While in Montauk this week, I was absolutely ecstatic to see us pass a Levain Bakery, on our way to our final destination. I've heard about this delightful bakery having an outpost out East, but I forgot all about it, so you can imagine my elation when we came upon it. Deciding to hit it up on the way back from our trip, we stuck to our plan, as we indulged one last time before leaving our awesome local getaway.
Atmosphere:
Having a totally different feel than the Manhattan location, this one is located in Wainscott, NY, about 15 minutes West of Montauk, and fitting to its remote location, the atmosphere here is also very laid back. Unlike the Manhattan locale, this one appears to be a lot more spacious, and even has room for seating, which is nice.
When I came in, I didn't see many folks there, which was surprising since the city location is always packed and you always have to wait on line. Not here though, as I walked up to the counter right away, ordered and in about 2 minutes walked out with a piping hot cookie. And even though it was as easy as pie (I mean, cookie), there was something that was missing from the very enjoyable ritual of waiting on line in kid-like, sugar anticipation for that amazing cookie.
Cookie:
I decided to try a different cookie this time from my traditional chocolate chip walnut that I usually get. No...this time it would be the chocolate, chocolate chip and I couldn't wait to compare the two.
The size of this cookie was totally on par with its blond sibling, large and imposing, with a few melty bits of chocolate oozing from its inside. Once I took a bite though, things turned up a notch, as I experienced a chocolate explosion in the richest sense of the word. It's hard to describe properly, but the soft, fudgy inside of the cookie tasted like a marriage of the most spectacular brownie and a cookie. I loved the slightly crunchy exterior that gave you a few toothsome bites to juxtapose with all that soft, velvety goodness.
Service and Cost:
As I already mentioned, the service was really fast since the bakery wasn't busy. I liked that my server was cordial and friendly, and didn't possess the pretentious attitude of some of the other waitstaff we ran into in Montauk or Amagansett.
Costs are totally on par with its Manhattan sibling, and this bodacious chocolate cookie bomb set me back 4 well-worth dollars.
3 Mmmms
Levain Bakery - 354 Montauk Highway, Wainscott NY 11975
631.537.8570
www.levainbakery.com
I'm happy to report that most of this week was spent chillin' and relaxing out East in Montauk, in celebration of my birthday. Like a little kid, I tend to make my birthday celebration last a whole week and this year totally followed suit, as Dan and I headed out for a little mini vaca.
Part of why I love the East end, including Montauk is for its fresh seafood, and we of course had nothing but this out there. Loving the fact that you can get a lobster roll at the drop of a hat, we of course had to take advantage of this at Montauk's famous Clam Bar.
Atmosphere:
Located right off of the main road that leads into "Downtown Montauk" or 27 as the locals call it, the famous Clam Bar is a drive by kind of place. The atmosphere is super lax, with white plastic backyard furniture set up as its outdoor dining room. Each table is covered by a large umbrella, which helps shield the hot rays, especially during the summer months.
And although sitting down and enjoying the local atmosphere is quite lovely, you can also go up to the counter, order and take away. Dan and I chose the former, wanting to relax and enjoy the summer vibe, including their classic rock music mix, and catching some rays in the process too.
Food:
I love that the menu includes all your seafood favorites such as clams, steamed lobster, lobster rolls (yay!), clam chowder, steamed mussels, fish and chips and more. Aside from these mainstays, there are also a wide array of daily specials, which showcase just how fresh everything is. In fact, we found out that The Clam Bar has their own fishing boat, which they take out each morning and catch the freshest stuff, for each day's service.
Lobster Salad Roll - I was a bit confused about why they were calling this a lobster "salad", as I always think of the chunky lobster meat rolls when ordering this dish. The staff at the Clam Bar however assured me that this was no "fake lobster salad" but indeed the real thing, with chunky bits of lobster meat, a minimal amount of mayonnaise and some crunchy pieces of celery. Even though I was still a little skeptical, what arrived in front of me was just awesome.
The lobster roll was indeed what I was expecting - a beautiful, soft buttery bun, filled to the brim with chunky fresh lobster meat. Amazingly flavorful, the combination worked beautifully and far surpassed my expectations, for there were tons of meaty pieces of lobster and the crunch from the celery added a nice, clean freshness. The roll was so huge and so filling, that I gave away a few generous bites to Dan. Even though I haven't tried the place across the street called Lunch, also known for their lobster rolls, everyone swears that Clam Bar's are better. I trust this is true!
Fried Clam Strips and Sweet Potato Fries - Dan was dreaming about his beloved fried clam strips and this too delivered. The clams were fresh as ever, and coupled with a tangy, homemade tartar sauce that we even used on their crunchy sweet potato fries. The whole combination was just a mountain of fried goodness that I'd recommend in small doses, but still, a totally worthy summer indulgence.
Service and Cost:
Even though I wanted the service to be awesome, it just wasn't. We found our waitress to be surly and rude, and like a lot of the restaurant service we encountered in Montauk, it was made up of 20 somethings who seemed to be too cool for school. Even so, the food arrived really quickly and piping hot.
Costs aren't cheap, but given the quality of the seafood, they are fair. The lobster roll set us back $19.50, which is pretty standard (even cheap for a good lobster roll), while the fried clam strips and the fries were $13 in total.
3 Mmmms
Clam Bar at Napeague - 2025 Montauk Highway, Amagansett NY 11930
631.267.6348
www.clambaronline.com
