Jill and I have spent more weekends this summer away from NYC than at home. We’ve been eating and drinking our way from Westchester and the Hamptons to Boston and Asheville, while catching up with friends and family along the way. Last weekend, our friends Anna and Andy had us and friends Jen and Bryan out to their beautiful home in the Hamptons. We were excited to check out one of their favorite Friday night go-to dinner spots — Bobby Van’s in Bridgehampton.  Since so many NYC-based restaurants have opened up locations in the Hamptons, many people naturally presume that this Bobby Van’s is an extension of the Bobby Van’s steakhouses in NYC and DC. But this is actually the original location founded by piano player Bobby Van back in 1969. And it’s better than its urban counterparts. Oysters, crab legs, clams casino, crab cake, lobster mac n’ cheese and a porterhouse for 5 later, I think this may be the best steakhouse on Long Island (yes, I know there’s a Peter Luger in Great Neck).

We started with a drink at the bar where a crowd of locals-meets-weekenders and 50′s-meets-30′s fuels an energetic and lively atmosphere. The bartenders seem to know their wines, pour a clean tap beer and mix up some strong cocktails. The restaurant and bar interior has a classic feel to it with Tommy Bahama-esque sail linen fans, wicker chairs and open-air bay windows onto Main Street infusing the space with a laid-back, summer ambiance.

Once seated, our dinner got off to a bit of a slow start as there seemed to be some confusion as to which server had our table, or if our table even came with a server. But things eventually got sorted out and the minor delay gave us ample time to plot our ordering plan of attack. We like dining out with large groups so we can try an array of menu items. With the other Andy quarterbacking, we settled on a dozen oysters, crab cake, clams casino and crab claws to start. Everything was good…very good. The crab cake, which is chock full o’ large chunks of sweet crab meat and served with a mustardy remoulade, was a standout. As were the crab legs, which for a fleeting moment took me back to Joe’s Stone Crab in Miami.

When you want to go big, you get the Porterhouse. When you want to go huge, you get the Porterhouse for 5. Thankfully, Andy and Anna have been to this Bobby Van’s enough to know that to order the ‘Porterhouse for (insert # of people in your party)’ basically puts you in Man vs. Food territory. And you can likely get away with ordering the ‘Porterhouse for (insert # of people in your party minus 2)’. Here’s a little tip: here you always want to order the Porterhouse for an odd number. They aren’t going to cut a Porterhouse in half so whether you order ‘for 5′ or ‘for 6′, you’re gonna get the exact same amount of meat, and it’s only going to cost $45/person either way. So our ‘Porterhouse for 5′ for 6 of us was pretty much a no-brainer.

For sides, we went with the hash browns, onion rings and asparagus. The lobster mac n’ cheese on the blackboard list of specials caught our eye and so we ordered up a couple of them, too. There was to be no messing around at this meal.

It’s pretty obvious that Executive Chef John Stella knows what he’s doing in the kitchen. Plain and simple this was one of the best Porterhouse steaks I’ve ever had. It couldn’t have been a more perfectly executed medium rare. We’re talking original Peter Luger’s good, if not better. The lobster mac n’ cheese was fabulous as well (i mean, how could it not be) and a little bit of truffle oil essence took it to the next level. The hash browns were also excellent and ultra crispy around the edges, just the way I like ‘em.

This Bobby Van’s may be a victim of its own name recognition. With five Manhattan locations, many New Yorkers have eaten at a Bobby Van’s or otherwise come to form an opinion of it as a steakhouse. When people hear Bobby Van’s Bridgehampton, they likely equate it with the locations they have come to know in the city. But this Bobby Van’s is different. It has a different audience, a different menu and, overall, it’s a different experience. Chef Stella has added a Mediterranean and Asian flair that you won’t find on the menus in the city, as evidenced by items like Thai Shrimp Tacos, Miso Black Cod and an olive oil poached Halibut with Mediterranean orzo pilaf. This isn’t your typical old school men’s club steakhouse. It’s more sceney like a Prime 112 or STK, and a perfect example of a place that can do it all without sacrificing quality. This is pretty much everything you want in a steakhouse dinner. An iconic steakhouse meal start to finish.

Bobby Van’s Bridgehampton By the Numbers:

1969 — year cabaret piano player Bobby Van founded Bobby Van’s restaurant in Bridgehampton

14 – number of people that would perish if Lizzie Grubman drove her car through the front of the restaurant

5 – number of times I uttered “this is damn near the best porterhouse I’ve ever had”

3 — number of times I woke up during the night with “meat sweats” after our attempted Porterhouse for 5 takedown

52 — number of laps I had to run around Anna and Andy’s pool the next morning to burn off calories from the meal

1979 – year Bobby Van moved his restaurant across the street to a newly-renovated building (World Pie is located in the original Bobby Van’s space)

8 — number of steak sandwiches we were able to make the next day using the leftovers from our ‘Porterhouse for 5′

21 — how many dollars it costs on a Tuesday night for the Lobster special — 1 1/4 lb lobster served with a local baked potato and corn on the cob

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