There’s still lots to feed the cultural beast in you if you’re visiting the Hamptons this month. Here are some of the best for a range of interests from art to theater to music.
Courtesy Bay Street Theater
Bay Street Theater moves from its Sag Harbor location to an expansive open-air setting in Bridgehampton. The theater’s outdoor version of Camelot has been such a hit that it’s been extended through September 5. Broadway stars grace the performance which is set on an elevated stage in a socially distanced, Covid-aware setting. Masks are required and there is ample parking in the lot behind Carvel. Lerner & Loewe’s Camelot is a star among Broadway musicals with music that transcends generations. With memories of Richard Burton, Julie Andrews and Robert Goulet in mind, the cast shines with outstanding performances by Britney Coleman (Beautiful: The Carole King Musical, Sunset Boulevard) as Guinevere and Jeremy Kushner (Rent, Jersey Boys) as King Arthur. Allan Dalla Villa’s Mordred, an evil troll like character, is a showstopper.
Courtesy Calissa Restaurant
Calissa Restaurant in Water Mill adds a musical note to their shimmering Greek dining with performances on their outdoor stage. Set adjacent to the restaurant’s expansive, light-rimmed terrace, the very international experience concludes on September 3 with a collaborate DJ set by St. Lucia and RAC. Calissa Sounds bring live DJ entertainment under one open-air “roof” to create the ultimate Mykonos meets the Hamptons mashup music-driven experience. Reservations with table minimums can be made by visiting https://www.calissahamptons.com/calissasounds/. Have a meal with the likes of grilled branzino, horiatiki and lobster pasta or enjoy late-night bottle service in this magical setting.
Joshua Henry at Broadway Out East, Calissa Restaurant © Meryl Pearlstein
The hugely popular Broadway Out East weekly program at Calissa has one more concert to go, with timing TBD, featuring Broadway star Tituss Burgess (Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, Annie Live!). Check out the restaurant’s website for updates. The good news is that the new program was such a success that it will become a permanent series next summer. The recent show by Joshua Henry (Hamilton, Carousel) was a wonderful mix of familiar show tunes and songs from his upcoming album GROW. Other performers this summer included husband-and-wife superstar team, Andy Karl (Pretty Woman, Groundhog Day, Rocky) and Orfeh (Pretty Woman, Legally Blonde).
Hamptons Fine Art Fair courtesy Hamptons Fine Art Fair
Southampton Village has evolved to become a thriving arts district on the East End. 70 galleries from around the globe will gather at the Southampton Arts Center for the Hamptons Fine Art Fair as a celebration and tribute to the region’s rich history as a haven for the creation and patronage of art. The SAC galleries and grounds will be transformed from Thursday, September 2 through Sunday, September 5 for the international art fair which also benefits the Southampton Arts Center.
© Carl Timpani
There’s always something exciting happening at Water Mill’s Parrish Art Museum.
In addition to the Parrish Collection of more than 3,000 paintings, sculpture, works on paper, and mixed media, visitors can learn more about the artists and individual art works featured in Artist Stories. The series explores the dynamic history of artists of the region from the 1820s to the present through historic photographs, biographical information, a timeline and interactive map.
Music will ring out on the museum’s outdoor terrace on September 3 with The HooDoo Loungers who take their inspiration from the Gri Gri of Dr. John to the swingin’ rock n’ roll of Fats Domino. Blending it all together with a bit of classic soul and New Orleans Swing, the band brings it together for an inspired and original musical gumbo. This outdoor event requires all attendees to show proof of their vaccination status or recent negative COVID test (within 72 hours).
Courtesy Stephen Talkhouse
If a rock or folk concert is more your thing, the intimate Stephen Talkhouse concert hall in Amagansett has a schedule of performances lined up for the coming weeks. Book online for The Wailers on September 3, female rockers Lez Zeppelin on September 4 and local favorite The Nancy Atlas Project on September 5. Each date also features a late-night addition of other rock ‘n roll bands. Check the website for the full concert program for upcoming weeks.
Those in the know understand the draw of the East End of Long Island. The Hamptons, sitting on the South Fork of the island, are a group of hamlets, villages and towns lying along the Atlantic Ocean. The area is a perpetual playground for the rich and famous, and for city dwellers who appreciate a beach escape in a rural setting within a short drive of New York City.
The holidays are a special time in the Hamptons. Picture-perfect towns are dressed up in their holiday finest, with homes and trees adorned with shimmering lights. Beaches take on a different cast, with the icy-blue sky and ocean making a vivid contrast to the white sand and dunes. And art galleries and museums put on events to excite even the most casual viewer.
Photo By: Meryl Pearlstein
The Hamptons are especially conscious of the safety and health of its visitors. Masks are required in restaurants, shops and during tours and are requested to be worn in all public places. Be sure to check changing requirements and schedules when making reservations.
The pandemic has extended the variety of Hamptons restaurants staying open through the fall and winter season. Many have created both indoor and outdoor dining experiences as well as additional takeout options where seasonal menus are enhanced with local beer and wines.
Main Street Tavern Photo By: Ronan Lev
Newly opened, Amagansett’s all-American Main Street Tavern has an expansive beer garden, indoor sports bar and small-town hominess. Menu ingredients are locally sourced and find their way into small bites and comfort food faves like steak sandwiches, lobster rolls and chicken parm. Plan to watch your gridiron giants do combat while munching on Main Street’s superb chicken wings and sipping a classic cocktail or glass of wine from a list smartly curated by Parcelle, the well-known boutique wine shop.
Elaia Estiatorio
The authentically Greek Elaia Estiatorio restaurant offers dishes made with locally sourced ingredients and an extensive Greek wine list. The restaurant’s quintet of dips (smoked eggplant, cod roe, Greek yogurt, whipped feta and pureed fava beans) is a perfect way to start any cold-weather meal. For simple perfection, the lightly dressed horiatiki (Greek salad) and whole grilled fish will transport you to warmer climes in an instant. Elaia is also offering a take-out Thanksgiving feast, mixing traditional American turkey and ham with Greek favorites.
Baron’s Cove
The harborview restaurant at Baron’s Cove resort offers a “Chef’s Table” culinary series with holiday-themed dinners for Thanksgiving weekend, Winter Harvest, Christmas weekend and New Year’s Eve weekend. Part of an all-inclusive three-day hotel package, each meal features what is seasonally best from local farms and purveyors, with personal attention from Chef Nick Vogel. Guests will enjoy accommodations in the resort’s variety of nautically themed rooms, some allowing dogs.
Kissaki Photo By: Meryl Pearlstein
A favorite among New York City foodies, Kissaki is all about elegant sushi and distinctive sake. The décor matches the quality of the cuisine with clean lines, stylish Japanese minimalism and creative expression. The unusual futomaki (fat rolled sushi), beautifully presented omakase sets, and creative nigiri taken to a new level with chef’s choice of toppings are crowd pleasers. Non-seafood choices are available, and Kissaki’s menu of chiffon cakes is a welcome and unusual surprise. Socially aware seating includes indoor podlike areas and a chic open-air patio.
Bistro Eté
A year-round go-to for Hamptonites, Bistro Eté goes all out for the holidays with seasonally inflected dishes and home made desserts. Chef Arie Pavlou prides himself not only on his French culinary prowess but also on his facility to create dishes that are as beautiful as they are delicious. His smoked pork chop is a sculptural feat, topped with a pumpkin cup filled with greens. Seasonal pumpkin flavors also appear in homemade ice cream. Cocktails similarly reflect the season – try the truffle martini if it’s available.
Calissa Photo By: Meryl Pearlstein
Dining at Calissa is like a quick trip to the Greek isles. Whitewashed and airy, the restaurant offers a menu of all-time Greek menu hits. An expansive garden area is beautifully lit and invites lingering. Gracious service and a perpetual “on vacation” feel set the tone throughout. To keep your spirits light, there’s live music on Thursday evenings. For the holidays, Calissa is taking pre-orders for family-style takeout dinners as well. Create a new holiday tradition with their luscious souvlaki platter, tender cubes of pork with a rosemary confit glaze.
Highway
Re-opening in time for the holidays, Highway invites a limited number of diners to enjoy their menu of New American favorites made with ingredients from nearby farms and purveyors. The popular East Hampton restaurant serves hearty, seasonally inspired dishes including miso-glazed salmon and spit-roasted chicken with sourdough stuffing, perfect for cold-weather dining. For a sweet finish, the Milk Pail apple crumble is truly drool-worthy. Takeout is available for those unable to secure an indoor reservation, but, don’t worry – cocktails in adorable Highway mini-bottles are included on the to-go menu.
Bamboo
Hidden behind Jobs Lane’s many shops, Bamboo satisfies with affordable Asian fusion cuisine, prepared by chefs trained at top sushiyas like Nobu and Blue Ribbon Sushi. Newly opened this summer, the restaurant offers a choice of sakes and an extensive menu of sushi and sashimi complemented by popular dishes like Bang Bang chicken, Mongolian beef and chicken lemongrass dumplings. Indoor seating as well as an expansive covered patio are available year-round.
T Bar
Popular Manhattan steakhouse transplant T Bar is a sleek yet cozy choice for Black Angus Porterhouse steak, Long Island duck, seafood and delicious desserts. Lighter fare includes a raw bar menu and crispy sushi, salmon burgers, chopped salads and yellowfin tuna tartare. The wine list is extensive as is the choice of craft cocktails. The restaurant’s beautiful terrace and garden add pure romance for warmer evening dining.
Union Steak and Sushi
Perfect for those who can never make up their mind, the new Union Steak and Sushi offers an elegant setting for steaks and inventive sushi creations. Local ingredients feature on the menu including duck egg rolls with Long Island duck confit. A must-order, the Union Roll is an unexpectedly harmonious combination of lobster and avocado, topped with marinated skirt steak, eel sauce and yuzu mayo. Evenings are enhanced with live piano accompaniment and an extensive cocktail and wine list. For a lighter meal, sibling Union Burger Bar shares the building and offers additional seating on an enclosed deck.
Sagaponack Farm Distillery Photo By: Meryl Pearlstein
In addition to wine tastings at Wölffer Estate Vineyard and Duck Walk, a new distillery featuring ingredients from down the road, Sagaponack Farm Distillery, offers tastings indoors and outdoors of their truly artisanal spirits. Be sure to try the unusual rhubarb liqueur as well as their aquavit and potato, wheat and cucumber vodkas.
Shopping is more than a casual pastime in the style-obsessed Hamptons. Held on the first Friday of every month, First Fridays bring the community out to enjoy shopping, entertainment, dining and more. Small Business Saturday®, sponsored by American Express, takes place two days after Thanksgiving and invites visitors to explore the boutiques and one-of-a-kind shops that pepper the towns of the South Fork.
And do plan to visit the Artisan Market at the Southampton Chamber of Commerce for handcrafted works from locals.
One of the Participating Destinations - White Fences Inn
28th Annual Hamptons B&B, Inn, Restaurant & Attraction Holiday Tour
For two days on December 5 and 6, a privileged few are invited to enter beyond the decorated doors of some of the most popular destinations in The Hamptons. Upon registration, guests will select their preferred location. All tours are guided and limited in number. Tickets are required and can be purchased online.
The Parrish Art Museum
Beautifully decorated and lit during the holidays, The Parrish Art Museum in Water Mill offers socially distanced galleries with exhibits by local artists and works about local subjects. Of note this season, Lucien Smith’s large-scale Southampton Suite reflects his distinctive paint spraying technique with oeuvres inspired by his new home in Montauk. Pre-purchase a timed entry allowing a ninety-minute visit.
LongHouse Reserve
LongHouse Reserve invites you on a personal exploration of the 16-acre reserve and sculpture garden in East Hampton where notable pieces by Yoko Ono, Buckminster Fuller and Willem de Kooning are on view no matter the season. Fall and winter schedule and time slots vary so be sure to check the website where you can purchase timed tickets
The Collectors Sale
A benefit for the SAC, The Collectors Sale presents art pieces donated by more than 180 artists. You’re invited to view the collection and purchase online. A select number of works will be displayed in the back gallery of the Southampton Arts Center (SAC) to help you with your decisions.
For the little ones, SAC offers Zoom Bedtimes Stories, read by the authors themselves. Advance registration is required:
November 29 – Mr. Moon & Paint Your World with author/illustrator Michael Parasekevas
December 20 – Enzo and the Christmas Tree Hunt with author Garth Stein
Hiking
The Hamptons has a range of hiking opportunities including an unusual walk along the dunes, cranberry bogs and beach in Napeague. Appropriately named Walking Dunes, the hike changes frequently as the dunes themselves are in constant motion.
South Fork Natural History Museum (SOFO) - Nature Walk
SOFO’s nature walks encourage visitors of all ages to work off their holiday indulgences with a program of guided tours. Social distancing is required and masks and gloves are provided. Be sure to register in advance as spaces are limited.
Day After Thanksgiving “Walk It Off Walk” – Friday, November 27 – tour the Long Pond Greenbelt on a moderately fast-paced hike.
Annual Thanksgiving Celebration and YES! Walk – Saturday, November 28 – all ages are invited to tour Vineyard Field, right behind SOFO, with SOFO environmental educators. The YES! Young Environmentalist Society has their own walk for ages 10-16.
Full Frost Moon Hike – Monday, November 30 – join a leisurely one-hour hike in Vineyard Field to soak up some conversation and moonlight.
For additional hiking information, visit:
East Hampton Trails Preservation Society
Walking Dunes Photo By: Meryl Pearlstein
Southampton Trails Preservation Society
Shelter Island trails
Shadmoor State Park
Baker House
The elegant Baker House embraces the winter season with ‘Intimate Moments at Baker,’ a focus on togetherness and family. A striking bed and breakfast with architecture inspired by 17th-century Cotswolds, the Baker House was originally built in 1648 and has a storied history. Serving first as a residence for a sea captain, it later became a tavern, a meeting hall and a site for religious services before its transformation into a lodging establishment in 1996. Baker House provides a mix of refinement and comfort with indulgent amenities including an onsite spa. Popular during the colder months, Baker House’s fire pit is a go-to for guests to enjoy hot beverages while wearing inn-provided pashminas.
Baker House Guest Room
Southampton Inn
Bring the whole gang to the Southampton Inn for a Thanksgiving mini-holiday with a special overnight package and a four-course turkey dinner at Claude’s Restaurant. But you’ll probably want to stay longer than one night at the family-friendly Inn which offers the personal attention of a bed and breakfast with the services of a hotel. The 90 guest rooms each have a slightly different décor. The inn’s restaurant is popular for its signature weekend brunch which features locally sourced ingredients. Bikes and helmets are available for guest use.
Southampton Inn Guest Room
The Ram’s Head Inn
If you’re longing for an island getaway but don’t want to worry about changing quarantine requirements, the Ram’s Head Inn is the right place for you. Take your vehicle on the ferry, or hop the inn’s complimentary shuttle and go car-less. Shelter Island’s 17-room waterfront inn is distinguished by its relaxed yet luxurious accommodations and polished service. This season, the Ram’s Head has added four heated outdoor dining igloos and a heated cocktail igloo, available for two-hour bookings.
Ram’s Head Inn Guest Room
New American cuisine is featured with brunch on Sunday. A children’s menu is offered with early dining hours to accommodate families. Live music in the lounge on Friday and Sunday adds a festive touch.
