Summer is in full swing.

What is happening in New York? People are running from it. In August, when the temperature of the sun is surpassed by the temperature of the subways, the lucky New Yorkers leave town.

With a wonderful selection of nearby beaches and fresh lakes, perhaps it’s your turn to get out of town. The enticement of “free” opera, theatre, and music that costs you the day and all convenience is no match for the beauty of Montauk, Sandy Hook, or Barnegat Light. And if sand and sun aren’t your thing, try the bucolic charm of Connecticut, Vermont, New Jersey or Pennsylvania.

For the sun and surf:

Block Island

Fire Island

Long Beach Island

Surf Reports
The problem here is inherent – the site is run by surfers. Are they going to be home typing when the surf is up? Still worthwhile.

Montauk
Gurney’s is booked. So this is handy.

Sandy Hook

For the bucolic:

Bucks County, PA

Hunterdon County, NJ

Dorset, Vermont

“New” vs. “Tried and True”

The other day I spent a few moments looking at the wine racks at Tuscan Square. I’d spent a lovely evening there and was waiting for a friend to collect his things, so I looked at the wine bottles in the racks by the front door. There were wines I’d tasted, wines I’d heard of, wines I hadn’t, and wines that were old favorites – ones I’d discovered in Italy, several I’d fallen for and bought cases of, and several I’d made meals around – or more accurately, several that had rounded my cooking into meals.

And I felt a special fondness for the wines whose company I had enjoyed. I love trying wines, but I prefer the anticipation of enjoying a wine I’ve enjoyed before, because added to the present pleasure of drinking the wine at that moment, I add the recollections of the meals and the conversations that I enjoyed in the past with that wine.

In this vein, I wondered why there is so much interest in the “new” when there is so much satisfaction in the “tried and true.” A most common introduction to the choice of restaurant seems to be “have you tried…?” and here I’d like to suggest a list of places you might frequent that have been frequented by locals for years.

Beyoglu
1431 3rd Avenue @ 81st Street , (212) 650-0850
Excellent Mediterranean fare with a huge selection of tasty vegetable dishes and dips, grilled and skewered meats and fish, and delicate Turkish wines to enhance. Cafe seating, a quiet second floor, and attentive service compliment the meal.

i Trulli
122 East 27th Street @ Park & Lexington , (212) 481-7372
Sublime Italian cuisine, wine, and service in the dining room or, more casually, in the enoteca. With wine tastings and classes from time to time.

Milos Estiatorio
125 West 55th Street @ 6th & 7th Avenues , (212) 245-7400
In this beautiful, open, and elegant space you are served wonderfully fresh fish and produce, accompanied by a spectacular wine list. The Greek wines are delicious as are the desserts. If you are too tired to go out for dinner, but are looking forward to seeing your friends, or must entertain clients, the pace, decor, and offerings of Milos will revive you.

Shabu Shabu
314 East 70th Street @ 2nd Avenue , (212) 861-5635
This small, friendly Japanese restaurant has been a family favorite for more than twenty years. With its fresh produce, delicate preparations, and attentive service in a room where you can hear your tablemates perfectly (but no one else), this may soon be one of your favorite neighborhood restaurants as well.

Tuscan Square
16 West 51st Street, Rockefeller Center, (212) 977-7777
Pino Luongo’s (well-earned fame from Le Madre, Coco Pazzo, Centolire & numerous and notable Tuscan cookbooks, most recently La Mia Cucina Toscana) Midtown restaurant for authentic Italian fare in a rustic dining room, or to go in your own environs. The food is delicious, the portions are generous and the service is attentive. One of the best choices in Midtown for lunch or dinner.