Nick & Toni’s

Every chick-lit novel that takes place in the Hamptons mentions Nick & Toni’s, or more precisely, the protagonist’s attempts to score a table at this East Hampton institution. There’s a simplicity here though that you wouldn’t expect at the South Fork’s most celebrity-crammed restaurant. (Billy Joel and Steven Spielberg are regulars.) The Mediterranean menu features lots of organic, local produce most of which is grown on the on-site garden (which even features a compost pile) while the three dining rooms are understated with simple white walls and tablecloths, long windows and a central wood-burning oven. In summertime, the bar and outdoor patio are particularly popular while in winter the restaurant offers its beloved Kids Pizza Nights, where kids ages 6-12 can learn the art of piemaking for $5/session. Not something you normally see at New York City’s most chichi restaurants. Nick, a.ka. Jeff Salaway, who founded the restaurant with his wife Toni Ross, died in a car accident a few summers ago, and is still sorely missed by locals and loyal diners.