Summer Surprise - Nick & Tony's, East Hampton - 136 N. Main St.

As much as I am a Hamptons habitue, Nick & Tony's stands for much of what I, and many others, don't like about the Hamptons: the see and be seen place, impossible to get a weekend reservation anytime after July 4th, and a very moneyed clientele with perhaps not as much class. Nevertheless, I manage to find myself there from time to time -usually the dead of winter, or this time a Monday night in late August - and I have to concede that the food and ambience do not disappoint. A warm and inviting atmosphere in which, as a friend pointed out, you can still have an audible conversation with your dinner companions, despite the restaurant being full and buzzing. They have a wood-burning oven, which makes most of their menu tasty, vibrant, healthy, and reminiscent of dinner somewhere on the Mediterranean. I can recommend the whole fish, it was Branzino stuffed with lemons tonight, and the roasted chicken prepared in the wood oven, in which they make pizzas as well. Service was somewhat lacking (umm, we need a menu to be able to decide what to order?) but unpretentious and accommodating. I don't recommend hitting Nick and Tony's on a Saturday night in July or August, but an off night in the summer or winter can hit the spot.