What Hamptons restaurants are doing for 4th of July 2020

Foodies in the Hamptons are not letting coronavirus get them down this summer.

Pandemic dining is finally in full swing and revelers are having a socially distanced blast — just in time for the Fourth of July.

From Southampton’s Main Street to the beaches of Montauk, Hamptons restaurateurs are finding creative ways to serve their clientele in COVID-19 friendly ways:

BEST PANDEMIC OUTDOOR DINING

75 Main — 75 Main St., Southampton

This East End dining mainstay, strategically positioned on Southampton’s closed Main Street, will bring the entertainment to an outdoor dining area, including belly dancers and a stage with a DJ.  The eatery — which has been known to attract the likes of the Kardashian clan — will have socially distanced outside tables. This will mean fewer patrons at a time will be able to snag a coveted seat, but restaurateur Zach Erdem hopes his establishment will still have all the fun. “It’s Mykanos on Main Street,” he said, adding: “Reservations are a must.”

Bobby Van’s — 2393 Montauk Highway, Bridgehampton

This Bridgehampton hotspot — where Truman Capote penned the end of his killer novel, “In Cold Blood” — is likely to be one of this summer’s best places for people watching, as its state-regulated outdoor dining area sits right on the celeb-packed town’s Main Street. However, don’t look for too long — there’s a one and a half hour time limit for sitting at tables to make sure as many people as possible can snag a socially distanced seat. If you don’t want to rush, you can pick up butcher shop orders made a day in advance and eat at home.

Duryea’s Lobster Deck and Seafood Market — 65 Tuthill Rd, Montauk

When it comes to outdoor dining, this Montauk celebrity hotspot is something special, as its the best place to watch the sunset in the Hamptons. Sitting on Fort Pond Bay, the property is a rare spot on the East coast that has a view looking westward over water. To capitalize on this, billionaire owner Marc Rowan has put outdoor tables on the pier behind the building. Signature dishes include Duryea’s $59  Lobster Cobb Salad. Beware, there will be no reservations, only first come first serve, and patrons will have to leave the premises until called on by the host.

Nick & Toni’s — 136 Main St., East Hampton

This Hamptons classic is bringing some exclusivity to socially distanced outdoor dining. In addition to an area of separated outdoor tables, the eatery is making a table on its porch a private dining spot with no other tables around for a group of 10.  Set in a charming farmhouse, you’ll never know who could be in the exclusive area, as past guests of the restaurant have included Scarlett Johanson, Gwyneth Paltrow, Stephen Spielberg, Paul McCartney, Sting and Billy Joel.

Scarpetta Beach at Gurney’s Montauk — 290 Old Montauk Highway

This Montauk favorite is also a place where the pandemic outdoor dining will actually play to its strengths, as the eatery offers beautiful beach and ocean views from its outdoor areas. The menu includes spaghetti with tomato and basil for $28 and short rib and bone marrow agnolotti with garlic chip horseradish for $32.

Elaia Estiatorio — 95 School St., Bridgehampton

This Bridgehampton favorite features a Greek Market where you can also stock your pantry after outdoor dining. Pricey but tasty traditional chow includes $50 lamb chops and a horiatiki salad that goes for a $21. While dining outside as if you were on a Greek island, you can enjoy signature cocktails, such as the Anthea, which includes Greek rosé, and vermouth for $18.

BEST PANDEMIC TAKEOUT

The Restaurant at Baron’s Cove — 31 West Water St., Sag Harbor

If you aren’t quite ready to eat at a restaurant after your long COVID-19 quarantine, this place can make getting take out special by arraigning a picnic basket for the beach. Guests of the Baron’s Cove hotel can select dishes a la carte that can be packaged in a lightweight temperature insulated picnic cooler that includes silverware, wine glasses, dining linens and picnic tablecloth. The picnic lunch prices for guests are around $50-$60, depending on what you order.

Claude’s at Southampton Inn — 91 Hill St., Southampton

This eatery is also taking advantage of the beach vibe for their takeout, offering picnic baskets for the beach with options such as pinwheel-smoked salmon, cream cheese and sliced turkey, arugula, chive mayonnaise and provolone for $31.

Loaves and Fishes — 50 Sagg Main Rd., Sagaponack

At this Sagaponack hot spot, take out is for brave souls who think nothing of spending $100 a pound on lobster salad. For the Fourth you can get a six-inch flag cake for $38 and 9-inch flag cake $58. You can also pick up the Loaves and Fishes Farm Series Cookbooks, which just came out.

BEST PANDEMIC DELIVERY

Ikraa Caviar — ikraacaviar.com

For those wanting to stay home and order in, this Manhattan-based caviar shop offers a Hamptons delivery service — but its not for those suffering economically. The shop’s minimum order is $1600. That price will get you 16 ounces of imperial osetra, a 16 pack of blinis and 8 ounces of truffled butter. There’s also a $4500 order that includes a kilo of golden osetra from Russia. The pricey fish eggs are delivered to your door via a private driver straight from the city within four hours of ordering, said owners Arty and Anna Dozortsev.

Fulton Fish Market — fultonfishmarket.com

For those concerned about putting on a mask and heading to the local fishmonger, the Fulton Fish Market is offering to deliver “contact-free” fish all the way to Long Island. Specialties include whole black sea bass for $55 a pound. The market says there will be nothing fishy with the fish as it is sourced “dock to door” — directly from fishermen and fisheries. Standard two-day delivery is free for all orders over $99.

Highway Restaurant and Bar — 290 Montauk Highway, East Hampton

This top notch restaurant has one of the most fun take out dining options — a home pizza oven. The eatery is offering to set up their Autostrada pizza oven right in customer’s backyards to cook up their Neopolitan pies along with other Italian specialties. The pies will take a slice of your wallet, at it costs $2500 for the pizza and oven plus 20% administration fee and tax. You can also have Chef Ry Nitzkowski curate an at-home sushi counter with sushi, rolls and Japanese dishes — all prepared artfully on your deck, backyard or location of your choice for $250 per person.

The Smith — thesmithrestaurant.com

The Smith, an American bistro with multiple locations in the city, is offering a program called The Smith at Home in which they are delivering prepared foods and foods that can be cooked in your kitchen all the way out to addresses in The Hamptons. The delivery fee of $19.99, with deliveries on Fridays only.