries in the Hamptons. Ever since Ina Garten closed the doors on the Barefoot Contessa, I’ve been searching the East End tirelessly looking for the next great coconut cupcake. Ok, yes you can buy the box kit but it was forever ruined when my sister Gina decided to make them as a surprise for me! Yes they were a surprise… a surprise like being stuck in the Sahara without water. This is the same sister who confused the abbreviation for a tablespoon with pound while one time surprising me with pasta dinner!!! But enough about my sister’s culinary clumsiness. Ok, one last jab…I shingled a roof once with her pancakes! But alas, there are good baked goods. First up on my list is BREADZILLA on Wainscott Northwest Rd. Great focaccia breads and in my opinion, the only place to buy a birthday cake this side of the canal. No, the prices are not for the faint of heart but they put their money where the butter is!!!

For cookies, try Levain Bakery on 27 at the Wainscott shopping center. The oatmeal raisin are my favorite. They each weigh about 3 lbs a piece.. or at least they feel like it… but they are awesome!!! The chocolate chip rock and the peanut butter…incredible. They’re not open during the winter and hours are choppy at best. But if you catch them open, the fumes alone are awesome and they should charge admission! You can also get the cookies fresh out oven… wait I have to go wipe my drooling chin.

Finally ROUND SWAMP FARM, what can I say. The cinnamon buns, the sour c
ream coffee cake, the brownies, the triple berry pie and the corn bread muffins….. well lets just say I know them all intimately! The farm is and has been run for over 40 years by Carolyn Lester Snyder who along with her family create the baked goods and meals fresh daily. It’s a small shop but it covered from wall to wall with quality stuff. It’s not a baked good.. but it is baked… their Mexican cheese dip is just plain wrong!!! It has to be about 4000 calories but it’s worth every scoop on your tortilla chip. The market is located on Three Mile Harbor Rd in East Hampton and is opened 9-5 Mon-Saturday… 9-1pm on Sunday. I know they accept cash, visa and I’m hoping soon will assist with financing!

Speaking of financing… in the … It’s not my listing but I know of a great deal section.… south of the highway property… it’s a bank sale and an amazing deal. Contact me for details!!!! In fact, a few more distressed properties came onto the market last week… I’m about to start a weekly mailing here. Let me know if you want to be on the list. E mail me!!!!