A reader tipped me off to this new spot in East Hampton, and while it’s a bit of a schlep for me, I’ll travel for traditional French fare. A girlfriend and I went for an apres-holiday lunch and lingered, literally, for hours. It’s a bit curious for this area: old-school, carefully prepared classic dishes in a lofty fire-placed room lined with red banquettes. And, at least at lunchtime, we shared the place with only a few other diners. But, boy, did we have fun! Cheese and charcuterie are offered on rolling carts, French style, sliced by the tranche and garnished with cornichons, Nicoise olives, and dried fruits.
Our salads were grand in both style and size; my endive, walnut, and blue cheese was lightly dressed (I’m a kook when it comes to the correct amount of dressing), fresh and delightful. A heap of frisée showered with bacon could have held back a bit on the pork, but generous it was.
That, of course, would have been plenty, but what drew me to the restaurant was their offering of REAL crêpes: made from dark, buckwheat (and gluten-free) flour. This is how I prefer crêpes, and you have a wide choice of classic fillings. The chicken and mushroom was a heftier and delish option, while Julia lunched on an oh-so-French burger topped with a perfectly fried egg and a pile of whispy fries. Lunch is not expensive, but the dinner menu gets up there with Chateaubriand or Rack of Lamb. A well-priced 3-course prix-fix at $35 is offered Monday through Thursday, or you could easily cobble together a dinner from the Happy Hour menu featuring frogs legs (!), gougéres, oysters Rockefeller, charcuterie and, of course, fromage.
Check out the bistro menu for baguette sandwiches, crepes, moules frites, croque monsieur and more.
Open every day for lunch and dinner, plus brunch Saturday and Sunday.
26 East High Street
East Hampton
www.ratatouillebistro.com
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