These Restaurants are Embracing Sustainability

Go green with a visit to these East End spots 

Greener pastures — and plates — await in the Hamptons this season. For a more sustainable take on the culinary scene, look no further than the East End, where local chefs and restaurateurs are turning to Long Island’s own resources for delicious dishes that are irresistible, and ecologically guilt-free. From Amagansett to Montauk to Bridgehampton, we’ve compiled some of our favorite spots that are doing Long Island justice when it comes to sustainable practices, representing the local farms, dairies, producers, and growers that make the region great. Read on for a greener look at this summer in the Hamptons. 

A seasonal spot with an extremely beachy vibe, Morty’s Oyster Stand is now back for its 5th summer. The restaurant celebrates local fish whenever possible, with Long Island oysters served with a pink pepper mignonette, little neck clams, local tuna with an agua chile, Bang Island mussels with a Pernod cream and fennel confit, and, of course, a drink inherited from the restaurant’s predecessor, the BBC (a frozen concoction of rum, coconut, banana, and cocoa, dedicated to Cyril’s, which once stood in the same spot). For seafood enthusiasts who want sustainably caught fish, Morty’s is the place to be this summer. 

It may be new, but it’s already making waves. Mavericks, in Montauk, helmed by Executive Chef Jeremy Blutstein, offers up a menu that is dedicated to sustainable practices. The restaurant’s nascent website boasts a list of local suppliers, from Mecox Bay Dairy, in Bridgehampton, to 8 Hands Farms, on the North Fork, to Marilee’s Farmstand, in Sagaponack. “We believe in community support and collaboration,” a missive about the food and suppliers reads. Large-format options for guests include local and sustainable options like a whole Montauk black sea bass, a Southampton maitake mushroom steak, and even a classic porterhouse. (Menus change seasonally, current options may not reflect what was available at the time of writing.)

Amagansett’s Il Buco al Mare features selections from local waters, like the Montauk pearl oysters, served with turmeric and Cava vinegar, or the local fluke crudo, with peas, strawberries, and horseradish. When the season is in full swing, produce comes courtesy of the area’s bountiful farms. A recent example: winter chicories, along with anchovy, Moscatel, and breadcrumbs. Even proteins — like a recent entrée of Long Island duck with charred sweet potato, blood orange, and pistachio — are from the region, whenever possible. Even the restaurant’s enviable selection of tinned fish is a sustainable option, replacing overfished species, which can be ruinous to marine life. 

Almond Bridgehampton, of course, has abided by a sustainable culinary ethos for decades. Chef Jason Weiner relies on Long Island’s farms, farmers, and producers whenever possible, giving credit to their hard work right on his menu. Ever-rotating menu options reflect the seasons (recent offerings boast delights from Water Mill, Southampton, and more, with sunchokes, ramps, local cheese, and mixed greens making appearances on the menu). No matter what time of year you happen to stop into Almond, of course, you’ll always be treated to a seasonally appropriate (and locally curated) meal, thanks to a dedication to the producers and growers that are right around the restaurant, in the heart of the Hamptons. It doesn’t get much greener than that.