Dans Papers - June 8, 2007

This past weekend, I had the pleasure of dining at one of my favorite Hamptons waterfront eateries, Gosman's Dock Restaurant. The last time I ate at Gosman's, I was too young to drive and had a safe, boiled lobster and corn-on-the-cob meal. This time, I was ready to sample all the delicacies this restaurant has to offer. Luckily, it is still early in the summer, so Victoria Cooper and I were able to sit at the perfect table overlooking the gleaming, nautical, wood-paneled interior of the restaurant and the impressive fishing vessels churning up the water outside.

Our server, Steven, began by taking our drink orders and bringing over a basket of fresh bread while going over the long list of specials. I was surprised to learn that it was his first week on the job as he gracefully fielded our questions about ingredients and explained how to most efficiently devour each type of seafood we ordered. One of the specials of the day was chilled King Crab legs, which Victoria and I polished off with record speed. The only other place I have tasted such firm, perfectly succulent crab legs was in the Florida Keys, where they catch them minutes before serving. Steven showed us how to deftly twist the crab with our wrists to pull out the meat without having to awkwardly dig into the shells with a miniature fork. Our next appetizer was the flavorful Gosman's Clams Casino with baked-on green bell pepper stuffing and a perfectly cooked piece of bacon adorning each clam. These were perfectly warm and fresh, with the plump clams still attached to their original shells, not pulverized into the stuffing as some restaurants are wont to do. The results are truly mouth-watering and I had to refrain from ordering more of these as I waited for the true stunner, my stuffed lobster.

A perfect stuffed lobster should be as moist as a boiled lobster on the inside, with a crispy layer of stuffing above - not an easy feat. Gosman's has mastered this art and my stuffed lobster not only looked beautiful, with its light pink shell and golden stuffing, but tasted perfect as well. The stuffing was soft and mild- tasting beneath the crispy top layer and consisted of a generous heaping of shrimp, tiny fresh scallops and more fresh lobster held together by a little bit of flavorful breading. The lobster was perfectly broiled and scrumptious, needing only a squeeze of lemon. The dish comes with melted butter, but the lobster is so delicious that I would suggest eating it as is and saving the butter for your corn. Victoria ordered the Shore Dinner, which came with a 1 and 1/4-pound steamed lobster, a Yellowtail Flounder fillet, a giant baked clam, corn on the cob and a fluffy crushed potato with chives. I was lucky enough to sample a bite of each item on her plate. Every mouthful was a full sensory experience that showed off the plate's perfectly complementary array of tastes and textures.

It came as no surprise when we finished our lobsters and noticed that the table was perfectly clean moments later and that our waiter, Steven, had returned to take our dessert order. As we were already stuffed full of the ocean's bounty at that point, we shared the house favorite - the warm, flourless chocolate cake with ice cream, whipped cream and fudge sauce. The outside was firm, the inside molten and rich and the generous scoop of ice cream had true vanilla bean flavor. Even the whipped cream was fresh and thick, perfectly complementing the rich chocolate taste.

The service at Gosman's is unparalleled in the Hamptons. As we finished each plate, it was quietly replaced by another. Our buckets of shells and dirty towelettes were replaced without asking, our glasses never emptied and our table was kept tidy - all without having to break our conversation. The atmosphere is deceptively casual - you would feel as comfortable dining there in flip flops and a sundress as you would in your best going-out attire - yet the speed and grace of the service and quality of the food is as good or better than many of New York City's finest restaurants. This is perhaps due to the fact that one of the owners, Roberta Gosman, was walking from table to table through out the evening, like the conductor of a great culinary symphony, checking in with each table to make sure every customer was happy with their food and that each dinner was going smoothly. In their quest to please every patron, the Gosman family's restaurant also has a wide selection of steak, chops and fowl as varied and delicious as its seafood, so even strict meat lovers can enjoy the exemplary quality and service of this Montauk legend while looking out onto the water as the local fishermen bring in the next day's feast.