Recommendations

When I'm in Amagansett, I tend to lay pretty low. When I DO venture out into the fray for dinner, one of my perennial favorites is the American Hotel in Sag Harbor.

Guide: SoHo Mom (Grace)
Location: Sag Harbor

Strengths

• The building itself is truly special. It was originally built in 1846, when Sag Harbor was a whaling village. It's a nice change to visit a place with a sense of history, in an area that seems to have lost touch with its past.
• The food is excellent. I'm not sure how to define it (is it me, or are the lines between restaurant genres blurring more and more?). My favorites include the raw bar, Caeser salad, crab cakes, risotto, fresh fish specials, Long Island duckling, and steak au poivre.
• The wine list is remarkable. It's 85 pages long, with 1700 items and 30,000 bottles.

Shortcomings

• The scene is a bit older, a bit dressier (khakis and a button down are fine - it's the hamptons, after all).

Insider tips

• Enjoy a glass of wine on the porch
• Play backgammon in the lobby with a martini

Anecdotes

• I've been coming here for many years. I like it best before and after the summer season, but I come in the summer as well. It's an ideal place for a romantic or special occasion.

Perfect for

Ironically, an escape from the place we escape to.

Credentials

• 23 for food from Zagat, though that's a bit stingy
• Grand Award from Wine Spectator