Ina Garten Just Shared Her Favorite Places To Visit In The Hamptons
Just mention the Hamptons and you can't help but think of Ina Garten. She's as inextricably linked with the beach haven as is its reputation for being the getaway destination of choice for celebrities and wealthy alike. Garten first made her mark on the Hamptons in the late 70s, when on a whim she and her husband Jeffrey purchased a specialty foods shop (via Food Network). Over the next two decades she grew the small shop into a foodie destination for specialty products, imported delicacies, and freshly made foods including breads, salads, and entrees.
Even after selling the shop and gaining fame through her work as a cookbook author, and a cooking show host, she remained a fixture in the Hamptons. Garten recently shared on her website Barefoot Contessa that she's often asked about her favorite Hampton spots. She says in an area made up of several small villages each with their own "special character," it's hard to name them all. However, she did pull together a list of about 30 of her most beloved businesses and they cover everything from farm stands to restaurants to florists.
Ina Garten says there's more to the Hamptons than just the fancy places
On the list of Garten's favorite places in the Hamptons are shops carrying gourmet foods, prepared dishes, and baked goods, like Loaves & Fishes Foodstore in Bridgehampton and Mary's Marvelous in East Hampton (via her website). We love that the legacy and memory of the cook's own shop, Barefoot Contessa, carries on in these food stores, and that Garten herself is getting the word out to support the shops. The host also lists several restaurants, hotels, and home decor stores that she feels can't be missed.
On her Instagram page, Garten goes on to say that while the Hamptons are assumed to be "really fancy" that visitors will love the more simple and rustic farm stands and food shops on her list. Some of her followers went on to tease her in the comments, saying that even the farm stands in the Hamptons are fancy. However, one can't help but be charmed by Garten's cheerful devotion to the people there. Some of the farm stands that Garten loves are Lisa & Bill's Fresh Vegetables, Pike Farms, and Amber Waves Farm. Her Instagram post also shares a stunning glimpse at the loaves and pastries at Carissa's Bakery in East Hampton. No doubt her itinerary will gives fans a chance to see and eat their way through the Hamptons as Garten does, while supporting small businesses in the process.