After more than 8 years living in the city, I finally made the 2.5 hour pilgrimage to the land of our treasured Barefoot Contessa: East Hampton, NY. It all started a couple of months ago when my friend Stephanie asked if I’d be interested in visiting the Pollock-Krasner House on Long Island sometime this Fall. I’d always been interested in visiting, but it was only after realizing that it was in East Hampton that I committed! I’d finally have a chance to check out all of Ina’s favorite haunts that I’d heard about over the years.
We originally planned to take a day trip in early September, but after asking for recommendations on Instagram, we realized there were too many sights to see—it’d be impossible to cram it all into one day! So Stephanie and I got together over bowls of Ina’s East Hampton Clam Chowder and planned our trip for the second weekend of October.
While we were there for less than 48 hours, we managed to squeeze in a lot of things without the weekend feeling hectic. It was the perfect break from the city! Here are some of the highlights:
NICK & TONI’S: After arriving Friday night, we dropped off our bags and headed out for our first meal of the trip at Nick & Toni’s. It’s an East Hampton staple known for their Penne Alla Vecchia Bettola, a recipe Ina shares in Barefoot Contessa Foolproof.
When we arrived the place was packed, but they were still able to seat us before our reservation. The restaurant is known for its celebrity sightings, but the atmosphere is relaxed and unpretentious. Since we can make the Penne alla Vecchio Bettola at home, we skipped that dish and settled on:
Drinks: Violet Beauregarde (Stoli, concord grapes, lemon) and martinis
Appetizers: Bread and olives – I normally wouldn’t mention complimentary bread, but the rosemary marinated olives were divine! Hudson Valley Foie Gras Torchon – by far my favorite part of the meal. The buttery challah topped with creamy, delicious foie gras was perfect with the Maidstone Beach plum & dried fruit chutney.
Main: Spaghetti with House-cured Guanciale, Mushrooms, and Duck Egg – we were sold at the mention of duck egg! Striped Sea Bass with Sun Chokes and Wild Mushrooms – I guess we were on a mushroom kick – while I enjoyed this dish, it wasn’t my favorite (discovered I’m not a huge fan of sun chokes)
Dessert: We were pretty full, so we skipped out on dessert.
CANDY KITCHEN: We got to Bridgehampton a little earlier than expected, so while we waited for shops to open and the rain to let up, we popped into this old-school, local favorite celebrating 92 years of existence. Ina wasn’t lying when she told Vanity Fair this is the best place for breakfast in the Hamptons. It was the perfect start to the day – full of locals, friendly service, and classic diner fare. We sat at the counter, ordered cups of coffee, an egg and bacon sandwich, and an egg platter with toast and potato hash. We’ll stop at this no-fuss spot on every future visit!
BRIDGEHAMPTON FLORIST: After breakfast, we headed across the street to Bridgehampton Florist. Any fan of the Barefoot Contessa show is familiar with the adorable shop and its owner, Michael. Michael wasn’t in but we were treated to their beautiful display of orchids.
LOAVES & FISHES: Another regular on Ina’s show and in her books is the late Anna Pump, who owned Loaves & Fishes. Ina has shared several Loaves & Fishes recipes over the years, including Shrimp & Swordfish Curry and Anna’s Tomato Tart. This place is beyond cute – I could have spent hours staring at the wall of freshly baked bread, spread of heavenly desserts, and the bonanza of pre-made snacks and meals! The only thing that kept me from buying it all was my wallet, so we made a modest order of Anna’s Tomato Tart and a Provencal Pizza slice with olives and onions. Next time I’m here, I’m hitting up the desserts!
1770 HOUSE: I completely understand why Ina says she could eat dinner here every night – this was one of the best meals I’ve had in a while! What could be better than a cozy atmosphere, delicious cocktails, mouthwatering eats, and great company!?! They’re known for their meatloaf, which Ina loves and is also featured in Barefoot Contessa Foolproof, but I think it’s only on their winter menu. After a lot of contemplating, we decided on:
Drinks: Martinis and Old Fashioned
Appetizer: Spicy Montauk Fluke Tartare with Pickled Cucumber, Hijiki, Wasabi Tobiko & Radish – I still have dreams about this perfection. Everything about it was flawless.
Main: Maple-Soy Cured Pork Rib Chop with Housemade Ramp Kimchee Pancake, Milk Pail Apples & North Fork Spinach and American Lamb Loin Spiced Yogurt, Charred Cherry Tomato Chutney, Potatoes & Fennel. Both dishes were wonderful, but the lamb was the uncontested winner of this round.
Side: Saffron Risotto – I want to bury my face in a vat of this creamy heaven.
Dessert: Sticky Date Cake Vanilla Gelato & Toffee Sauce – similar to Ina’s Sticky Toffee Date Cake, this was the perfect cap to our 3 hour meal.
I dream about returning on a cold winter night and warming up with a bowl of soup and big helping of their meatloaf. If you’re visiting East Hampton, I’d say this is my number one recommendation for a meal.
CASSANDRA and ROWDY HALL: I was thrilled to find out that Cassandra of Cassandra’s Kitchen was going to be in East Hampton for a wedding the same weekend we were in town. While we’ve been partnering for nearly a year, we had yet to meet in person. We decided on a Sunday lunch at Rowdy Hall – where Ina has been spotted enjoying a bowl of French Onion Soup, according to Page Six.
We had a wonderful time getting to know each other better and listening to Cassandra’s stories about growing up in East Hampton, working at the Barefoot Contessa store, and eventually, starting Cassandra’s Kitchen! And as a bonus, Cassandra gave us the inside scoop on what it’s like to film for the Barefoot Contessa show.
We were all craving french fries, and the Rowdy Burger was a top recommendation anyway, so we each ordered one! It’s a classic burger made with All Natural Niman Ranch Certified Black Angus Beef and it definitely lived up to its reputation.
ART, PUMPKINS, WINE and MORE: While the weekend was very Ina-centric, we managed to experience plenty of what the Hamptons has to offer, including the Parrish Art Museum for Clifford Ross’ Light Waves exhibit; Hank’s Pumpkintown for apple cider and pumpkin spice donuts; the Pollock-Krasner House to check out Jackson Pollock and Lee Krasner’s studios; Wölffer Estate Vineyard for great views of the Hamptons countryside while enjoying a glass of sauvignon blanc and a cheese board; East Hampton Main Beach for a foggy and chilly stroll; and the many shops and galleries in downtown East Hampton, including the former Barefoot Contessa shop, which is now a Theory clothing store:
Our first taste of the Hamptons left us wanting more! We’ll definitely be back to hit up all the Ina-recommended spots we missed, as well as re-visit a few of our new favorites.
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