Summer Shellfish

    The Montauk Shellfish Company, which has been growing Montauk Pearl oysters in Lake Montauk for four years, is selling oysters at Rick’s Crabby Cowboy Cafe on East Lake Drive in Montauk for $22.95 a dozen or $11.95 a half dozen.

For the Fourth

    The Fourth of July holiday has prompted a lineup of special events at Solé East resort in Montauk. Besides musical performances, listed separately in today’s Star, and a schedule of hair and makeup services by a “celebrity hairstylist” throughout the weekend, there will be a brunch at the Backyard Restaurant at Solé East on Sunday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. with a la carte menu choices and live Brazilian music beginning at 11:30 a.m. The brunch will continue throughout the summer.

Plaza Cafe Prix Fixe

    A three-course prix fixe at the Plaza Cafe in Southampton is offered on Sunday through Friday from 5:30 to 6:45 p.m. for $32 plus tax and gratuity. Starter choices include Long Island seafood chowder and prosciutto-wrapped wild Pacific shrimp, and main courses include horseradish-crusted local cod, flatiron steak, herb-marinated free-range chicken, and farfalle with Gulf shrimp.

Smokin’ Wolf

    At Smokin’ Wolf in East Hampton, where Turtle Crossing used to be, Arthur Wolf, the chef for the restaurant’s last incarnation, is cooking up barbecue seven nights a week for dinner starting at 5, and for lunch from noon to 4 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday. Lunch specials are offered for $12. The barbecue may be “smokin’,” but the restaurant is airconditioned.

East End Chefs

    Mr. Wolf will be the guest chef at the next East End Chefs event at the Whalers Church in Sag Harbor. On Wednesday at 6:30 p.m., he will prepare a meal featuring “cowgirl quesadillas” with caramelized onions, guacamole, and mango salsa, organic salad and cornbread, pulled-pork sliders with cole slaw, and, for dessert, Valhrona chocolate marble swirl brownies.

    The cost is $30, and includes wine. Reservations may be made by calling the church.

Goat’s Milk Caramel

    At Lucy’s Whey cheese shop tomorrow, there will be a visit from Hannah Reid of Fat Toad Farm in Vermont, who will provide samples of her family’s goat’s milk caramel. The confection, made in small batches with milk from pastured dairy goats, is a traditional Mexican sweet known as cajeta and used in iced coffee or drizzled onto ice cream or cake. Ms. Reid will be at the North Main Street, East Hampton, shop from 1 to 4 p.m.

Green Smoothies

    Nadia Ernestus, who calls herself the Hamptons Health Coach, will demonstrate how to make a healthy green smoothie at a Hayground Forum event at the Hayground School in Bridgehampton on Sunday at 3 p.m. The program, for adults and supervised children, costs $25 per person.

    Local support was visible at Whole Foods’ new location in Wainscott last week, with the names of farms and local vendors whose produce the chain is selling  displayed indoors, and the vendors themselves setting up in the parking lot of the former Ford dealership on Montauk Highway.

    Mark Stewart, the general manager of Eli’s Bakery, said that Whole Foods was “trying to show support and get the summer started on a good note. They also want to sell some bread,” he added, smiling. Mr. Stewart was on site last Thursday to do just that, as well as deliver soups, pies, pecan crisps, and cookies to the site.

    Taking advantage of the fresh bread from the tented vendor was Lovella Beres of Sagaponack, who said she was happy to see local vendors at the market, and hopes Whole Foods decides to stay put.

    “We will be here next week,” said Tatiana Monteiro Teixeira, the founder and co-owner of Plain-T of Southampton, which will sell its iced teas at the site. Other vendors bustling around the place last week said the same, and a representative of Whole Foods said that “everyone here should be in the market shortly.”

    Ellenka Baumrind, the president of Ellie’s Country Delights of East Hampton, said her jarred stews are currently sold in Whole Foods’ “Mid-Atlantic region.” Lisa Tremblay, of Joe and Liza’s ice cream, was simply pleased that her frozen goods will be in the Wainscott store shortly, as was Anke Albert, whose Amagansett company, Anke’s Fit Bakery, will soon be selling its flour-free cookies, cakes, and breads.

    Other East End food sellers offered are Fat Ass Fudge in Springs, Open Minded Organics in Bridgehampton,  and Post Pies in Water Mill.   

Sotto Sopra

231 Main Street

Amagansett

267-3695

Open for dinner Wednesday

to Sunday

   We arrived at Sotto Sopra (upside down) the other night in a roundabout way. Our intention was to review a more nightclubby establishment, but it turn­ed out to be closed on a Sunday night. We wandered aimlessly around the nightclubby parking lot, admiring all the flotsam and jetsam strewn about, which nightclubby patrons are wont to leave.

    Sure enough, a police cruiser arrived to ask what we were doing there. I engaged the exceptionally attractive policeman in a discussion of where-oh-where could we go to review. His partner pulled out his Streetwise East Hampton map. Smokin’ Wolf at the old Turtle Crossing? Love Arthur’s barbecue! How about Osteria Salina in Bridgehampton? We decided, with the help of East Hampton’s finest, to try Sotto Sopra in Amagansett, formerly Exile, formerly Mezzaluna, formerly good ol’ Gordon’s.

    Not too much has changed in the interior. The steel highway plates recycled into bartops remain. Sadly, the industrial lighting and artwork by such local luminaries as Dan Rizzie and John Alexander are gone. The walls are a pretty blond wood with sconces and rectangular light fixtures. The outdoor dining in back seems to have expanded.

    We decided to eat outside, and this is where the first few problems arose. The surface out back is more packed dirt than grass. So you must put your purse down in the dirt. If your sweater or jacket falls off your chair back, it is now in the dirt. The tables are small plastic ones with too-large chairs, making for awkward seating. And the tables were set with visibly filthy placemats. All four placemats were stained and goopy. We tried flipping them over. Dirty on the other side, too. We were so grossed out we simply removed them ourselves and laid them on a spare chair.

    Upon being seated you get a basket of focaccia and some thick squares of pizza. A bit messy, fairly tasty. We began our meal with the Robiola crostini, calamari fritti, and insalata bistecca.

    The Robiola crostini was a disappointment to my friend who ordered it. She was looking forward to the headlining Robiola, a fine, oozy treat of cheese. This version had very thin strips of cheese melted onto slivers of bread, served with grilled figs, spiced walnuts, and a salad with orange vinaigrette. Other than the skimpy portion of Robiola, we all agreed the figs were delicious and the salad refreshing.

    The calamari had an excellent, excellent crust but was overcooked, a bit rubberbandy. The fried pepperoncini mixed in with it was a great touch, salty and a bit spicy. The dipping sauces were okay, one a mayonnaise that had a few whole mustard seeds peeking through and one a thin, lightly spiced tomato sauce.

    The insalata bistecca was basically an iceberg wedge salad with tiny diced tomato bits, even tinier bits of pancetta bacon, and not quite enough blue cheese dressing.

    At this point we spied our friend Arthur, who was clued in to our mission. Throughout our meal he would deliver bits of his group’s food for us to try — Caesar salad, for instance. It was lacking in all the things that make a Caesar good: lemon, garlic, anchovy, Parmesan.

    For entrees we tried the pesto chicken pizza, linguine mollusco, and branzino al forno, along with some sides of sautéed mushrooms and “local” corn. The quotes because I find it hard to believe we already have local corn.

    The pizzas at Sotto Sopra are probably the best way to go when dining there. They are very good; the crust is flavorful and chewy, nicely charred in spots by the wood-burning pizza oven. The pesto pizza was great except for the chicken slivers on top, which had no seasoning.

    The linguine mollusco was good and full of sweet cockles. The branzino was also good, served with fingerling potatoes and sautéed spinach. I recommend the sautéed mushrooms, a mixture of cremini, oyster, and portobellos. The “local” corn was corn off the cob, cooked a little too long. Arthur appeared at our table and bestowed upon us a piece of his piccante pizza topped with pepperoni, spicy sausage, and ricotta. We all agreed it was delicious.

    Service on the night of our visit was terrific. They were very busy but the waiters and busboys (all handsome Irish lads) couldn’t have been more efficient or helpful. The manager, an attractive woman clad all in summery white, was efficient, friendly, and quite witty.

    Prices at Sotto Sopra are a bit steep for the quality of the food. Starters cost $11 to $18, pizza and pastas cost $18 to $26, fish and meat cost $28 to $49, sides $10 and $11, and desserts $9.

    Although we saw slices of what appeared to be cheesecake glide by us, we were informed that the only desserts available that night were blood orange sorbet and a house-made chocolate mint gelato. Both were quite fine. The blood orange sorbet was served with a shot glass of lemoncello to be poured over it, a wonderful, boozy, and refreshing concept. The chocolate mint gelato was creamy and rich.

    Sotto Sopra is a lovely place to dine, with a charming and outgoing staff and great pizza. The rest of the food needs tweaking.

While it Lasts

    At Michael’s at Maidstone restaurant in Springs, a special on grilled steak or lobster is available daily from 5 to 6 p.m., or all night at the bar, but only while supplies last. The special is just $19.95. Reservations are required for those planning to eat in the dining room.

New in Noyac

    The Bell & Anchor, new this year at the Mill Creek Marina on Noyac Road in Noyac, has a menu featuring oysters, lobsters, pork belly, and more, and is serving dinner six nights a week beginning at 5:30. The restaurant is closed on Mondays.

Midday Muse

    At Muse in the Harbor, on Sag Harbor’s Main Street, every day is Sunday, so to speak, with both lunch and brunch being served from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. during the summer season. Diners can order from the lunch side, or the breakfast side of the menu. Dishes include a B.L.T. salad, tuna avocado salad, grilled zucchini rolltini, and a “grown-up grilled cheese” sandwich featuring Applewood smoked bacon, gorgonzola and smoked gouda cheeses, and sliced tomato. Burgers come in turkey, salmon, chicken, and organic grass-fed beef varieties.

    Breakfasty items include steak and eggs, omelettes made to order, blueberry or banana pancakes, creme brulée-stuffed French toast, and a “smoked salmon stacker,” with salmon, capers, cream cheese, chopped onion, hard-boiled egg, and frisée topped with Hollandaise sauce on grilled bread.

Locals’ Brewery

    Three East Hampton High School graduates have opened the Montauk Brewing Company, where they are serving their first signature brew, Driftwood Ale, an American-style  E.S.B. (Extra Special Bitter) beer. 

    Vaughan Cutillo, Eric Moss, and Joseph Sullivan opened their tasting room and gallery at 62 South Erie Avenue in Montauk on June 30. The tasting room is open on Fridays from 5:30 to 8 p.m. and on Saturdays and Sundays from noon to 8 p.m. Growlers of Driftwood Ale can be purchased to take home.

    So you just got home from work, you’re hot and tired. And now it’s time to cook dinner, heating up your kitchen. If you’re like me, with no air-conditioning, this can turn a pleasant daily task into a grim one. If the beginning of July has given us record-breaking heat, imagine what the rest of the summer may be like. Solution? Salads for supper! Cool, refreshing, balanced, healthy salads.

    Everything you need for a perfectly balanced meal can go into a salad. Greens, all manner of other vegetables (raw or cooked), whole grains, meat or fish, nuts, and cheese. If prepping and chopping is a bore or a chore for you, feel free to pick up everything you need from a supermarket or gourmet store’s salad bar. Just be aware of the prices — those green beans you just purchased that have already been cleaned for you also cost four times more than if you’d cleaned them yourself.

    The dressing is almost as important as the salad itself. They need to be compatible. For instance, don’t dress a delicate green with a heavy creamy dressing, save that for your kitschy retro iceberg wedge. Use common sense. If you’re using mustard greens or chicory, you can make the dressing gutsy with garlic and mustard. For a dainty Bibb salad, a light sherry vinaigrette is more appropriate. For those who believe that most salad dressings ruin a good wine, I suggest using a milder verjus or high quality sherry or wine vinegar. At home I don’t have a wide array of oils and vinegars. I keep one good olive oil, one neutral oil, and a few nut oils in the refrigerator. Although the fad for balsamic vinegar has turned some against it, I still love it. I either use this or lemon juice. Beyond that, shallots and Dijon mustard are my favorite dressing ingredients. A dab of honey and plenty of freshly ground black pepper round out the flavor.

    Salads were enjoyed by ancient Romans and Greeks. They were basically salted or pickled greens and other vegetables. The word “salad” derives from the Latin “sal” meaning salt, then became “salata” meaning salted things. Hippocrates believed that raw vegetables slipped easily through the system and did not create obstruction for what followed, and therefore should be served at the beginning of the meal. Toward the end of the 19th century tossed salads were considered messy and disorganized. This began the craze for composed salads and eventually gelatin molds, suspending the vegetables in a tidy and attractive manner.

    A truly disgusting sounding salad called Candle Salad became popular in the 1920s. The basic ingredient list was “six pieces lettuce, six slices pineapple, three bananas, six red cherries, six strips green pepper, one half cup mayonnaise.” It is believed that the folks behind Dole canned pineapple came up with this.

    We all know it is healthier to eat more vegetables and whole grains. So rather than follow the traditional meat and three vegetables routine, why not make the salad the foundation of the meal. How does kale with lemon, Parmesan, and almonds sound? Indonesian chicken salad with pineapple slaw? Salmon with quinoa, sorrel, and yogurt? And you don’t have to always be so virtuous; try a duck confit with fingerling potatoes on frisée lettuce or Korean barbecued beef salad.

    My friend Coco came over the other night for a potluck supper. She is the salad master, er, I mean, mistress. She arrived with all of her ingredients prepped and individually sealed in Zip­loc bags. She had three different kinds of lettuce, some delicate mesclun mix, radicchio, butter, and Bibb lettuces. Some sautéed vegetables, shiitake mushrooms with peppers and zucchini, toasted pine nuts, and feta cheese rounded out the balance of contrasts: color, flavor, and texture.

    Her Mason jar of dressing consisted of oil and balsamic vinegar, lemon, garlic, and lots of fresh herbs. In this case, chives, parsley, and basil. Tossed in a big beautiful wooden bowl and served with grilled Iacono Farm chicken, it was the perfect hot summer evening meal.

    A lot of restaurants seem to be in a salad rut. They offer mixed greens with house vinaigrette or the sad combination of romaine, cucumber, and cherry tomatoes. Snore.

    Here are some salad ideas from the kooky Green Goddess restaurant in New Orleans: cold smoked freekeh (roasted green wheat) mixed with fresh herbs, preserved lemon, currants, and dried berries, served over arugula with pickled turnips, roasted almonds, and romesco sauce. How about arugula with citrusy grilled shrimp, goat cheese, and crunchy fried onions? Or caramelized heirloom tomatoes, slices of tomato topped with Manchego cheese, bruléed with various salts, spices, and sugar, toasted spiced almonds, garlic aioli, and roasted green onions? All imaginative, original, and mouthwatering combinations.

    You can explore different nationalities with a Thai chicken larb salad or Vietnamese bahn mi meatballs. Use leftover chicken and beef, bits of cheese, and dried fruit. I like to keep a roasted nut mixture on hand to toss into salads and rice dishes. Make enough salad dressing to last a week; it only takes a few minutes! Here are some recipes to inspire you and give you relief on those hot summer nights.

Click for recipes

    Reservations are being taken for a June 21 wine dinner at the American Hotel in Sag Harbor featuring wines from Stonecrop, a 20-acre family-owned vineyard in Martinborough, New Zea­land, that produces handcrafted, award-winning pinot noir and sauvignon blanc. The dinner will be hosted by an owner of the winery, Andrew Harris, who lives in Montauk.

    The evening will begin with cocktails at 6:30. On the dinner menu will be Jerusalem artichoke soup, watercress salad with warm chevre and toasted pistachios, and roasted Montauk blackfish served with braised salsify and Yukon gold potatoes. Dessert and coffee will follow. Those who wish to reserve a spot can call the hotel.

New Italian Spot

    Osteria Salina, an Italian restaurant featuring Sicilian cuisine, has replaced Copa at its spot at 95 School Street in Bridgehampton.

Day by Day

    Daily specials at La Fondita in Amagansett are as follows: flautas on Monday, chilaquiles on Tuesday, sopes on Wednesday, chiles rellenos on Thursday, and chicharrones, served several ways, on Friday. On Saturday, the specials are cheese or chicken enchiladas. Sunday specials are pozole, a pork and hominy soup, and a platter with chile-rubbed pork and grilled skirt steak served with salad, tortillas, and refried beans.

Waterfront Lunch

    Andrra, at the end of Gann Road on Three Mile Harbor, is now open daily for lunch from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. The lunch menu includes a salad, to which chilled lobster, shrimp, or lump crab can be added, seafood chowder, chilled soup of the day, and sandwiches such as a lobster roll or burger on a brioche.

    Also on the lunch menu are some of the Mediterranean restaurant’s specialties, like “Mama’s mussels,” served in a broth of ouzo, white wine, oven-dried tomatoes, shallots, and fennel, and “Toskan BBQ shrimp,” spicy sweet shrimp braised in ale, garlic, and smoked paprika. A raw bar serves Napeague clams, oysters, Maryland crab meat, and colossal shrimp.

Clam Bar Every Day

    The Clam Bar, a roadside stop on Napeague, is serving daily from noon to 6 p.m., weather permitting. Menu items include Cajun popcorn shrimp, steamed mussels, clams on the half shell, fried oysters, scallops, and clams, fish and chips, and lobster served hot or cold and in salad form. Hamburgers, hot dogs, and a grilled chicken breast sandwich are also on the menu.

New Picnic Date

    A picnic that Slow Food East End was to have held at Mecox Bay Dairy Farm last weekend was rained out and has been rescheduled for Saturday from 1:30 to 4 p.m. Those who had reservations for the dairy farm tour, potluck, and cheese and wine tasting, or those wishing to make brand-new ones, have been asked to confirm by sending an e-mail to [email protected].

Prix Fixe

    Gosman’s Topside and Inlet restaurants at Montauk Harbor are offering a $19 two-course prix fixe, with sushi among the choices for diners. The special is offered from 5 to 7 p.m. on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays. A new chef is on board this year.

Food at the Library

    Robert Simmons, a chef and local resident, will be at the Rogers Memorial Library in Southampton on Wednesday at noon to discuss his work and offer samples of some of his dishes. The program is free but reservations are a must and can be made by calling the library.

Belmont Stakes Party

    The Hamptons Players Club, a new polo and equestrian-theme restaurant in East Hampton, will host a viewing party during the Belmont Stakes horse race at 5 p.m. on Saturday. While the race is screened live, the restaurant will offer half-price appetizers and special cocktails.

Wednesday Market

    The Route 27 Farmers Market is up and running for the season, each Wednesday from 2 to 6 p.m. at the American Legion Hall in Amagansett. The market will run weekly through October.

    With Father’s Day on Sunday, restaurants are putting out the welcome mat for dads and their families in various ways.

    Osteria Salina in Bridgehampton will serve Father’s Day supper from 1 p.m., with specials and items from the regular menu available.

    Lobsters will be on the menu at the Harbor Grill in East Hampton, which offers a two-course lobster dinner for $29 all night, every night. It includes a soup or salad, a one-pound lobster, corn on the cob, and a choice of side dish. On Sunday, to celebrate the holiday, there will be live music by Johnny Pipes from 2:30 to 5:30 p.m. 

    Navy Beach restaurant in Montauk will give dads who visit on Sunday a free Budweiser or Bloody Mary with their meal, either at lunch or dinner.

    At Andrra, which sits in a prime scenic spot overlooking Three Mile Harbor, a Father’s Day brunch will be served from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. The three-course prix fixe is $30 plus tax and gratuity, and includes items such as salad, Mediterranean seafood chowder, fried calamari, soft-shell crabs, burgers, lobster rolls, and desserts.

    Rowdy Hall in East Hampton will mark Father’s Day with a $17.50 special on a Rowdy burger or turkey burger, with a mug of beer, throwing in the mug to take home. Rowdy Hall serves lunch and dinner daily, and a midday menu every afternoon from 3 to 5.

Annual Chefs Dinner

    Tickets are on sale for the 2012 Chefs Dinner at the Hayground School in Bridgehampton, a benefit for the school’s Jeff Salaway Scholarship Fund and Jeff’s Kitchen. The event, to be held on July 28 at the school, will feature several well-known chefs, including Eric Ripert, Josh Capon, Justin Smillie, and Amanda Frei­tag. Ina Garten, also known as the Barefoot Contessa, will be a special guest. Numerous local chefs will also participate.

    The evening will include a cocktail party followed by a V.I.P. wine dinner, along with both silent and live auctions. Cocktail party tickets are $150, while tickets for cocktails and dinner are $750. Special seating at V.I.P. tables ranges from $1,500 per ticket to $11,000 for a table for eight. Tickets for children, including a kids’ dinner and child care by Hayground Camp counselors, are $35. Tickets can be purchased online at greatchefsdinner.com.

New Cheeses at Lucy’s

    Lucy’s Whey in East Hampton now has a supply of Grayson, a rich and pungent cow’s-milk cheese from Meadow Creek Dairy in Galax, Va. According to the shop, which has just received the first of this year’s batch, the cheese is a customer favorite.

    Another new cheese at Lucy’s Whey, which is on North Main Street, is from Jasper Hill Farm in Vermont, a new offering called Conundrum, which is similar to a French Muenster cheese.

Anniversary Celebration

    Cafe Max in East Hampton is celebrating its 21st season this week. Diners in parties of four or fewer who mention the milestone between today and next Thursday will be given a complimentary glass of wine with dinner, except on Saturday, when the offer does not apply.

Tastes of Rosé

    At Pierre’s restaurant in Bridgehampton, a meal on June 27 will be paired with rosé wines from Chateau d’Esclans. The menu will include passion fruit ceviche, Chilean sea bass, and Australian rack of lamb. Pierre’s is taking reservations now for the $100 dinner, plus tax and gratuity.

    The evening will include a talk by Paul Chevalier about the Chateau d’Esclans winery. Seating is limited.

   Andrew Harris, a Montauk resident and owner of the Stonecrop winery in New Zealand, will host a wine dinner tonight at the American Hotel in Sag Harbor to raise money for the East End Classic Boat Society. The $95 cost includes a $50 donation to the society.

    The dinner will begin at 6:30. Stonecrop’s 2011 sauvignon blanc and 2009 pinot noir will be served, along with Jerusalem artichoke velouté soup, a watercress salad, roasted Montauk blackfish with roasted salsify and Yukon Gold potatoes, and a dessert of dark chocolate and olive oil mousse with berries.

    Reservations, if space is available, can be made by calling the American Hotel.

East End Chefs

    Matthew Guiffrida, the owner and chef at Muse in the Harbor, will be featured at the next East End Chefs cooking class at the Old Whalers Church in Sag Harbor. Beginning at 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Mr. Guiffrida will prepare jumbo sea scallops with artichoke hummus, penne pasta with jumbo shrimp and a healthier-than-usual Alfredo sauce, roasted fennel and tomato orzo, and a special dessert. Wine will be served.

    Admission is $30 at the door. Space is limited, and reservations can be made in advance by calling the church.

Bigger Lobster

    A special two-course lobster dinner at the Harbor Grill in East Hampton includes more lobster than was reported here last week — a one-and-a-half pound crustacean, not a one-pounder. The dinner, offered all night, every night for $29, also includes a soup or salad, corn on the cob, and choice of a side dish.

Backyard Samuelsson

    The Backyard restaurant at Solé East in Montauk will have a celebrity guest chef on June 30. In celebration of his new memoir, “Yes, Chef,” Marcus Samuelsson will prepare a four-course dinner to be served at two seatings, at 6:30 and 9 p.m. Each course will be paired with wines from Bedell Cellars, Channing Daughters, and Clovis Point. Mr. Samuelsson opened Red Rooster Harlem in New York City and, most recently, Ginny’s Supper Club in a space beneath that restaurant.

    He has received several James Beard Foundation awards and was selected to prepare the first state dinner hosted by the Obama administration.

    The cost of the dinner, which includes a signed copy of the memoir, is $125 per person plus tax and gratuity. Reservations are a must and can be made by calling the hotel and restaurant or e-mailing [email protected].

Spring Close Pizzas

    Joe Daniels, the pizza chef at Spring Close restaurant in East Hampton, is firing up the wood oven to make the eatery’s signature pizzas during lunchtime every day. Diners can order from a newly expanded wood-fired pizza menu until 5 p.m.

Bar Bites

    A bar menu is offered at Andrra in East Hampton each day from 3 to 5 p.m., as well as late nights after the restaurant closes and Andrra’s lounge ignites. Among the bar menu bites are “extra-colossal” shrimp, baked clams, and lobster rolls. During a daily happy hour from 3 to 6 p.m., Andrra offers a dozen Napeague clams, or a half-dozen oysters, for $6.

Townline Refreshments

    At Townline BBQ in Sagaponack, a happy hour from 4 to 7 p.m. Monday through Thursday brings bar snacks in the first two hours, including free popcorn and peanuts, hush puppies with chipotle mayonnaise for $2.50, and chicken wings with blue cheese dressing, chili with cheese nachos, and warm pretzels with mustard for $3 each.

    Happy hour devotees can play pool for free, and drink specials include “pint coolers” of beverages such as margaritas, sangria, and cocktails with gin and rye whiskey at prices starting at $4 in the 4 p.m. hour and increasing by $1 each passing hour. There will be specials on beer as well.

    Alexander the Great was a big fan, as were George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, and Thomas Jefferson. Charles I of England was so entranced with its flavors that he tried to keep the recipe secret as a royal prerogative.

    The cause of this historical brouhaha? Ice cream.

    History tells us that ice cream — or some form of shaved ice and flavored syrups — first made an appearance in the second century B.C. as a treat for royals. But it took almost another two millenniums for it to reach the masses, and when it did, it took off like an ice cream avalanche.

    Liza Tremblay, co-owner with her husband of the local company Joe and Liza’s Ice Cream, doles out cups and cones at the East Hampton farmers market on North Main Street Friday mornings from an old-fashioned ice cream cart. She can also be found Friday afternoons at the Hayground farmers market in Bridgehampton and the Sag Harbor market on Saturday mornings.

    But the ice cream — which is all natural, made in Sag Harbor with as many local ingredients as possible, and free of stabilizers like guar or xanthan gum — is also being served at some of the most popular restaurants and shops in the area now.

    Ms. Tremblay and her husband, Joe, opened Bay Burger in Sag Harbor in 2007. “When we decided to start Bay Burger, we wanted to do as much fresh and on site as possible, The meat is ground fresh each morning, the buns are made in the store daily.” It was a natural jump for the couple to offer fresh ice cream. Ms. Tremblay, who is a graduate of the Institute of Culinary Education, decided to take a course in ice cream making with Malcolm Stogo, “the ice cream guru,” who runs the prestigious Ice Cream University in West Orange, N.J.

    All of the ice cream produced by Joe and Liza begins with a private-label base from Hudson Valley Fresh, which contains no hormones or antibiotics in the cream and milk. Then, when making strawberry ice cream, for example, all-natural sugar and 10 pounds of frozen strawberries are added to the two-and-a-half-gallon base, along with natural vanilla extract. “And that’s it,” Ms. Tremblay said.

    Along with the six regularly produced flavors — vanilla, chocolate, coffee, straw­berry, cookie jar, and pistachio — Joe and Liza’s creates specialized flavors, either for their restaurant clients or according to the season. A recent creation, served up at the farmers markets, was a fresh mint with chunks of Fat Ass Fudge, locally produced by Donna McCue. A Tate’s cookie-crumb ice cream is sold at Tate’s bake shop. Joe and Liza’s has also served up a basil ice cream for Sang Lee Farms and are working on a lavender flavor for them, along with a lemon-balm sorbet.

    Even more locally, Sylvester and Company carries a private-label flavor in their shops: “Dreamy” coffee with chocolate-covered almonds. And the new Mary’s Marvelous store opening in East Hampton in a few weeks will carry a Joe and Liza’s ice cream made with Mary Os, the store’s signature cookie.

    Ms. Tremblay now works full time with the ice cream part of the Bay Burger business. Mr. Tremblay, a grill man at some of Manhattan’s poshest eateries, concentrates on the restaurant part.

    It may have been the birth of the couple’s 18-month-old son, Leo, that helped Ms. Tremblay decide over the winter to stop adding stabilizers and emulsifiers to the frozen treat. “It was because of customer demand,” she said. “People just don’t want to feed their kids words that they can’t pronounce.”

    Although she called the new formula “a little less forgiving” — the shelf life is a little shorter — she doesn’t see that as a negative. “Customers are so pleased that we cut out the stuff that wasn’t natural,” she said. “And that’s really what it’s all about — happy customers.”

    Have you ever read a cookbook cover to cover? Me, neither. But one of the great joys of writing cookbook reviews is to read every single word, from introduction to chapter headings to analyzing each recipe and photograph. This immersion into a book can transport you to wonderful places: to Cyprus for a light lunch in the shade, to a North Fork farm stand for the ripest peaches, or to a Hamptons’ idyll so brightly colorized you’ll need to wear shades.

    There are two new books out right now, “Love, Laughter, and Lunch” by Helen Tsanos Sheinman, published by Pointed Leaf Press ($50), and “The Hamptons: Food, Family, and History” by Ricky Lauren, published by Wiley ($39.95). I’ve included a third book, “Fresh From the Farm: Great Local Foods from New York State” by Susan Meisel and Natalie Sann, published by Rizzoli ($40), because somehow this fine baby slipped by me when it was published two years ago.

    Ms. Tsanos Sheinman, a summer resident of Shelter Island, has written such a lovely, warm, colorful book that by page 33 I was craving Greek coffee and wishing for an invitation to one of her dinner parties. She explores her roots in Cyprus and covers a life lived in London and New York, always with an appreciation for her cultural heritage. Besides the food and family stories, the book is filled with the history of Greek textiles, embroidered linens, and pottery.

    Her parents began extolling the virtues of food presentation to her at a young age. “It has to be pleasing to the eye so that the appetite grows bigger!” Indeed, by page 19, I was seeking out a source for halloumi cheese, to be prepared with fennel, cilantro, mint, olive oil, and plenty of lemon juice.

    The recipe pages are handwritten, with the opposite page showing the completed dish or a nice array of the ingredients. Every picture includes the beautiful, bright woven fabrics, delicate lace linens, and rustic pottery of Cyprus. There is so much to learn from the book: Who knew you could make olive bread with orange soda? There are delicate Greek pastries such as kourabiethes, shortbread cookies, and melomakarona, honey cookies with walnuts.

    Ms. Tsanos Sheinman’s family is large and loving, and every page is an homage to the past with an eye toward keeping the Greek Cypriot traditions alive for the future. There is a page dedicated to the culinary and medicinal uses of herbs, along with an explanation of how to make coffee in a briki: Plain is called “sketo,” sweetened is “metrio,” and super sweet is called “glyko.”

    While “Love, Laughter, and Lunch” is a lusty, sensual adventure of a book, Ricky Lauren’s “The Hamptons” is a stylized peek into a picture-perfect life in . . . you guessed it . . . the Hamptons. The chapters are divided into the areas that the Lauren family has lived — first Southampton, then Amagansett, East Hampton, and Montauk.

    Every single picture is themed in red, white, and blue, mostly blue. Blue, which was my favorite color until I reached the end of the book. There are charming little watercolors throughout, penned, I believe, by Ms. Lauren. There are also very good snippets on local history, architecture, artists, and writers. Ms. Lauren describes the recipes as “tried and true that we have enjoyed as a family.” Some she learned as a young wife and “many have come from the wonderful and talented chefs who we have been proud to claim as part of our family over the years,” she wrote.

    Therein lies the rub for me. The recipes are no more original than those you would find in “Joy of Cooking.” The food styling is reminiscent of issues of Sunset magazine circa 1978. The color has been brightened and enhanced to the point that one chef friend asked if he was looking at Play-Doh when he saw a picture of scrambled eggs. If you need some simple recipes for omelettes, French toast, quiche, steamers, or sautéed breast of chicken, then by all means, this lifestyle cookbook may be for you. There are many beautiful family photos, along with pictures of polo, sailing, and some of Ralph’s vintage cars.

    “Fresh From the Farm” is another book that really takes you places. You can almost smell the lavender growing in East Marion and taste the raspberry strudel of Junda’s Pastry Shop in James­port. It’s such a great book that I wish they would print an addendum every year, adding new gourmet shops and wineries and bakeries, kind of like a locavore’s Zagat guide. The pictures, stories, and recipes are thorough and engaging, and it offers charming vignettes and beautiful photography.

    Without a doubt, the North and South Fork chapters are the lengthiest and most satisfying, perhaps because they are most familiar to me. And any book that has a picture of the Flanders Big Duck in its first few pages but refrains from referencing “the Hamptons” every other chapter is okay with me.

    This book includes everything from the Catapano Dairy Farm in Peconic to East Hampton’s Dreesen’s doughnuts to Cavaniola’s Cheese Shop in Sag Harbor to the awesome sausage from Villa Italian Specialties, also in East Hampton, from the bigger, well-established farms and purveyors (Briermere, Braun, Mecox Bay Dairy) to the small and artisanal (the Tomato Lady, Widow’s Hole Oysters). “Fresh From the Farm” makes me feel proud and privileged to live here and be able to taste many of the delicious foods throughout the book. It reminds me that it’s time for a trip to Lavender by the Bay for honey, Iacono Farm for fine chicken, and Loaves and Fishes, if for no more than an inspiring chat with the tirelessly creative Anna Pump.

    All three cookbooks would make wonderful coffee table gifts, one sunny and laughing, one filled with rich history, and one a useful guide to our many resources for local foods.

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