No doubt, when you see a photo and the headline indicating this is a review of the new Rowdy Hall in Amagansett, you will ask not "how is the food?" or "do they still have those awesome daily specials?" or even "is there Springs Brewery Lazy Lightning on tap?" You may be more likely to ask "Is it painted black?"
To answer the first three, and most pertinent questions: "Excellent, yes, and you betcha." To answer the fourth question, which has gotten more attention, blather, and jabber than it deserves: "Yeah, kinda, I guess so, it was dark outside when I went."
The new Rowdy Hall is in the space previously occupied by Main Street Tavern, Indian Wells Tavern, and whatnot before that. It is a large square restaurant space with a long bar area on the right with high top tables and stools, a low wall dividing the room down the middle, and a dining room to the left. The bar is copper-topped, the ceiling has copper tin tiles, the walls have wainscoting in a glossy dove grey hue, and there are black and white photographs along a narrow shelf in the dining room. The bar area has four TVs. On an early Monday evening three were tuned in to ESPN, one to BBC. The place was packed, and it wasn't even 6 yet.
We had to wait a while for a table, which is fine, but there was literally no place for us to wait without getting in the way of the bustling staff. Once we were seated, our waiter took our entire order without taking notes and we told him we were very impressed by his ability to do this. Alas, five minutes later he returned to ask us to repeat our orders.
We began our meal with French onion soup, steamed artichoke, Roquefort and walnut salad, and a side order of brussels sprouts. The onion soup and salad came out immediately but it took a few minutes to get a spoon for the soup. Not necessarily a problem, as the Gruyere cheese on the top of the soup tureen is usually the temperature of scalding napalm. As we waited for the artichoke and brussels sprouts to come out, all of a sudden we were presented with two of the burgers we had ordered. Ruh-roh. Much scrambling and scurrying and confusion.
The onion soup is as wonderful as always, rich and meaty, salty and a bit sweet from the caramelized onions, the Gruyere and crouton on top all well-proportioned. The artichoke was okay, but it had become a bit mushy from overcooking. The lemon aioli served alongside was superb. The Roquefort walnut salad was also excellent. It was delicate Boston lettuce, a bit of endive, and just the right amount of Roquefort cheese, toasted walnuts, and sharp vinaigrette. A lot of people think of Rowdy Hall as THE place for burgers and fish and chips, but I have always been very impressed by its salads. The brussels sprouts were pretty good; they had char marks from roasting but the texture was soft.
For entrees we ordered the two aforementioned early burgers, fish and chips, and cassoulet. The burgers were excellent, although there was a bit of confusion over missing toppings. They were well seasoned, cooked to order, and the French fries, as always, were delicious. The fish and chips were also up to their usual perfection: super crispy and fresh cod pieces made even better with a few dashes of malt vinegar. The cassoulet was very good and had wonderful deep flavors from the duck confit, vegetables, and smoked pork, but the beans were a bit al dente for this kind of low and slow braised dish.
The service on the night of our visit was flawed, but in my opinion, forgivable. Rowdy Hall opened in this location a month ago, and it was completely packed on an early Monday evening in December. The loyalty of its patrons following 25 years in East Hampton Village may be a mixed blessing, a happy dilemma, at this early stage.
The prices are moderate, and extremely reasonable considering the quality and consistency of the food. Appetizers are $11 to $21, burgers are $19.50 to $20.50, entrees are $22 to $42, sides are $7 to $11, desserts are $4 to $14. There are also cheeseboard offerings, raw bar items, and daily specials, most priced in the $20s.
For desserts we ordered the O.G. chocolate cake, apple strudel, and bread pudding. All were very good. I'd never had a dessert at Rowdy Hall because after the obligatory fried foods and beer, one may not be so inclined to top it off with caramel-y carbs galore. The chocolate cake slice (I forgot to ask if it is made in-house) was huge, multilayered, moist, and fresh. The apple strudel was a small round phyllo dough packet with raisins, caramel sauce, and whipped cream on the side. The bread pudding, served piping hot in a black cast iron casserole, was topped with a melting bourbon butter sauce. Sweet crunchy-chewy delicious.
Affordable, fun, sporty, and friendly restaurants are gradually disappearing from East Hampton's Worth Avenue, I mean, Rodeo Drive, oops, I mean Main Street. That village's great loss is truly Amagansett's gain.
Rowdy Hall
177 Main Street
Amagansett
631-324-8555
Monday through Thursday, 3-9 p.m.
Friday through Sunday, noon-10 p.m.
