TWO MORE DAYS TO ENJOY RESTAURANT WEEK

By Emily J. Weitz

One of the most alluring things about the Hamptons, besides the beach, and the rare light at sunset, and the fields upon fields of wildflowers, and the… Well, all right, there are a lot of alluring things about the Hamptons. But one thing that makes it so exceptional is the unique combination of cosmopolitan refinement and small-town feel. And one of the forums that most perfectly captures these two aspects of the East End is the restaurant dining room. The Hamptons boasts more fine dining establishments per capita than almost anywhere else. And not only are the menus creative and refined, the ingredients are also some of the freshest. When it comes to restaurants, we seem to have it all. The only problem is that a good meal at one of these establishments is guaranteed to set you back a handsome sum.

That’s why you simply must take advantage of restaurant week. Many of the very best restaurants in the Hamptons have joined to offer special menus at discounted prices. Every participating restaurant will be offering three-course prix-fixe dinners for $21.95, except for Saturday night, when the menu is only offered until seven p.m. Some of these restaurants would normally run a bill of $100 per person but this week, they, too are participating in this special pricing. It’s the perfect time to sample a menu you’ve been wondering about.

I’ve heard murmurs about the 1770 House for years, but I have never really been in a position to spend $25 on a tiny dish of foie gras, no matter how savory. However, Hamptons Restaurant Week gave me the chance to see why my sister-in-law’s only request for her birthday was dinner with her husband at the 1770 House.

I walked in the front door and felt like I was entering the home of some long-time East Hampton family. The front parlor was warmed by a crackling fire and fresh peonies sat on a low table by the window. Our hostess took us into the dining room, where each table was occupied by lively conversationalists. People were sampling each other’s dishes, which looked simultaneously creative and comforting. And for $21.95, I sampled a lot more than my sister-in-law’s foie gras. A beet salad with goat cheese flirted with my taste buds. A delicious escolar fish served with pickled carrots and baby bok choy indulged them. And a marinated fig and almond cake finished them off. It was elegant dining, from the soft hum of the classical music to the leggy red wine in delicate stemware, and the food was world-class. Now I know that if I am looking for a first-rate meal, this is one of the places to go.

That is the purpose of restaurant week. It’s too risky to splurge on a $100-a-head meal for someone’s birthday if you don’t know what you’re going to get. But if you’ve had a taste and you know it’s superb, then the next time you’re looking for somewhere really special, you’ll think of that lovely place you were exposed to once, when it was a bargain.

At this time of year, the area is still somewhat underappreciated. As more and more Jitneys run in the winter, this truth is petering out. But we still have this slightly open window between off-season and on when all the advantages, and none of the setbacks, of Hollywood’s Hamptons exist. It’s the time of year when walks on the beach are not only for the heartiest of souls. It’s the time of year when crocuses are peeking their heads out of softening soil. And it’s the time of year when businesses start to reopen for the season. Still, most houses remain dark. You won’t have to wait for two hours to get a seat at Nick and Toni’s, and you won’t have to take out a second mortgage on your house to eat at the Palm. Hamptons Restaurant Week is bringing people out to share in the earliest days of springtime and sample epicurean dining at reasonable prices.

Hamptons Restaurant Week is not just a show of good faith from our trusty restaurateurs to the community — it’s a brilliant marketing idea in its fifth successful year. In late March, 2003, the first Hamptons Restaurant Week took place, inspired by Manhattan’s annual Restaurant Week. Restaurants experienced a flood of customers at a time when they are usually dead. Some restaurants found that business increased by 50% during this week.

While some restaurants make only a buck or two on a main course because of the slashed prices, they can still make up for it with cocktails and supplementary dishes. And beyond the monetary profit of this particular week, Restaurant Week is like a weeklong advertisement, when these venues can promote their kitchens.

The unique culture of the East End is a magnet for the well-to-do, but it’s the people who spend February out here that have truly invested in the area. This is the week when the hardworking locals can have a taste of la dolce vita, the life they furnish for everyone else. It’s the week when everyone lifts their glasses in elegant dining rooms and samples the finest flavors of the East End.

To find out which restaurants are participating in Hamptons Restaurant Week, or to learn more, log onto www.hamptonsrestaurantweek.com.