Foodstuffs: Spring Awakenings On The East End

The high season is on the horizon, and local restaurants are gearing up for summer. Here are a few:

The Beacon, Sag Harbor’s summertime mainstay, opened for its 24th season on May 11. Dinner service begins at 5:30 p.m. and reservations are available. A two course minimum at $75 per person is in place for dine in, while the regular a la carte menu will be available for takeout. This is not a prix fixe menu, just a minimum charge due to less seating. The menu will feature old school favorites, as well as specials. Reservations and take-out orders can be made at 631-725-7088. The Beacon is at 8 West Water Street, Sag Harbor. Visit beaconsagharbor.com for details.

Bostwick’s Chowder House has new items on the menu for the 2022 season , including local fluke Milanese ($29.95), tuna poke bowl ($23.95), teriyaki salmon ($24.95), BBQ chicken ($19.95) and portobello mushroom served with rice and quinoa blend ($19.95). The restaurant is currently open Thursday through Sunday beginning at 11:30 a.m. Bostwick’s Chowder House is at 277 Pantigo Road, East Hampton. For more information, call 631-324-1111 or visit bostwickschowderhouse.com.

The Restaurant At Baron’s Cove has launched its new spring menu. Under direction of executive chef Nicholas Vogel, the new offerings feature locally sourced ingredients from the East End and beyond. Highlights from the new menu include local broiled oysters with chili butter and fennel breadcrumbs; local seared scallops with charred radicchio, citrus segments, cauliflower puree, pistachio crumble and chive oil; a pan-seared duck breast with sautéed cabbage with whole grain mustard, carrot puree and Treiber Farms blackberry sauce; roasted chicken breast with sautéed spinach, buttered radish, pickled mushrooms; and a spring onion and bucatini pasta with sugar snap and shelled peas, basil and farm pesto. The Restaurant at Baron’s Cove is located at 31 Water Street, Sag Harbor. For more information, visit baronscove.com or call 631-725-2100.

The Lobster Roll on the Napeague stretch of Amagansett is a legendary roadside eatery that is a perennial must-visit for seafood lovers near and far. The restaurant officially reopened for its 56th season on May 6. So get ready, summer is on its way. The Lobster Roll is at 1980 Montauk Highway in Amagansett. The Lobster Roll also has a second new location at 32 Montauk Highway in Southampton. Visit lobsterroll.com or call 631-267-3740 for more information.

Astro’s Pizza in Amagansett has announced that New York City chef and owner PJ Calapa is taking over the space and plans to open for the 2022 season on Memorial Day Weekend. Calapa, who also owns Scampi and The Spaniard, both located in New York City, is reopening the space alongside investor Ben Leventhal, who is also one of the founders of Resy. Guests can expect to see his take on traditional Italian dishes and pizza classics, complete with a full bar and family style meals to go. Appetizers will range from $17 to $25, entrées will cost $17 to $31 and desserts will be $6 to $11. The restaurant will be open year-round. A selection of menu items includes Sicilian “sashimi,” eggplant parmigiana, mezzaluna amatriciana, Chicken parmigiana, chicken piccata and Caesar salad. Astro’s Pizza is at 237 Main Street in Amagansett. For more information, visit astrospizza.com or call 631-267-8300.

EHP Resort & Marina’s Mediterranean-inspired restaurant, Sí Sí, is officially open for the summer season and on April 21, the restaurant launched a brand-new happy hour offering: the Local Sunset Time Specialty Menu, which includes 50 percent off shareable plates and specialty cocktails, and 20 percent off wine bottles costing more than $200. Available at the Sí Sí Bar every Thursday to Sunday from 5:30 to 7 p.m., the menu will feature a selection of guest favorites — from crispy olives and mezze, charred octopus and seafood fritto misto, za’atar roasted cauliflower, and black garlic smoked lamb ribs and crispy duck and melon. With views of Three Mile Harbor and inspired by coastal Mediterranean dining experiences, Sí Sí, or “yes yes,” in both Italian and Spanish, creates food that celebrates vibrant, seasonal and local ingredients that elevate traditional dishes like paella, roasted striped bass or bucatini verde with lobster. Sí Sí is located at 295 Three Mile Harbor Road in East Hampton. Check out the menu at ehpresort.com/sisimenus2022.

Navy Beach, which overlooks Fort Pond Bay in Montauk, has reopened for its 13th season. The restaurant serves dinner Friday through Sunday and lunch on weekends until May 19, when Thursday dinner will be added. Lunch and dinner will be served seven days a week starting June 16.

Navy Beach offers beachfront outdoor dining as well as indoor dining. For yachting clientele, the restaurant’s “Torpedo” service will be back this season offering a launch running weekends from Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day.

Navy Beach is at 16 Navy Road in Montauk. For more information, visit navybeach.com or call 631-668-6868.

To kick off the season on Sunday, May 22, at 1 p.m., Bridgehampton’s Elaia Estiatorio owners Chris Boudouris and Sofia Crokos team up with beloved husband-and-wife duo Jenny Cipoletti and Freddie Cipoletti to serve an exclusive Greek lunch. The team has crafted a limited-time, locally-sourced dish highlighting Elaia’s true Greek tastes and the Cipoletti’s creative twists. This bespoke gathering invites a select group to enjoy shared passions for beauty and flavor over a Greek feast. Throughout the season Elaia Estiatorio will use seasonal ingredients to provide an exquisite taste of Greek cuisine alongside carefully-curated cocktails and Greek wines. New seasonal menu items include Montauk pearl oysters, tuna tartare, herbed crab cakes, slow roasted lamb ribs, lightly fried calamari and more. The restaurant is open Tuesday through Sunday, with a happy hour from 5 to 6:30 p.m. For those seeking refreshing and flavorful yet transportable catering, Elaia also has that covered with their large-format packages and Greek spreads. Elaia Estiatorio is at 95 School Street in Bridgehampton. For details, visit elaiaestiatorio.com.

Rita Cantina in Springs is back for the summer and offers modern Mexican dishes and an extensive tequila-focused bar program, helmed by Executive Chef Eric Miller and Adam Miller who spearheads the innovative bar program and operations. New menu additions for this year include fluke ceviche with guava and passion fruit leche de tigne, chili-spiced jumbo lump crab cakes with Mexican street corn, charcoal-grilled wild shrimp al pastor tacos, adobe and herb-crusted Oaxacan fried chicken, and dulce de leche flan for a sweet ending. Most notably, the new Rita clambake for two experience boasts a two pound lobster, Bang Island mussels, local harvest steamer clams, corn on the cob, littleneck clams and red potatoes, served tableside and dressed in Serrano butter. New from the lineup of spirit-forward beverages, guests can enjoy seasonal margaritas on draft, refreshing frozen margaritas and bottled cocktails meant to stay fresh on the go. The restaurant serves dinner Wednesday to Sunday, with daily happy hour from 4 to 6 p.m. featuring $1 oysters and $10 margaritas. The bar will be open late every night.

Rita Cantina is at 28 Maidstone Park Road in East Hampton. For more information, visit ritacantinahamptons.com.

Launched in 2019, RGNY is a small, female-led winery owned by a family of Mexican immigrants creating sustainable wines on the North Fork. Fostering the family tradition of wine-making, RGNY offers guests the opportunity to learn about and participate in the winemaking process, connect with the earth and one another, and gain exposure to aligned brands through an exclusive dining series.

Throughout the summer, the RGNY team hosts several onsite experiences including a special Dinner in the Vines series, featuring guest chefs for a multi-course wine pairing dinner nestled in the vines under the glow of bistro lights. On August 7, RGNY will hold its annual Stomp Party, a day of fun, food, and stomping — including lunch, live music, wine and barrels full of grapes for stomping. To close out the summer season, on September 11, the vineyard will host Help Us Harvest, a hands-on educational and interactive harvest experience where participants are taught how to clip and sort grapes.

RGNY is located at 6025 Sound Avenue in Riverhead. For more information, visit rgnywine.com.