When you hear “pop-up,” you may envision a clapboard sign and
a pitcher of lemonade. But think again. BLT Steak has set up
shop at Capri Southampton, and it’s redefining the milieu with
its signature popovers, sizzling steaks, and handcrafted cocktails.
“I’ve had a home in the Hamptons for more than 30 years and have
always wanted to open a restaurant here, but it’s hard enough to operate
a successful restaurant in a 12-month business, much less in an area with
a three-month season,” says Jimmy Haber, Managing
Partner of ESquared Hospitality. “The opportunity
to open a pop-up restaurant at Capri was the perfect
solution—enabling us to serve our loyal customers
from Manhattan and Westchester who summer in the
Hamptons, as well as introduce potential new cus-
tomers to our dining experience.”
With 11 locations on two continents, BLT Steak
may be a familiar name to many steakhouse afi-
cionados, but this East End outpost, nestled in
what was once Nobu, feels lighter and fresher
than its city-slick siblings. The décor has
remained the same: A neutral palette of tan and
white forgoes artwork in favor of large panels of
geometrically designed nautical rope. The midcentury-inspired furni-
ture and hanging cylinder lamps are still intact and
cast a warm glow on the room. A fresh coat of paint
and 1,700-degree oven were all the space needed for a
steakhouse makeover—along with some of the best ser-
vice you’re bound to find on the East End.
While a great meal may be possible along Route
27, finding knowledgeable, articulate, and reliable
steak outBLT STEAK ARRIVES IN SOUTHAMPTON, DELIVERING PREMIUM CUTS AND A SOCIAL ROSTER OF GUESTS THAT RIVAL THE BEST SUMMER SOIRÉE S. BY MATTHEW WEXLER PHOTOGRAPHY BY ERIC STRIFFLER
CLOCKWISE FROM FAR LEFT: BLT Steak is nestled within Capri Southampton; 28-day dry-aged NY strip with herb butter; Michael Balsamo, general manager, and Clifford Crooks, corporate executive chef.
� e East End outpost feels lighter and fresher than its city-slick siblings. continued on page 64
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FROM TOP: The tuna tartare is a notable dish on the BLT menu, which is enjoyed by Hamptonites such as Beth Ostrosky Stern.
continued from page 62
BLT POPOVERSA meal in itself, you’ll be tempted to eat two of these eggy,
cheesy rolls on steroids. Try to resist, and instead, make
them at home.
MAKES 12 POPOVERS
4 cups milk, warmed
8 eggs
4 cups Gold Medal flour
1 ½ heaping tbsp. salt
2 ¼ cups Gruyère cheese, grated
Place popover pan in oven. Heat the oven and pan to 350
degrees. Gently warm milk, and set aside. Whisk eggs until
frothy, and slowly whisk in milk (so as not to cook eggs). Set
mixture aside. Sift flour with salt. Slowly add dry mixture,
and combine until mostly smooth. Once combined, remove
popover pan from oven and spray with nonstick vegetable
spray. While batter is still slightly warm, fill each popover
cup three-quarters full. Top each popover with 2 tbsp. of
grated Gruyère. Bake at 350 degrees for 50 minutes,
rotating after 15 minutes of baking. Remove from oven and
pan and serve immediately.
BIG MEAL. BIG WINE.The abbreviated Southampton version of BLT Steak’s award-winning wine list still hits high marks.
El Molino Rutherford Pinot Noir, Napa Valley (2009)—If the
summer heat is too much for you, avoid Cabernet’s heavy
tannins and ease into this medium-bodied wine, which offers
notes of cherry and cedar wood with a savory pie crust
character ($130).
Foley Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley (2009)—Robert Foley
made a name for himself at Pride Mountain Vineyards. Now
with his own label, the master winemaker produces a lush,
full-bodied Cabernet with notes of loganberry and vanilla ($210).
Chateau Marquis d’Alesme Becker, Margaux, France (2003)—This
magnum is a Bordeaux blend to satisfy a large group in both quality
and quantity, offering hefty notes of cassis and tobacco ($280).
waitstaff is another story. A $16 cocktail,
such as the Basil Haven (Hendrick’s gin,
St-Germain, cucumbers, fresh lemon
juice, and basil) can taste awfully sour
if apathetically served from a college
student on summer break who would rather be toss-
ing a Frisbee at Cooper’s Beach. BLT Steak has gone
the extra mile—literally—importing General Manager
Michael Balsamo from BLT Prime along with select
servers from its Charlotte, Atlanta, and New York City
outposts to supplement the local hires. The result is
impeccable and professional service delivered by a
fresh-faced and enthusiastic team who understands
the product and the clientele.
It doesn’t hurt that they’re serving immaculately exe-
cuted steakhouse fare, overseen by Corporate Executive
Chef Cliff Crooks (whom you might recognize from sea-
son two of Bravo’s Top Chef ). Tuna tartare is presented
as a pressed cube, floating in a shallow dish of soy-
lime dressing, layered with avocado, and garnished
with crispy shallots. The crab cake (light on filler,
which is always a good sign) is served with radishes
and fennel and dressed with basil oil. For those pacing
themselves toward the main course, the chopped vegeta-
ble salad includes chunks of feta cheese, kalamata olives, and
creamy oregano vinaigrette for a Mediterranean flair. The
wildcard, though, is the grilled double-cut smoked bacon,
slathered with brightly flavored chimichurri that cuts
continued on page 66
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through that fatty goodness.
Of course, the steak is the real star. Convince
your dining companion to go for the 28-day dry-
aged prime porterhouse for two. Sometimes
referred to as a “T-bone,” the mammoth cut
includes a portion of the lean tenderloin as well
as a beautifully marbled strip steak. Finished
with an herb butter, the steak can stand alone,
but that would be a travesty when there are clas-
sic steakhouse sides to indulge in like creamed
spinach and towering onion rings as well as
more esoteric offerings such as Hen of the Woods
mushrooms. Surprisingly, the most expensive
menu item ($52) is the sautéed Dover sole served
with soy caper brown butter. This riff on the clas-
sic French Dover sole à la meunière, delicately
prepared and presented with a miniature bou-
quet garni, epitomizes the kitchen staff’s classic
French training and high level of expertise.
Desserts are limited to a select few with a rotat-
ing roster of ice creams and sorbets, but there is
one must-have: the peanut butter chocolate
mousse with house-made banana ice cream.
Balsamo says that customers revolted when the
restaurant foolishly attempted to remove the
item from the menu—and with good reason. The
decadent confection is deceptively light and the
perfect finish to a multicourse feast.
Expect a lively crowd on the weekends as
word spreads about BLT’s Southampton arrival.
The restaurant anticipates serving more than
300 guests per night on Friday and Saturday,
but it feels more like a family wedding than a
disparate crowd. “Everyone knows each other,”
marvels Balsamo, who, like many of the staff,
has arrived in the East End without expectation.
“It’s great to see people milling about the room
and chatting with each other as if they were in
their own backyard.” 281 County Road 39A,
Southampton, 259-2641 H
Almond Going to Eric Lemonides’s restaurant is like
going to a friend’s house for dinner (only with
a check). The mac-and-cheese is baked penne
with a golden-brown top, and it’s spectacular.
1 Ocean Road, Bridgehampton, 537-5665;
almondrestaurant.com
American Pie Pizzeria I love these guys and their strip mall pizza
and gelato in Bridgehampton Commons.
2044 Montauk Hwy., Bridgehampton,
613-6177; hamptonsamericanpie.com
BLT Steak at CapriI’m so happy to see a pop-up of BLT Steak
out East this summer
because sometimes four
kids’ birthday parties a day
makes you hungry for giant,
steaming hot popovers. I am
not afraid of carbs!
281 County Road,
Southampton, 504-6575;
caprisouthampton.com�
CitarellaEven though I still haven’t learned to
make pizza myself, I am good at
organizing all the fresh ingredients from
Citarella to prep for someone else to use
best bitesBRIDGEHAMPTON RESIDENT ALISON BROD, PUBLICIST FOR LUXURY CLIENTS LIKE MERCEDES-BENZ AND VAN CLEEF & ARPELS, SHARES WHICH TRIED-AND-TRUE EATERIES RANK ON HER LIST OF TOP DESTINATIONS OUT EAST.
continued from page 64
CLOCKWISE FROM ABOVE LEFT: Roasted chicken from East Hampton Grill; Chilaquiles at Hampton Coffee; and Almond’s dining room.
continued on page 68
Alison Brod tells her favorite places to dine on the East End.
BLT Steak’s Basil heaven is made with Hendrick’s gin, St-Germain, cucumbers, fresh lemon juice, and basil.
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