The Hamptons

We opted for a seven o’clock dinner and were surprised to find 75 Main completely full already! Cafe style restaurants on a warm summer evening pull in tourists lining both Main Street and Jobs Lane. Since there are only a handful of those, each is quite popular and 75 Main is a staple in Southampton being smack in the middle of the village and a well known spot. Great for people watching as well as their delicious food menu that fits all ages. Thankfully, we had the presence of mind to confirm our reservations ahead so waltzed in knowing we were OK!

We chose a table inside where there is more ambiance with the sophistication of any top notch New York City restaurant and although there’s more intimacy, there is a comfortable distance in between tables. Each table has fresh linen and are not topped with paper as some do so you know right away the quality is top tier.

Presented with a delightfully broad range of summer dishes, I started with the burrata arranged neatly with beets, pears and light greens drizzled with a balsamic glaze accompanied by a chilled glass of Sauvignon Blanc. My dinner companion had chosen Mussels Meuniere knowing just how well 75 Main prepares it – with tomato, garlic, white wine, a fresh squeeze of lemon juice and thyme making for a scrumptious broth. She was swayed by the waiter who convinced her to try the Shrimp Saganaki as the special for appetizers that evening and not disappointed at all. For the main course I selected the Ricotta Pillows – little freshly made pasta purses with black truffle mushrooms, telaggio cheese with a porcini mushroom cream sauce – as I adore everything *mushroom : ) I would have ordered MORE mushrooms if I could have – they should think about adding mushroom fricassee as a side dish because surely I am not the only one. No one can go wrong with a great cut of filet mignon so instead of 75 Main’s famous flank steak, again our waiter persuaded my friend to go for the best of the best when it comes to beef! The grilled filet was accompanied by balsamic onions, perfectly cooked asparagus along with gorgonzola butter and potatoes au gratin arranged like a napoleon for a new twist on an old fave. The healthy portion of entrees allow for doggie bags if you enjoy leftovers – I do because they gain flavor. 75 Main has a vast selection of wines to choose from by the bottle – local, Californian, French, Italian and vintage. We chose from the house wines by the glass and went with the classic French and Italian wines for each course. Not to be swayed by the waiter this time, we both ordered Tiramisu along with a demitasse of espresso!! Who can resist Tiramisu and I wasn’t sharing ; )

Owner Zach Erdem has branched out A LOT over the years and owns Hotel Ze which was the old Post House decades ago with a rich history that goes way back in the village of Southampton. His newer restaurant, Kozu, is home base at the hotel and rivals East Hampton’s c/o Maidstone for quaintness and quality. Add to that his nightclub AM and you have the perfect package for any tourist! With both the Hampton Classic Horse Show in town for the last week of summer running through Labor Day and The Hamptons International Film Festival coming to town in October – Zach has a year round establishments with excellent reputations.

We love Kahil Gibran’s take On Eating & Drinking

You can find handy links to both restaurants & lodging from Westhampton to Montauk on “The Hamptons”.com