Restaurants in East Hampton

Bensi co-owner Genci Previzi helms an immense menu of classic Italian cuisine, including hearty homestyle dishes with roots in Calabria, Italy. Entrees, joined by a house salad or cup of comforting housemade soup, range from spaghetti and meatballs to gluten-free grilled chicken in a lemon-garlic marinade served over a veggie medley. The chefs also prepare an array of specials such as pignoli-crusted goat cheese and arugula salad, barolo-braised veal osso buco, pan-seared Chilean sea bass with eggplant caponata, and nutella chocolate pizza with fresh strawberries. The dishes are served in a modern dining atmosphere where minimal table settings and simple dark-wood furniture keep the focus on the vibrant cuisine.

In 1977, Jack Fulk and Richard Thomas had a vision to open a restaurant chain that combined fast service with made-from-scratch comfort fare. They labored to perfect Bojangles’ signature blend of seasonings to flavor its menu of fried chicken, buttermilk biscuits, and homemade sides.

Though the eatery has ballooned to more than 500 locations, each one still uses Jack and Richard’s 35-year-old biscuit recipe. The flaky, buttery morsels germinate in a multi-phase process that involves 15 mixing steps, 18 rolling steps, and 2 years of intensive wilderness training.

Tria Terra Restaurant Tapas & Bar's super-powered chefs leap culinary oceans in a single bound, forging authentic cuisine ranging from handmade italian pastas to spanish paellas to french steak au poivre. The dinner menu, featuring a plethora of fresh ingredients arriving from Spain via teleportation capsule, kicks off with vegetarian, seafood, and meat tapas such as the flor de arca chofa, a baked artichoke with whole garlic, extra virgin olive oil, and parsley ($8.50). Taste buds are tucked in for sweet dreams with the gnocchi con salsiccia e finocchi, homemade potato gnocchi pillows blanketed with a fennel tomato sauce, pecorino romano cheese, and peppers ($14.99). To satiate a minimum of two people and unlimited imaginary friends, inquire about the paella del dia ($38.00), a multi-flavored feast 35 minutes in the making. Favorites include the paella a la basque, a world summit of proteins loaded with rings of calamari, bits of imported chorizo, sausage, and langostino, slices of chicken, and morsels of shrimp, clams, and mussels.

Strap in for speed and follow the fast-tracked wisdom of NASCAR-licensed drivers at Stock Car Driving Experience. Ultimate Ride Package guests will take a seat beside a veteran stockcar speed demon and encircle the full track at Old Dominion Speedway for five heart-pounding laps, in addition to laps for warm up, cool down, and victory. Stock cars are capable of reaching speeds in excess of 200 mph, and because you'll be on a speedway track, your dashboard speedometer is sure to get plenty of exercise. If you opt for the Extreme Driving Experience, you'll fly through the same shotgun ride of the Ultimate Ride, and, to fulfill your insatiable throttling thirst, you'll take the driver's seat for a full 15 laps of automotive bliss. All instruction is done onsite, so guests don't have to worry about buying their own stock car or mail-order driver in advance.

The experienced cooks at Town Center Café treat taste buds to a menu of time-tested Asian recipes and American comfort fare. Diners can comfort grumbling stomachs with tempura-battered chicken glazed in a spicy orange sauce ($12.95), or patch up a broken model skeleton with a half-rack of asian grilled ribs brushed with citrus barbecue sauce and accompanied by wasabi fries ($9.95). A selection of fried, blackened, or broiled seafood keeps bellies from singing whale-songs of hunger, while entrees such as the baked mac 'n' cheese with lump crab meat ($10.32) encourage dramatic lip-smacking. Visitors can peruse public poker and pool league schedules posted inside of Town Center Café, or enjoy free WiFi and big-screen televisions in between bites.

The Pirate’s Booty whips up a veritable bounty of freshly prepared pirate-themed plates. The menu proffers delectable gems such as seasoned swords ($2.99) made from thick-cut, skin-on potatoes, and such specialties as the pirate hook ($1.75 each, or five for $7.99), a bacon-wrapped, deep-fried jalapeño stuffed with sausage and cheese. Tattoo a tongue with the specially seasoned Blackbeard’s burger ($6.99) or the Peg Leg chop ($7.95), a tender, batter-fried boneless pork chop. Patrons who sail in with the sunrise can tuck into breakfast plates, such as cinnamon french toast sprinkled with powdered sugar ($3.50) or the Jolly Roger ($2.25), a cheese-topped, oversized muffin filled with eggs and sausage, known to strike hunger into sailors when flown aloft from a ship's mast.