Even though I own multiple restaurants, there are a few places I go to when I just want to sit back and enjoy. Lulu’s in Sag Harbor is one of them.
The vibe here stands out. The decor is fab, the space is well-designed (not surprising, since the owner comes from real estate), and the crowd is lively and a generation younger than the American Hotel crowd.
The fire-grilled octopus is always the right call — crispy outside, impossibly tender and pillowy inside. I’ve asked the chef for the recipe, but it always turns into one of those I could tell you, but then… conversations. No luck, but I keep trying.
Lulu’s is also known for its wood-fired ovens where everything is made. And the skirt steak makes a standout main course after the octopus.
But I nearly always go with the chef’s special. Comes from my Japanese roots where we revere omakase – if the kitchen is great, you let them take the lead.
I have my go-to drink here and it’s not on the menu: a muddled jalapeño super dry vodka martini, icy cold, with the right amount of heat. Sharp, clean, and exactly what you want in your hand as you start your evening. It’s off-menu, but ask for it, and they’ll know who sent you there.
126 Main St, Sag Harbor, NY 11963, USA
This card is by Jesse Matsuoka, a Hamptons resident of over 25 years. A sake sommelier and co-owner of Sen, a legendary Japenese restaurant in Sag Harbor. Born in Manhattan, grew up in Tokyo, Hawaii and Sag Harbor, and married to a third generation Montauker.
@lulukitchenandbar / Instagram