La Fin Kitchen & Lounge in Montauk and more Long Island restaurants to try this weekend
Salad Nicoise at La Fin Kitchen & Lounge, a new Montauk eatery. Credit: DOUGLAS YOUNG
Whatever your feelings about last year’s moneyed migration to Montauk and the Hamptons, it appears to have inspired a whole host of new eat-and-drinkeries by restaurateurs eager to sponge up all that excess capital. And that's good news for foodies of all economic brackets, as the following list reveals. Some are year-round, some are summer-only, some have their own addresses, some are popping up in others’. All are on our radar.
La Fin Kitchen & Lounge (474 West Lake Dr., Montauk): This Francophilic eatery, which opened in May under the direction of executive chef James Tchinnis, has already generated buzz, and not only because of its dramatic Montauk Harbor views and gorgeous re-imagining of Swallow East's former space. The farm-to-table experiences start with a "Recovery Brunch" (think crepes, salads, lobster lettuce wraps) before moving on to a dinner service whose highlights include a coriander steamed fluke bowl, lobster toast, hanger steak and a variety of local fish. The muscular wine list is by beverage manager Erin Swain, DJs contribute to the ambience daily, and Tuesday evenings feature live music. More info: 631-668-8344, lafinkitchen.com
Lobster toast at La Fin Kitchen & Lounge, a new Montauk eatery. Credit: Douglas Young
Kissaki X Fish Cheeks (467 East Lake Dr., Montauk): Five Towns’ resident Garry Kanfer had an unlikely success — unlikely because his first foray into restauranting coincided with a pandemic — with the sushi hot spot Kissaki he opened last June in Water Mill (670 E. Montauk Hwy.) Executive chef Mark Garcia’s winning formula includes fish flown straight from Japan and kitchen assistance from a sushi-making robots, a formula that has now spawned a pop-up at the Montauk Angler’s Club scheduled to run through the end of October, a collaboration with the NYC Thai eatery Fish Cheeks (think crab curry, spicy signature "Zabb" chicken wings). And early next month, Kanfer plans to open yet another restaurant on the East End, O by Kissaki (47 Montauk Hwy., East Hampton) offering robata-grilled meats and raw crudos along with the sushi. More info: 631-557-2722, explorekissaki.com
Classic Futo Maki at Kissaki X Fish Cheeks, a new popup eatery in Montauk. Credit: Ben Hon @BenEats
PopUpBagels (1020 Montauk Hwy., Water Mill): Late last month marked the debut of the summer pop-up of this Connecticut-based bagel club, which is interesting, as Adam Goldberg’s new concept promises uber-authentic NYC bagels. To get them, you’ll have to subscribe to his service or order in advance online, but the bagels are hand-rolled and baked locally at Calissa Hamptons, which is also where you’ll pick them up, along with schmears of strawberry rhubarb cream cheese, toasted sesame butter and/or whatever else Goldberg has dreamed up. More info: popupbagels.com
PopUpBagels, a bagel club operating this summer out of Calissa Hamptons in Water Mill. Credit: PopUpBagels
Newsday writer and restaurant critic Scott Vogel aims for a refreshing, gimlet-eyed take on the Long Island food scene, often while drinking a refreshing gimlet.
