To me an abundant of riches translates into lots of good snacks from which to choose in a densely packed area. And my August weekdays only vaca Out East meant just that. In no particular order here are some of the best bites of late summer according to yours truly… Starting with the White Pie at Fini Pizza in Amagansett. This cheesy, stretchy slice has fontina, parmesan, mozzarella, and lemon zest and you add your own lemon squeeze. This was unique, salty and so satisfying. The undercarriage was wonderfully crisp and this flavor combo was like taking a big bite right out of summer.
Have you heard about the pop up inside of Jack’s Stir Brew in Amagansett? It’s called Drugstore and they are blending up million ingredient healthy smoothies for a mere one month’s rent on your studio apartment! I indulged with the PRIMARY COLORS: Organic Strawberries, Organic Mango, Organic Orange Juice, Organic Coconut Water, Organic Almond Milk, Organic Banana, Organic Coconut Meat, Organic Vanilla Collagen, Organic Turmeric, Organic Blue Spirulina, Organic Pearl Powder, Organic Maple Syrup, Organic Sea Moss, and Organic Medjool Dates. See? I wasn’t kidding about the laundry list of ingredients.
On the day we visited their blender was on the fritz (OMG 18 minutes to make this drink with no line!) so we had to be sooo patient. But the wait was worth it. This double-digited dollar drink was Jen’s Little Black Book-worthy. I loved the layering and the flavors were fantastic. Fruity, juicy, sweet and when they mixed all together after several slurps it was like a tie dye dream. Definitely a great summer sippable that slapped.
On Montauk Highway in Bridgehampton Armin & Judy has a bakery nestled behind their restaurant. And this French style spot can make your day. They have a large case filled with baguettes, tarts, breads, and muffins. But I think their best offering is simple, buttery and delicious.
It’s their plain croissant. It was so flaky and light! So we sat outside and soaked up the early morning summer sun enjoying one of life’s greatest carbs.
Earlier in the season we tried Sag Harbor Tavern and were impressed with their world class burger. Michael even proclaimed it his absolute favorite! Fast forward two months and I have a new love interest there. In addition to their crave worthy burger, the Romaine Wedge is insane.
This salad eats like a meal with crumpled Bleu cheese, pickled mustard seed, crunchy sourdough crumbs, a thick smoky slab of Nueske’s applewood bacon, and a generous zhuzh of buttermilk herb dressing all atop a hearty portion of fresh romaine hearts. Eat your heart out cottage fries. This salad rocks.
Newcomer Farm & Forage in Southampton is a mini grocery store and takeout concept getting rave reviews. Their crustless sandwiches looked too good to pass up. So we tried the Chicken Katsu on local milk bread with organic chicken, nappa cabbage, bbq sauce and avocado mayo and the Egg Salad also on local milk bread with organic eggs, avocado mayo, scallions, salt, pepper, organic pickles, and a jammy egg in the middle. The Chicken sando was wonderfully juicy and the bread stayed firm. We loved the flavor and all components. The Egg Salad was mixed well, so creamy and the scallions added a welcome oniony kick to this overstuffed handheld.
We also picked up a bag of the S’More Speckled Marshmallows. They had a vanilla base and were studded with sweet mini chocolate chips covered in a dusty layer of graham cracker crumbs. Ummm, it’s an interesting idea? But I’d roast up a stack of these suckers and sandwich them between two bars of chocolate. Now that’s my kind of s’more!
For more great takeout options in Southampton visit El Farm for fresh seasonal produce, great entrées and fun chocolates. We scooped up a bag of the fabulously crispy Wonton Chips. Made with just flour, egg, water, chili, lime, and salt, these savory snacks were a must pack for crunch-worthy Hamptons travel traffic on our way back. And they powered us directly to our final foodie stop…
Which was a North Fork staple that everybody knows and loves, especially during stone fruit season. I’m talking about none other than Briermere Farms in Riverhead. Their Peach Cream Pie is so good, so huge and so decadent that I dream about this pie all year! They’ve gotta use no less than five pounds of perfectly ripe sliced peaches that layer precariously atop a mountain of fresh, sweet whipped cream all cradled by a fabulous homemade shortbread crust. After trying to cut a nice slice, all bets are off as the fruit tends to cave in. But it’s allll good. And I love that we took this masterpiece home as a tasty reminder of such a great week away.
jenslittleblackbook.com 