DAN'S PAPERS, October 16, 2009 Page 11 www.danshamptons.com
Zagat vs. Zagat The Battle for Zagat’s Version of the Best Restaurant in the Hamptons By Dan Rattiner If you want to know the bestselling songs in the country, you can check Billboard magazine, which publishes sales rankings weekly. You can read about the bestselling books in the country by checking the New York Times Book Review. And if you want to know which films did the best at the box office last week, you can check the rankings published online by Box Office Mojo. Something may be #1 one week but drop to #2 the next. Something may zoom up a list one week to #1 and stay there for 17 weeks. It’s all there in the record books. For the best restaurants where you live, however, you probably go to Zagat. Once a year they publish rankings, and unlike Michelin, Zagat’s more prestigious French counterpart, ratings are not doled out by food critics but by diners themselves. It’s typically American that we would do that. France has had its Kings. America has the Constitution. Let the people decide. At least we don’t have chefs committing suicide because of a bad rating in Zagat. In France, with Michelin, they do. When the committee of food critics removes a star from a restaurant rating, look out. All that said, and considering that it’s even possible with the safeguards at Zagat for the
ballot box to be stuffed, we hereby present the best Zagat-rated restaurants on eastern Long Island, on both the North and South Forks, comparing 2008 to 2009. Some restaurants in the top dozen have gone up. Some restaurants in the top dozen have gone down. According to Zagat, the best restaurant food on the East End can be found at The North Fork Table & Inn in Southold. This year, the North Fork Table & Inn stands alone at the top
for third, and have been joined in that tie by Dave’s Grill in Montauk, Mirko’s in Water Mill and Stone Creek Inn in East Quogue. Last year, those three tied for fifth, along with Star Boggs from Westhampton Beach. Placing in the top dozen restaurants on the East End is quite an achievement. There are more than 400 restaurants, and Zagat rates each of them, right down to the very worst one, which, according to Zagat is…well, you know who you are. Rounding out the rest of the dozen last year were The Frisky Oyster in Greenport, Della Femina in East Hampton, and Harvest in Montauk. This year, the rest of the dozen include Starr Boggs, The Palm in East Hampton and The 1770 House, also in East Hampton. So The Palm and The 1770 House zoomed up into the top dozen, but The Frisky Oyster and Della Femina dropped off. What happened? Fire in the kitchen? There are many excellent restaurants on the East End that may not have made the top dozen either this year or last year, but that did make the top 40, which Zagat also lists. Two of my favorite restaurants are included in the top 40, and I suspect that if you have several favorites, you will find them there, too.
In Zagat, ratings are doled out by diners themselves. It’s typically American that we would do that. of the list. Last year, it tied for the top rating with three other restaurants: Jedediah Hawkins Inn in Jamesport, La Plage in Wading River and Plaza Café in Southampton. This year, none of those other three restaurants came in first or second. Honors for second go to Vine Street Café on Shelter Island, which zoomed up from tenth. Jedediah Hawkins Inn, La Plage and Plaza Café are tied
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