Dinner at Georgica

  • Cuisine: New American
  • Scene: Trendy, people watching, dress-to-impress
  • Occasion: Perfect venue to eat…Then party in the same space!
  • Must try: Seared Diver Scallops
  • Price: My meal: Seared Diver Scallops, $22; Rigatoni w/ Ground sausage & Whole Baby Clams, $26
  • Reservations: Via phone or opentable.com
  • Phone: (631) 537-5603
  • Website: N/A
  • Location: 108 Wainscott Stone Rd., (at Montauk Highway)
  Located in an old mansion on Wainscott's (East Hampton) serene Georgica Pond, "Georgica" (the aptly named restaurant) offers Hamptonites a mixed-breed menu of New American and Italian descent. Various rooms and enclosed patios (which aide in creating quite an intimate atmosphere) evoke the warmth of being at a cozy dinner party amongst close friends.
Waiting for your table to become available? Then you must begin the evening with one of Georgica's signature cocktails, best enjoyed while people-watching at the main bar. I highly recommend the perfectly concocted margarita (on-the-rocks with a heavily-salted rim). 

Menu standout: The "Seared Diver Scallops" appetizer (Perched over dollops of creamy corn pudding are three massive pan-seared scallops, each topped with a sunny-side-up quail's egg.  The dish is finished with strips of maple-glazed bacon and a thick apple-cider reduction). While I wouldn't particularly call my entrée a "menu standout," I did enjoy my plate of rigatoni (topped with fresh plum tomato sauce, ground sausage and whole baby clams).  However, I'm still in disbelief: Why the hell did I order such an unexciting, "you can get something similar at your local Olive Garden" dish instead of feasting on fresh, locally-caught fish?  What was even more unfortunate was the fact that the rolls in our bread basket (that I intended to use for sopping up tomato sauce) were dry! 

While the dessert menu certainly seduced us, we ultimately opted against something sweet.  When the bill arrived, I nearly had a coronary…With tax and tip, the meal came out to about $100/person.
 
Notes for future diners:
  • If it's serenity you're seeking, try to get a dinner reservation on the earlier side of the evening (before 8pm), as Georgica becomes a pseudo-lounge/club after 11pm.
  • Although both pizzas and pastas are offered on the menu, order adventurously!
  • During Indian-summer nights, make sure you are not seated in one of the enclosed un-air-conditioned patios.  Trust me, it's brutal!

 

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