LONG ISLAND REGION
The Long Island region comprises the southeastern-most swath of the state, a delicate pink dipped into the Atlantic Ocean to the south, the Long Island Sound to the north and Queens to the West. The best food here often comes fresh from the sea.
Bon appetit!
Yelp’s Price Range Key:
$ Inexpensive
$$ Moderate
$$$ Pricey
$$$$ Ultra High-End
1 Bridgehampton-Sag Harbor Turnpike, Bridgehampton
While Topping Rose happens to be a luxury hotel offering refuge with 22 guestrooms, a spa, fitness center, and heated outside pool, all within walking distance of Bridgehampton boutiques, galleries, and cafés (yes, there’s a shuttle to take guests hither and thither), our focus is the restaurant. Ah, the restaurant! Jean-Georges Vongerichten leads this casual, but refined, establishment serving cuisine sourced from the property and the region’s fisherman and farmers. The highly seasonal menu changes constantly, but expect French-inspired New American classics. Definitely don’t miss the desserts: strawberry and rhubarb brown butter cake and the salted caramel sundae with candied peanuts and popcorn, whipped cream, and fudge sauce appeal to the Eloise in all of us. $$$
Photo: Topping Rose
LUNCH (The Lobster Roll)
1980 Montauk Highway, Amagansett
Lobster rolls are a New York Makers favorite, and Long Island offers a plethora of options for mayo and/or butter versions of this rich-tasting, caloric treat. For us, the place to stop is The Lobster Roll, the retro shack (around since 1965) known as LUNCH, which is located right on the side of Montauk Highway in Amagansett. LUNCH offers far more than a mid-day meal, but it really is the perfect place to pull over on a sun-splashed drive to the beach and do the eponymous. You will enjoy every mouth-watering bite! $$