Eat Your Winter Blues Away

At These Colorful East End Restaurants 

Instead of the winter blues, what about the winter reds? Or oranges? Or greens? This year, when the coldest month of the season has got you down, tuck into a restaurant — or two — and check out some of the dishes that are bringing vibrant color to the East End. We’ve curated some of our favorite dishes from this season: the ones that bring not only delight to the palate, but also delight to the palette. From sushi to salad, moussaka to pita, the East End offers up a wealth of culinary delights, in every hue. 

At the Topping Rose House, in Bridgehampton, a 22-room inn that is now home to Jean Georges at Topping Rose House, diners can indulge in one of the East End’s most colorful dishes: the vibrant red baby beets, served with crunchy Pink Lady apples and a coconut-lemon yogurt. Chef de cuisine Michael Houser has more than one colorful dish on his winter menu, though, for those in need of a little color pick-me-up. A dish of tuna tartare is served with green avocado, red and white spicy radish, and a compelling ginger marinade. The only thing better than looking at these bright masterpieces is actually eating them. 

Also in Bridgehampton, Elaia Estiatorio serves a beautiful — and extremely delicious — winter dish that is ideal for colder weather. Known as moussaka, it’s a play on the more traditional lasagna. This version is made with layers of lamb, eggplant, potatoes, and béchamel, and a cherry-red tomato sauce provides an eye-catching pop. Oranges and reds are also on the menu with the Arni Kleftiko: a slow-cooked lamb shank that has been wrapped in parchment paper along with carrots, potatoes, onions, and herbs and served beneath a simmering pool of Kefalograviera cheese and red tomato sauce. 

For all the colors of the rainbow — and then some — look no further than your local sushi counter. At Bamboo, in Southampton, the omakase experience, which features eight pieces of whatever is most fresh and unique, guests can also enjoy a colorful and eye-catching meal. Planks of crimson tuna. Thick slabs of terracotta salmon. Sunny yellow tamago. Verdant wheels of jalapeño. Equally colorful are the restaurant’s seaweed salad — a symphony in green — and their sauteed green beans, all of which are likely to make one forget that the weather outside is, well, a little bit frightful. 

Amagansett’s brand-new iteration of Rowdy Hall is ready to accommodate the massive crowds lining up to dine at the new Hamptons hot spot each day. The so-called sabich — a falafel pita stuffed with colorful veg, like eggplant, cabbage, cucumber, tomato, and Moroccan-inflected carrots — is made even more tasty with the addition of hummus, tahini, and hard-cooked egg. A side of blistered shishito peppers with lemon aioli brings even more color to the plate. End the meal with an ode to all the colors: the seasonal sorbets change regularly, but all are available with warm caramel, hot fudge, and the most colorful part of the meal, rainbow sprinkles.