Mavericks Montauk — Restaurant in Town of East Hampton

5 Stars across the board - It’s been one week since I put down my fork at Mavericks Montauk. You know something’s up when you’re still thinking about a meal and how to put it into words.

The wait for opening day has been lengthy, yet oh-so-worth it. It’s expensive - adjust your mindset ahead of time, treat yourself (you deserve it) and enjoy the ride.

While passing generic food supply chain trucks on the Long Island Expressway on my way out east, knowing that Chef Blutstein collaborates with local & upstate farms and fishermen from up the road and mixed with his palatable instagram feed (I want to reach in and eat everything), saying I was looking forward to sitting at one of his tables is an understatement.

I was greeted upon entry with hearty welcomes and introductions by name and shown details (oyster shells wall, Andy Warhol lithograph by the door, a chat about the construction project). The GM, and AGM, the make-it-happen team of executive chef Jeremy Blutstein & Vanessa Price and the hosts were all there to say hello. They’re just as happy to be there as I was to dine!

Mavericks is a steakhouse yet the atmosphere isn’t reminiscent of Smith & Wolly’s nor Peter Luger. The design is breathtaking, sparing no detail and the defined space brings the outside in. I love the heightened ceiling in the center with the subtle nod of the Taurus (bull) light fixture.

I want to make special mention of the flow - big props to the design and management teams for creating a non-chaotic dining environment. I was talking to my dining companion and briefly noticed what I hadn’t noticed throughout our meal. There is a back hallway maze leading from the kitchen into the dining areas (from 3 directions) with very dark light absorbing walls. Paired with the black uniform shirts and dishes carried low, not overhead, I just saw the occasional face - it was a blur in the background. Really well done from an operational standpoint. Makes it that much more of an enjoyable dining experience for us.

I had the most memorable gin & tonic. They added fresh lime juice for me. It was exquisite.

Getting to the main focus - THE FOOD. I wish I was back there right now! We enjoyed the recommended Parker House rolled (“oh we will take the rest home” - that didn’t happen…), a fresh and eccentric fluke crudo (I hope they bottle the oil they drizzled over it), the beet salad with crushed pistachios on a bed of crackin’ arugula was a home run - how? The undercurrent flavor beneath the blast of color on the plate was a housemade yogurt with puréed toasted black sesame tahini, garlic, lemon and I’m sure something I’m forgetting….alas, if the beets from my childhood were prepared this way I would have actually enjoyed them! The cavatelli pasta was clearly made in house - beautiful flavors, perfectly paired. My main course was the hen of the woods wood fired/grilled mushroom steak with some sort of thyme purée on top. I had to pause, close my eyes, swing the fork in a happy food dance twirl. Mushrooms are the new steak if you no longer eat meat. This dish was other-worldly.

We kept going with a side of the fattest asparagus on the east end - why can’t asparagus be a year round veg? It snapped and melted in the same bite. Delicious.

While swearing we’d bring the rest home for lunch tomorrow and with zero room for dessert we opted for the homemade cookie & ice cream sandwiches. Thinking about my Dad and how if he were here he’d still be talking about that oatmeal cookie and the pistachio ice cream.

I haven’t had a culinary experience like this since the 10 course tasting lunch at Amisfield in Otago, New Zealand in the Summer of 2017. I know not who doles out Michelin stars but I sure hope they’re out for dinner soon in Montauk one summer evening and cross paths with Chef Jeremy and his team. My Mavericks experience checked all the boxes for atmosphere, dining and...

I’m back in D.C. only now getting a moment to review my dining experience at Mavericks in Montauk. I’m not sure where to start! Of the 4 of us, only one had been to the restaurant and it was his accolades that made us make a reservation. We were a bit early and made our way to the bar where Joe mixed up some fantastic cocktails for us - I’ve never had a martini like their namesake martini, it wasn’t only dirty but the blue cheese stuffed olive was a delightful surprise. Joe was a delight and we watched him interact with the bar guests, as busy as he was. On to dinner - I have no food photos. Everything was finished before I even thought to take a photo. My phone was the last thing on my mind once I took a bite of the kimchi fried rice. Are you kidding me with that flavor? Something I want to point out is this place is touted as a steak house yet it’s very heavy on vegetables. I had a mushroom steak with a chimichurri-type sauce on it that would rival a piece of beef. I can still taste it. Garrett was out servers and he pulled out all the stops in explaining dishes to us, asking what we liked and didn’t like so he could offer up something we might enjoy trying for the first time. No disappointment there. After a few rounds of drinks and many deep breaths, we made room for 2 shared desserts. My vote goes to the honey marmalade cheesecake - it was so incredibly perfect right now for the season. If you’re seeking non-typical summer resort area fare - I cannot sing praises high enough for Mavericks. Shout out to the lovely manager (name slips my mind) who made us feel welcome as we walked in. I want to point out an observation on what I noticed that I didn’t notice - - the servers and staff move efficiently and they blend in. They seem to disappear and you don’t know from where they are coming and trays weren’t up in the air. Really wonderful service. Odd mention, but I wanted to put it in there. Lastly, it’s pricey - as long as you’re prepared ahead of time to treat yourselves you will not be disappointed. It’s too early for me to book in late July when I’m back in Montauk but as soon as the books open I’m securing my table. Grateful for...

With all the hype surrounding this restaurant, Jeremy Blutstein’s strong reputation and the astronomical prices, we had high expectations for our dinner. I don’t like leaving a bad review, but felt I needed to share our experience…

First the positives. It is truly a stunning location with beautiful sunsets over Fort Pond. The architecture and interior design are sleek and modern.

We ordered the beet salad, lobster “cocktail” (which was really just steamed lobster), swordfish, NY strip steak and snap peas, accompanied with drinks. The beet salad was delicious as were the snap peas. The lobster was good, split tail. But when I cracked open the claws, juice sprayed all over the table, since it was served in a plate. The waiters were quick to clean up, but when I asked for wipes, a waiter said they could wet a napkin for me. I’m sorry but if you’re serving overpriced lobster, crack the claws and knuckles for your guests and offer proper wipes. The swordfish and steak were basic. I was also surprised the steak was pan seared not grilled and again, served in an open plate so it was lukewarm on arrival. (Not at all “…the most mind-blowing steak you can find this side of the East River”) When asked for salt and pepper, the waiter came with a proper pepper grinder, but a makeshift bowl of table salt with a teaspoon - not a flaked salt that was already sprinkled on the steak?

I prefer a Sauvignon Blanc but there was none on the menu (and confirmed by waiter)? For dessert we had the $18 sundae - a small bowl of 5 micro scoops of pasty “ice cream” with no flavor, pecans and tasteless fudge sauce, sans whipped cream. Please just visit The Grill in East Hampton to see how it should be done.

The wait staff were pleasant, but still seemed unsure of themselves in the restaurant. Our host had very limited descriptions of the menu choices, apart from the “bone-in” fish and that sharing was recommended. Thus it was annoying when plates were brought with no serving utensils.

Total bill $326 with tax. This is definitely a restaurant targeting the wealthy city hipsters coming out only for the summer looking...