Savoring Summer

Miracle, Sag Harbor
Third generation Sag Harbor resident Michael Nolan, the owner of Fresno in East Hampton, opened Miracle on Main Street in the former Vin Sur Vingt space this summer. The newly renovated interior was designed by Helen Gifford of HelenBilt. The cozy yet sophisticated interior with candlelight and low lighting features classic wood bistro chairs and stools and tufted leather banquettes. Chef Jesus Gonzales of Fresno also leads the modern American menu at Miracle. The restaurant relies heavily on local produce and fish. “Late summer is one hundred percent our favorite season,” says Nolan. Chilled Balsam Farms corn soup with corn salsa, Balsam Farms blistered shishitos, and surf ‘n turf with sea scallops and bresaola lead the appetizers. Mains range from local striped bass with littlenecks, summer squash, and a burnt orange saffron broth to pan roasted Jurgielwicz Farm duck breast with a black cherry gastrique. An “in between” menu with happy hour pricing is offered daily from 3 to 5. “I wanted a community oriented time when people could just come and go, maybe share a plate of oysters or some hummus,” says Nolan. 

Good Ground Tavern, Hampton Bays
This season, Canoe Place Inn & Cottages’ Good Ground Tavern embarked on a new culinary chapter with the appointment of chef Matthew Woolf whose pedigree includes Claridge’s, the Ritz London, New York’s Rainbow Room, and Fouquet’s New York. Woolf focuses on seasonality and local sourcing collaborating with regional farms and purveyors. Good Ground Tavern serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner for the restored inn’s 20 guest rooms and five stand-alone cottages. The historic inn which welcomed travelers for centuries as America’s oldest inn was thoroughly reimagined as a waterfront enclave overlooking Shinnecock Canal. The thoroughly modern new menu starts with hay smoked carrots with whipped labneh, preserved lemon, and nasturtium; and avocado carpaccio with cashew cream. It proceeds to olive oil poached monk fish with roasted kelp butter, halibut en brioche with smoked trout roe and Long Island duck breast with burnt orange and blackberry jus. Popular brunch items include short rib popovers, smoked salmon hash brown, hot brioche donuts, and Pavlova and berry smash. 

Zagara, Sag Harbor
Sag Harbor has a new hotel with a light and airy restaurant with waterfront views and an outdoor terrace. Blue Flag Capital and Collared Martin Hospitality which has outposts in Nantucket and Martha’s Vineyard, has transformed Baron’s Cove Inn into a luxury boutique harborside hotel called Faraway Sag Harbor. It’s high-end Mediterranean restaurant, named Zagara for the citrus blossom, is helmed by Executive Chef and Culinary Director Jarad McCarroll, formerly of the Montauk Yacht Club and Hotel Le Toiny in St. Barth’s. The menu aims to infuse East End ingredients with the spirit of the Amalfi coast. “We have beautiful produce at our fingertips,” says McCarroll. “Dishes like our tomato salad are all about celebrating what’s in season.” Starters include Peconic gold oysters, salted black seabass tartare with caviar, an apple and scallop rose, and a signature tomato salad. Mains include a lemon risotto with tomato jam, poached local halibut with citrus and herb salad from the onsite garden, and beef tenderloin with beetroot and pumpkin seeds.

Calissa, Water Mill
Calissa is a chic Greek restaurant with an outdoor garden lovely enough to host weddings and room to dance under the stars when live music gets underway on weekends. The menu combines Greek classics and local touches. A meal typically starts with mezze that includes a silky version of hummus made with pureed fava and roasted hot peppers with whipped Arahova feta. Then there’s a flight of crudo, grilled octopus, and Greek or watermelon salad. Entrees include Dorade from the Aegean Sea, Dayboat swordfish, and lamb chops. The award-winning wine list is international but appropriately features a substantial selection of Greek labels. Opa! A crisp Assyrtiko pairs well with any fish.

Beverly Stephen writes about food, travel, design, and lifestyle. She is co-owner of Flavor Forays, a culinary travel company.