food and wine	« hamptons dish
Added: May 5, 2005, 8:36 pm	Share    Print    Email

Those who have yet to discover the Springs General Store on Old Stone Highway in East Hampton are in for a surprise. Those in the know have woven it into the fabric of their daily life.

Breakfast, lunch, dinner specials and a wide array of pastries and desserts prepared from scratch are offered seven days a week at this so-not-trendy-it's trendy establishment. If you want the newspapers, coffee, basic household items, kitty food or a homemade dog biscuit, this is the place to go. And if you're in the mood for a little escape like a taking a kayak and paddling off on placid waters you can find it here as well. Situated on spacious grounds composed of broad expanses of grass, flower and vegetable gardens the store provides outdoor tables and chairs and a welcoming front porch with a view of Pussy's Pond and the industrious ducks stopping traffic as they cross the road.

The current owners, Kevin and Kristi Reynolds, a dynamic couple, have owned the store for two years. Kristi is the mastermind behind the food operation while Kevin attends to the business side of things. They also manage to have a family life with two daughters, two cats and a dog they took in after finding him while vacationing on St. John's Island last winter. The duo took time out from their hectic life to sit down on a sunny spring morning and talk about the store.

Kevin began by relating a brief history of the store: "It was built in 1844, it has always been a general store. It was the first post office in Springs. It was the place people came to get news during the civil war. It was the only place to get the news."

And the Jackson Pollock connection? "Dan Miller owned the store from about 1945 to 1970 and one of his more famous clients was Jackson Pollock. They became pretty good friends but it's not really clear if the famous painting Dan got from Pollack was a gift or in exchange for groceries. The recent movie suggested he gave him the painting in exchange for beer but we don't really know if he even sold beer then. The store is a step back in time, a gathering place for the community. In the summertime people like to come in the morning and lounge on the porch or in the backyard and connect with friends."

Kristi picked up the chain of conversation by adding, "this is real food for real people. It's simple and comforting. We have people who come to us two or three times a week for their meals and some who come everyday. So we try and create a menu and a feeling that's very warm and welcoming. It's a bit like the old English pub. It's an extension of your own living room. The idea that you can go and feel very comfortable and relaxed outside your own home."

Kristi is a veteran chef having worked under Jeremiah Towers at Stars in San Francisco and as a chef in New York City at The Quilted Giraffe and in Washington D.C. at Le Pavilion. She brings big city savvy to her country kitchen. "I have a lot of experience with fancy food but I get a greater satisfaction out of making food for the working man rather than the people in search of what I call intellectual food, " she said, "I like making comfort. I love my community and being part of it. It's really wonderful."

And what impelled them to buy the store? Kristi said, "Actually, the former owner's daughter goes to school with my daughter and she told me she was selling the store and I said don't tell my husband because he'll be interested. And he was. I was hesitant. I had a catering business going but I wasn't sure about taking on such a big project. Kevin convinced me. We did talk to a lot of people before we bought it. But it seemed like a right move for us. It provides a base for my catering and a livelihood for me and for my staff. And I have a wonderful staff now that makes it possible for me to have more flexibility with my time and my family."

Kevin continued, " I thought it was an exciting idea because I felt Kristi would like it and it would be a good place to showcase her talents. We haven't changed the nature of the store all that much, more like maintaining the status quo. People liked the store the way it was but the food has changed. It's gone from being a place to buy a soda and some chips to a place where you come in excitement and anticipation of a wonderful meal and the culinary surprises we have."

Kristi's daily menus offer plenty of American home style dishes like pot roast, grilled fish, roast turkey, brisket, mashed potatoes, vegetables and a notable signature turkey chili with white beans. There are two soups and two sandwiches of the day. She injects the fare with a bit of international flavor with Chinese stir-fries, Thai style curries and Latino-based dishes. The standards are high and the prices are gentle.

The store encourages many community activities such as the Accabonac Harbor clean up where volunteers tidy up the area around the harbor and are given a free lunch in reward. This year they offered lunch for 150 people. "We know so many people who come into the store on a first name basis," Kevin says, "that we have no problem asking them to get in on the clean up. We feel that the store is the historic centerpiece of the community. It has a 160-year tradition of being the gathering place for information, conversation and socializing. As the owners of the store we feel an obligation to give back to the community. We like the opportunity to be involved in projects. There are some important school board budget meetings coming up involving activities for the kids. We have an event coming up on May 14th called the Great Accabonac Kayak Adventure. People can come and go kayaking and then have dinner and all proceeds will go to a fund to replace outdated school equipment and promote programs like taking the kids into the city to see the Metropolitan opera. We really enjoy doing that. We just feel you do what you love and whatever you need will follow." Indeed.

For more information, click here.