Taste your way through the Hamptons International Film Festival and the October holiday weekend. Hamptons food and lifestyle expert, Vanessa Gordon, guides you through where to dine, preferred dishes, and how to make the most of the holiday weekend ahead.
Film Festival Schedule & Highlights
This year’s festival spans from Thursday, October 7, to Wednesday, October 13, making it one of the longest film festivals in comparison with previous years. Given that the schedule is longer, patrons will have plenty of opportunities to see films that pique their interest. Of course, the film festival is well known for its stellar roster of narrative, features, shorts, and my particular favorite category: Compassion, Justice & Animal Rights.
Particular films that I am most looking forward to seeing include: “The Last Horns of Africa,” “Julia,” “Pure,” “Some Kind of Intimacy,” “The Real Charlie Chaplin,” and “Spencer.” I tend to go to the screenings in the mid morning and late in the evening to allow plenty of time between screenings to think, reflect, and of course enjoy the dining experience I curate for the long holiday weekend.
Breakfast & Brunch
I always start by eating light in the morning. Brunch is a different story; I tend to eat brunch as late in the afternoon as possible on the weekends. For a regular start to the day, my two go-tos are Organic Krush in Amagansett or Jack’s Stir Brew in Sag Harbor.
At Organic Krush, I love that they are gluten-free baked goods, they really know how to execute them so well. In addition, my favorite smoothie is the Mexican coffee with bananas, almond butter, almond milk and sea salt. I usually pair that with one of their juice shots. If I’m up for treating myself, they bake a really awesome brownie as a grab-and-go item.
At Jack’s Stir Brew, the Happy Jack is the best. This popular coffee beverage is made with cinnamon and honey, and I always have it made with oat milk. Another one I love, especially as the weather gets a little bit cooler, is the Mountie made with maple syrup. That one always reminds me of my trips to Colorado or New Hampshire.
As an added bonus at both destinations, they each have a rewards program. Simply provide your phone number and the rewards will start adding up each time you visit. At Jack’s for instance, you get approximately 10 percent back in cash rewards, so it’s always nice to walk in for a free espresso, latte, or food item every now and then.
For brunch, I always treat my weekend guests to Babette’s in East Hampton or Lulu Kitchen & Bar in Sag Harbor. I prefer to sit towards the back of Lulu and at Babette’s, I always prefer a side table outside. A favorite at Babette’s is the huevos rancheros paired with one of their green juices or the Wyborg Beach avocado toast. At Lulu’s, their roasted cauliflower appetizer is unbeatable, always followed by the Big-Eye tuna tartar. Plus, I always order a bellini during their Brunch Happy Hour.
Lunch
If I do a light breakfast, I make lunch the most substantial meal of the day. I love to visit Sag Pizza just opposite the Sag Harbor Cinema for a glass of rosé and their crunchy arugula and avocado salad. When I have my children join me, we order the Farmer’s pizza to split. This favorite pie has toppings like Schiavoni’s sausage, shishito, farm eggs, and Mecox cheese.
Pre or Post Theater Dinner
I usually prefer to dine before I see a film in the late evening, but I want to make sure that whatever I eat does not make me feel tired. I always love visiting The 1770 House that is conveniently located just down the street from the theater in East Hampton and diagonally across from Guild Hall, where many of the screenings are being shown this year. This season, one of my favorite East End chefs, Chef Michael Rozzi, is offering a seasonal three-course prix fixe. The prix fixe menu includes two appetizers and one main course, which will continue through the festival weekend. I never (ever) leave The 1770 House without dessert. One in particular I am looking forward to trying on this season’s menu is: fresh with semolina-fennel pollen biscuit and vanilla mascarpone. And of course, the sticky date cake is a longtime favorite of mine!