Hampton regulars and summer visitors who inundate the North and South Forks during the summer are a hungry lot. And everyone seems determined to get a reservation at the newest restaurants. Here are some openings, some planned openings, and some insight into what’s great to eat on the East End.
Ed’s Lobster Bar
Ed’s Lobster Bar (1742 Bridgehampton-Sag Harbor Tpke., Sag Harbor): Hamptonites mourning the closing of local favorite Bay Burger in Sag Harbor can now look forward to a new tenant in the space. Ed’s Lobster Bar, a highly regarded New England fish shack in the middle of SoHo, is moving in. After a renovation that will transform the space into a classic seaside fish house with open kitchen and outdoor dining, chef and owner Edward McFarland will be showcasing his favorite ingredient, lobster, in the new location. Expect lobster rolls, lobster pizza, and lobster meatballs as well as New England clam chowder, baskets of fried seafood, and raw bar selections. The restaurant is on track for a Memorial Day opening. There will be a full catering menu and food-to-go for local pick up and delivery. More info: lobsterbarnyc.com
Union Burger Bar
Union Burger Bar (40 Bowden Sq., Southampton): Union Cantina, the contemporary Mexican restaurant at landmark Bowden Square in Southampton, has added a burger bar to its portfolio. The new place in the same building as the cantina, but with a separate entrance, specializes in gourmet burgers, hand-cut fries, milkshakes, craft beers, and small-batch bourbon. The space was a Prohibition speakeasy, and the vintage brick walls and tin ceiling reflect this past. Executive chef Scott Kampf oversees both eateries, which are owned by Ian Duke. More info: 631-377-3500, unionburgerbar.com
Maroni Southold
Maroni Southold (54195 Main Rd., Southold): The long-anticipated opening of this casual spinoff of Northport’s singular restaurant has been delayed by the death, earlier this year, of chef Michael Maroni. But, not wanting to disappoint the North Forkers who have been clamoring for Maroni’s famous meatball pots, his wife, Maria, came up with a plan: Starting on June 21, meatballs (along with other heat-at-home options) can be called into the Northport restaurant on Wednesdays and Thursdays from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Customers can pick up their orders in Southold on Fridays between 3 and 7 p.m. at the pickup window around the back of the storefront. Maria Maroni said she needed a few more months to figure out how to proceed in Southold, but hopes to do so by the end of the year. More info: 631-757-4500
Port
Port (104 Third St., Greenport): This lively waterfront bar and restaurant in Greenport, owned by Bruce and Ali Bavaro (who also own Shelter Island’s popular Salt) has been in business for three years, but this season is welcoming Bruce Miller, formerly the chef at the nearby Halyard. Miller has updated the menu with some distinctive items. His standout avocado toast, good for brunch with a Bloody Mary, is made with whipped avocados. On the all-day menu, his vegetarian kung pao cauliflower poke is light and fresh, with tempura-battered cauliflower, edamame, jasmine rice and crispy nori. The showstopper at dinner is a very special lobster mac and cheese, made with a whole butter-poached lobster and served in the shell. At the outdoor bar (where local favorites including the Realm and the Hoodoo Loungers will play), Miller serves snacks including deviled eggs and Korean chicken drummies. More info: 631-333-2501, portbarandgrill.com
Green Hill Kitchen, Industry Standard, Anker
Father-and-son team Christoph and Robin Mueller purchased the former Loft on Front Street in Greenport in 2018, and quickly reopened it as Green Hill Kitchen (48 Front St., Greenport), featuring live music in the two-story space. Co-owner Wolfgang Ban, an Austrian chef whose Manhattan restaurant Seasonal earned a Michelin star, crafted the farm-to-table menu. Soon afterward, Christoph purchased the Front Street buildings directly across the street. One houses Industry Standard (45 Front St., Greenport), which continues to operate there under his ownership. The other was home to Deep Water Bar and Grille. In that space, the Muellers and Ban have opened a new seafood restaurant, Anker (47 Front St., Greenport), with upstairs views of Greenport Harbor. Ban, who is the executive chef in charge of all three restaurant kitchens, describes Green Hill, where the menu has evolved, as a casual, meat-centric place in the style of a German beer hall. Housemade smoked sausages, steaks, roast chicken and burgers are served at rustic wood tables. Booths are comfortable for family and friends. A large bar encourages socializing. Anker will have lighter, more refined fare, dominated by seafood (and Bans’ famous wiener schnitzel), in an airy and elegantly appointed dining room. Industry Standard, the “little brother or sister” to the larger restaurants, will be moving toward an eclectic shared plates menu as the season progresses, with dishes showcasing the North Fork’s exemplary produce.
T Bar Southampton
T Bar Southampton (268 Elm St., Southampton): Long-running Upper East Side restaurant T Bar will soon have a younger sibling in Southampton. Restaurateur Tony Fortuna is partnering with Derek Axelrod to open T Bar Southampton over Memorial Day Weekend. Signature dishes from the city restaurant, including prime aged rib and porterhouse steaks and gigantic burgers, will be reproduced here. In addition, there will be a focus on late-night drinking and dining, with expanded cocktail and wine selections. A “reverse happy hour” will offer late-night specials on food and drinks at the bar and menu items to please the party crowd, including surf n’ turf lobster rolls, tuna burgers, thin crust pizzas, and sushi. Later in the season, look for to-go items, including a beach picnic special that will has food plus a beach towel and hat.
Showfish
Showfish (32 Star Island Rd., Montauk): James Beard Award-nominated chef Jeremy Blutstein, formerly of Bridgehampton’s acclaimed Almond Restaurant, will soon be helming the kitchen at Showfish, the 180-seat seafood-centric restaurant (Blutstein will also be overseeing the resort’s entire catering operation) at the new Gurneys Star Island resort. The menu will feature fresh seafood caught daily and brought to Gurney’s docks by local fishermen as well as locally sourced produce and a curated wine list including plenty of local labels. The restaurant’s bar, located at the base of the resort’s lighthouse, will serve craft cocktails and feature live music. Food and beverage from the restaurant will be available for delivery via bike to boaters docked at Gurney’s slips. More info: 631-668-3100, gurneysresorts.com/montauk
Coche Comedor
Coche Comedor (74 Montauk Hwy., Amagansett): The old Honest Diner space, most recently occupied by catering company Art of Eating, has been lovingly restored and renovated by its owners, the Honest Man Group, which owns Hamptons standout eateries including Nick & Toni’s and Rowdy Hall. The cold rolled steel bar now gleams and the floors sport colorful tile. Local artists have painted the tables. Standing next to La Fondita, the group’s long-running taqueria, Coche Comedor will offer an expanded Mexican menu, designed by executive chef Joe Realmuto. Glass doors that face La Fondita will be open during the day, with an outdoor patio connecting the two businesses and providing La Fondita’s customers with access to Coche Comedor’s full bar (with extensive tequila and mezcal choices). Sangria on tap will rotate with the seasons — red, white, or rose. On Coche Comedor’s menu, ceviche will supplement the usual raw bar selections. Appetizers will include mini tuna tacos and charred cactus salad. A wood-burning grill and rotisserie will produce poultry, meat, and fish with Mexican flavors. Side dishes including pinto beans with pork belly and chorizo, shishito peppers with chili lime salt and hand pressed tortillas will round out the choices. More info: cochecomedor.com
Morty’s Oyster Stand
Morty’s Oyster Stand (2167 Montauk Hwy., Amagansett): Partners Jeremy Morton, Jack Luber, and Charles Seich have tapped Top Chef alum and Surf Lodge O.G. Sam Talbot to oversee the food at this new seafood spot, which takes the place of Cyril’s in Amagansett. The 150-seat restaurant, with indoor and outdoor seating, is being redecorated in classic Hamptons style, with navy cedar shingles, brass portholes, and toile wallpaper printed with iconic local images. The menu features fresh oysters brought in daily and sustainably sourced seafood, including fried Ipswich clams with chili aioli, grilled local squid with macadamia pesto, and marinated hanger steak with roasted mushroom chimichurri. Lunch items include fish tacos and grilled chicken sandwiches. There is a kids’ menu, and casual desserts like ice cream sandwiches and grilled pineapple with coconut caramel and black sesame. The bar will still serve Cyril’s famous Bailey’s Banana Colada, along with new craft cocktails. More info: mortysoysterstand.com
Silver Lining Diner
Silver Lining Diner (32 Montauk Hwy., Southampton): The team behind Bay Kitchen Bar is moving west. After six years, Chef Eric Miller has closed his waterside East Hampton spot. He and his partners have secured the lease on the iconic Princess Diner property . The imposing roadside eatery has been a Hamptons landmark for decades, and the Bay Kitchen crew was eager to revitalize the space. “The minute we saw it was becoming available, we started to negotiate,” said Marc Miller, Eric’s brother and partner. Jeffrey Beers (who has designed restaurants for Gordon Ramsey and Curtis Stone) is helping them create a bright an airy space where breakfast, lunch, and dinner will be served 7 days, year-round. During the summer, service will extend into the wee hours, to satisfy clubgoers on their way home. There’s no menu yet, but expect classic, elevated diner fare including pancakes and eggs, sandwiches and burgers served all day, and local seafood. In addition to a full bar, there will be milk shakes, soft serve ice cream, smoothies, and fresh-squeezed juice. Commuters and travelers who want to eat on the road will be able to order takeout online for quick pickup. Look for a mid-June opening. More info: 631-901-1800
Bostwick’s on the Harbor
Bostwick’s on the Harbor (39 Gann Rd., East Hampton): Bostwick’s Chowder House in East Hampton is returning to its roots. The casual roadside seafood shack is opening a second location, Bostwick’s on the Harbor, in the same Three Mile Harbor spot where owners Kevin Boles and Chris Eggert operated Bostwick’s Seafood Grill from 1995 to 2009. While the Chowder House will continue to serve its market-fresh menu with daily blackboard specials, Bostwick’s on the Harbor will offer a seafood-centric menu in a casual yet more refined setting. Look for a local raw bar menu featuring clams, oysters, and tuna. Main courses will include broiled lobster, surf and turf, and Bostwick’s original seafood pasta. A selection of wines by the glass and the bottle will be offered as well as a creative cocktail menu and beers on draft. Look for a late May/early June opening. More info: 631-324-1150, bostwickschowderhouse.com
Jeni’s Main Street Bistro
Jeni’s Main Street Bistro (62375 Main Rd., Southold): Jeni’s (formerly called Jeni’s Main Street Grill) moved from its longtime Southold Main Street location last summer into the former 631 space in Greenport, acquiring extra seats and a full liquor license in the process. In addition to the breakfast and lunch items — including pancakes and from-scratch biscuits that made her famous — owner Jeni Raymond is now offering happy hour specials on Fridays and dinners on Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights. More info: 631-765-9610
Barrow Food House
Barrow Food House (452 Main Rd., Aquebogue): This fast-casual restaurant opening in Aquebogue has a North Fork twist: Ingredients are sourced locally, and some come from the owners’ farm right around the corner. Husband-and-wife chefs Kyle Romeo and Amanda Falcone call it “fast farm food.” Menu items will include salads, mac and cheese, sandwiches and mains such as braised lamb with jasmine rice pilaf, rib eye with arugula salad and smashed potatoes, and linguine with lobster Bolognese. More info: barrowfoodhouse.com
Carissa’s the Bakery
Carissa’s the Bakery (221 Pantigo Rd., East Hampton): After the resounding success of her Newtown Lane shop in East Hampton, Carissa Waechter is poised to open a second bakery on Pantigo Road in time for the summer season, with a larger production facility for making her signature pickled rye breads, honey oat loaves, and sweet potato brioches. The feel will be more industrial, and to suit the space the baked goods will be less decorated and precious than the Newtown Lane offerings; polenta cakes, raspberry-rosewater croissants, palmiers. These, along with sandwiches, soups, and prepared foods including rotisserie chicken and salads, will be available to go or to eat in the adjoining cafe or at the bakery’s communal table. At night, the cafe becomes a full-service restaurant helmed by Chez Panisse alum Molly Levine with a full bar, and offering dishes celebrating local produce and seafood. Waechter is aiming for a mid-June opening. More info: carissasthebakery.com
Greenport Creamery
Greenport Creamery (142 Main St., Greenport): Greenport Creamery takes the place of Sandpiper Ice Cream on Main Street in Greenport. More than 20 ice cream, yogurt, Italian ices and nondairy ice cream flavors are on offer. All products are made in house, many incorporating local ingredients such as honey, apples and strawberries. A loyalty program, where every dollar spent earns you points toward a free ice cream, will be appreciated by repeat customers this summer. More info: 631-333-2818
Brooklyn Chop House Southampton
Brooklyn Chop House Southampton (281 County Road 39A, Southampton): This Financial District steakhouse popped up last August at The Capri Hotel, and returns this season for the entire summer. Lunch is served by the pool, and features burgers, salads, and satays. At dinner, three different chef’s tasting menus, for $65, $95, and $145 supplement an a la carte menu of steaks as well as Asian dishes like salt and pepper shrimp, Peking duck, and lobster fried rice. On Fridays and Saturdays and holiday weekend Sundays, DJs take over the restaurant’s lounge, where an intriguing variety of dumplings (gyro, pastrami, cheeseburger) might pair well with craft cocktails like the Local Spritz, made with fresh beet juice, sparkling wine, and ginger. More info: 631-500-9055, brooklynchophouse.com
Bel Mare Ristorante
Bel Mare Ristorante (28 Maidstone Park Rd., East Hampton): Bel Mare Ristorante plans to open in mid-June at the site of the former Michaels Restaurant in East Hampton. Bel Mare is the brainchild of owner Rich Gherardi who has tapped Chef Luigi Del Conte to man the kitchen. Del Conte also has his own line of pasta sauces, which will be available for sale at the restaurant. Dishes to look for include shrimp and scallop Sambuca, veal Luigi, and classic penne a la vodka. There will also be a selection of gluten free and vegetarian plates. In addition, the restaurant intends to serve pizza and cultivate a “to-go” business. Says Gherardi, “We’ll have a designated window in the kitchen specifically designed for take-out; we think the pizzas will be in demand.” More info: 631-658-9500
Pizza Rita
Pizza Rita (55 Middle Rd., Mattituck): Jeff Marrone has been serving Neapolitan-style pizza out of his vintage Chevrolet rack truck, outfitted with a Mugnaini wood-fired oven, since 2015. Soon he will open his first brick-and-mortar restaurant, in a renovated space on Sound Avenue in Mattituck. The family-friendly 16-seat spot, with its own superheated oven, will also sell pizzas to go. Pies will still be made with flour and mineral water imported from Italy. Toppings will vary with the seasons. Expect asparagus, kale, zucchini blossomsand corn depending on the local harvest. In addition to pizzas, Marrone will be serving an assortment of appetizers and gelato made with milk from North Fork cows. Wine and beer will be available, including a special beer brewed in collaboration with Mustache Brewery in Riverhead. Marrone is aiming for an end-of-May opening. More info: 631-315-5557, pizzarita.org
Ellen’s on Front
Ellen’s on Front (38 Front St., Greenport): Chef Jennie Werts, who will continue to operate the high-end snack bar Jennie’s at Drossos, will open a full-service restaurant in downtown Greenport, where Salamander’s used to operate. Partnering again with her brother, Andrew, who will run the business side of things, Werts will serve up American comfort food with Asian and Latin twists. In addition to her famous sweet tea-brined fried chicken, the menu includes Peconic escargot with fermented chili butter, Korean fried duck wings with chowchow and Atlanta “stripper sauce” (Jennie says, “Google it!”) and grilled sambal-marinated shrimp cocktail. Brother and sister were raised on the North Fork and Jennie, who trained at the French Culinary Institute in New York City, worked at Salamander’s for several summers, years ago. Expect a mid-June opening.
Salt & Loft
Salt & Loft (145 Main St., Westhampton Beach): Developers Barry Bernstein and Karolina Nesko are putting the finishing touches on this all-day farm-to-table spot at the corner of Main Street and Library Avenue in Westhampton Beach. Their hope is to create a community hub, where customers can stop by for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and brunch on the weekends, or come in anytime for a cup of coffee while working on their laptops. Plans are proceeding for local artists to exhibit their work. Produce will be sourced from local farmers. A sunny, south-facing terrace provides space outdoors. Menus will skew Mediterranean, with plenty of small plates for sharing. A full bar will offer another space for hanging out and socializing. There will be grab-and-go acai bowls, sandwiches, and salads, for people heading to the beach. The décor will have natural elements that reflect the coastal community. A parking lot in the back is a convenience for all types of customers. Opening is scheduled for Memorial Day weekend. More info: saltandloft.com
Claudio’s
Claudio’s (111 Main St., Greenport): When this historic group of Greenport restaurants was purchased last year, new owner Ryan Sasson promised sensitive renovations and improvements, which have proceeded through the winter. Patrons this season will be able to enjoy the renovated first and second floor of Claudio’s Restaurant, which includes the restored 1920s bar downstairs, a wine cellar for private dinners, and a new upstairs bar and event space. Claudio’s Clam Bar has become Claudio’s Waterfront, which features new bar seating and a new stage for live music as well as a retractable pergola. The changes aren’t only cosmetic. The wharf has been rebuilt with updated docks and bulkhead. The restaurant’s new culinary program will emphasize local and seasonal produce along with North Fork-brewed beers, local spirits, and wines. More info: 631-477-0627, claudios.com
Latin Fuzion
Latin Fuzion (53345 Main Rd., Southold): Southold has acquired a new Latin-inflected eat-in or takeout place. In addition to salads, soups, tacos, burritos, quesadillas and enchiladas, Latin Fuzion serves a wide variety of wrap sandwiches, including one with steak and mushrooms, another with Buffalo chicken, and a vegetarian combo that includes grilled vegetables, beans, yellow rice and cheese. The space, in the same shopping plaza as Wednesday’s Table, is freshly renovated, with a half-dozen tables, a cathedral ceiling and colorful masks adorning the walls. More info: 631-407-5600, latin-fuzion-restaurant.business.site
The Standard Kitchen, Market, and Bar
The Standard Kitchen, Market, and Bar (149 W. Montauk Hwy., Hampton Bays): From the owner of the popular Centro Trattoria and Bar in Hampton Bays comes a new take-out or eat-in spot providing food and drink throughout the day and evening. The Standard will have grab-and-go items, a salad bar, and a made-to-order menu of takeout food. At the center of the kitchen are a wood-burning grill, oven, and rotisserie. A dining room and outdoor patio offer the option of eating on the premises, with craft beer and local wine on tap as another enticement to do so. More info: thestandardhamptons.com
