Chef's Choice

Eric Ripert's East End Tasting Menu

Really Rose Chef Eric Ripert serves rose from the Woelffer Estate Vineyard, in Sagaponack, during summer months.

by Deborah Schoeneman
photographs by Jessica Craig-Martin

At least twice a month someone asks four-star chef Eric Ripert of Le Bernardin, New York's widely acclaimed seafood establishment, to open a restaurant in the Hamptons. "It will never happen," promises Ripert, who spends weekends and holidays at his Sag Harbor home--which he bought in 1999--with his wife, Sandra, a Prudential Douglas Elliman real estate broker, and their 3-year-old son, Adrien. "I go to the Hamptons to relax and I don't want anyone to tell me, 'I went to your place in the Hamptons and it wasn't as good as Le Bernardin.' I don't want to deal with that!"

Instead, Ripert likes entertaining at home; particularly since he's just finished renovating his kitchen, replacing the 1970s-era appliances with new ones from Electrolux. Every Saturday he grills for friends and houseguests, including chef and author Anthony Bourdain and Victorio Assaf, the owner of the Serafina franchise. The menu is usually pretty simple. The main dish usually involves meat from Citarella in Water Mill or Cromer's Market in Sag Harbor, grilled on a piece of slate from Home Depot. Accoutrements include vegetables from the farmstand on Deerfield Road, Tate's cookies, and rose from the Woelffer Estate Vineyard. "I'm a big fan of Woelffer wines," says Ripert. "It's a miracle to have excellent wine from the Hamptons because it's a place that's not dedicated to wine."

Sunday Picnic in the Park Eric Ripert entertains at his Sag Harbor home with fresh local produce, meat from Cromer's Country Market, in Sag Harbor (3500 Noyac Rd., 631-725-9004), and seafood from Citarella, in Water Mill (760 Montauk Hwy., 631-726-3636). For a summer city picnic--here, at Hudson River Park--he shopped at Whole Foods and raided his stash at Le Bernardin. The salt-and-pepper shakers are from his four-star W. 51st Street restaurant (Le Bernardin; 212-554-1515), and striped blanket is from Crate and Barel (crateandbarrel.com).

For fun, he takes Adrien to Flying Point Beach and the Elizabeth A. Morton National Wildlife Refuge. On rainy days, they like the Children's Museum of the East End in Bridgehampton. At night, Ripert and his wife sometimes hit the clubs. Last year they danced to DJ Paul Oakenfold at Tavern (now Stereo), and they'll be hanging out a bit this summer at Pink Elephant. They've also been known to have their own dance parties in their living room, complete with state-of-the-art stereo system and a collection of bongo drums.

Ripert will try to spend as much time as he can out East this summer, but he'll also be busy preparing to open a bistro in D.C. in August, called West End, and a restaurant in the Ritz-Carlton Hotel in Philadelphia. And he's working with his writer friend Christine Muhlke on a book about the history of Le Bernardin.

July 4 happens to be the anniversary of Ripert's wedding--which took place in Mustique almost a decade ago. To celebrate, the family plans to go on a friend's boat in Sag Harbor to watch the fireworks. He created a special July 4 menu exclusively for Hampton Style.

* On the barbecue, grill clams, oysters, and lobsters with basil melted butter. * Use a piece of slate to grill tomatoes, eggplant, zucchini, and portobello mushrooms marinated with herbs de provence, garlic, and olive oil. * Make a great big salad with farmstand vegetables. * Serve a berry pie to finish, with ice-cream and creme fraiche. * To drink: white Lillet with mint or basil and Woelffer Estate 2006 rose.

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