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Updated: July 23, 2009, 11:59 am	Share    Print    Email

The Restaurant at The Inn in Quogue is the only restaurant and bar in the village of Quogue. Photos by Douglas Harrington

Quogue - There has been a long running debate as to what line of demarcation determines the Hamptons from the rest of America. If it is indeed the Shinnecock Canal, then I contend that Quogue may very well be more Hampton than the Hamptons itself, or at least the Hamptons that once was and originally was meant to be.

Quogue is an independent, self-contained, incorporated community that has successfully resisted change, unlike most communities on the East End. Perfectly manicured hedge rows frame turn-of-the century mansions that have not been torn down and tastelessly rebuilt, but meticulously maintained and preserved. Quogue's main street, Jessups Lane, seems lost in a time when practical needs, like bread, fuses, beach towels, sink washers, steak and, yes, scotch, were actually more important than the over-priced offerings of the Manhattan boutiques. The same boutiques the tone weekender's shop at everyday of the week, but cannot seem to live without for two days and, ironically, pass by every Friday on their way to the Jitney, Lexus, Limo or heliport for their trip to the Hamptons.

Patrons at the bar enjoy the company and the black leather stools with chrome frames and foot rests.

Jessups Lane, in the multi-million-dollar home community of historic Quogue, has one liquor store, a bakery, an ice cream parlor, a beauty salon, a dress shop (non-designer), a card/gift shop, one tiny non-chain grocery store (the Quogue Market for over 50 years), a breakfast/lunch place (the Inn Spot), a florist, a plummer (yes, a real plummer on Main Street), the Courthouse/Police Station, the Fire Station and a Village Hall that also houses the local community theater company (Hamptons Theater Company), the Post Office (just 100 feet off Jessups on a side street) and, if you can believe it, only two real estate offices.

At the north end of the lane (Montauk Highway) is a car dealership and a gas station (only one of each). The most amazing thing about Jessups Lane is the landmark located at where it intersects the road to the south in Quogue that is actually called Quogue Street -- a road that the Quogue Library shares with the quaint Inn at Quogue, two churches, a community field house, residential homes and the only restaurant and bar in the village, The Restaurant at The Inn.

Yes, you read it right, this is a Hamptons town with only one white linen restaurant and it houses the only bar in town. That alone should give this joint an honorary inclusion in the Oak Bar Series, but it does actually possess, in its own right, some of the best aspects of a true Oak Bar.

First and foremost, the building itself is old, very old. Not that a true Oak Bar could not be created today in a structure built on the spot, but the race to be edgy, trendy, and "signature" would undoubtedly keep any of today's stylista designers from creating a bar that is actually warm and comfortable. My research could not confirm a specific date, but it is estimated that this landmark was build in the early to mid- 1800s. It might have been a private home at one time, but is best remembered as a summer boarding house for vacationing NYC residents at the turn of the 20th century.

Sadly, the original Inn at Quogue bar has been long gone, recreated several times over by a plethora of recent owners. Thankfully the present proprietor, Dee Angelo, during her renovation created a bar that fits the criteria of an Oak Bar, with some exceptions that will be duly noted. I decided to have a purely existential moment and simply record in my reporter's notebook the immediate atmospheric response I had to sitting at the bar and sipping a Bombay Martini on the rocks with olives.

The renovation is obvious and current, but without losing that great Oak Bar appeal. Yes, still dark and warm, this bar has the classic element of marble incorporated into the new design of the bar top. The lighting fixture above the bar is chrome, unfortunately modern and abstract, but at least understated. Two windows frame the dark paneled back bar on each side with a view that looks down Jessups Lane.

Not nearly enough Single Malt Scotch for my Edinburgh endorsement, but there are six good ones. As the times sadly reflect, the designer, fruit vodkas do out-number the gins, but the triumvirate of British stall worths still stand strong: Beefeater, Tanqueray and Bombay (Regular and Sapphire) sit sentinel proudly mirrored on the back bar. Staring at the gin, I see the reflection of the room and turn to take in a centered fireplace framed by a wainscoted dining area and white linen, candlelit tables in an earth-toned weaved wallpapered room.

Returning my attention to the bar, my eyes re-dilate to the dark oak that first drew my attention. This is a bar area beautifully bi-polar, with a deep, rich, warm cocktail atmosphere, juxtaposed with a perfect beach-airy dining ambiance. The bar chairs are black leather with chrome frames and foot rests, and yes, there is the required foot rail. The waiter's station is beautifully framed by a dark oak wine rack at the west side of the bar area. The floor staff is beyond competent, they are personally engaged: attentive, responsive and professional. The Head Bartender at the Bar at The Restaurant at the Inn is a character in a Sorcese screenplay yet to be written. If Jimmy Angelo was the guy bringing the drink to Joe Pesci in "Goodfellas," Jimmy's foot would be in tact and he would have left the table of mobsters dazed, confused and laughing."

So does it fit the definitive definition of an Oak Bar? Not completely, but close enough, as it is warm and rich in atmosphere and conducive to conversation, which my fellow bar mates were animatedly engaged in at the time of my visit. The restaurant itself has all the accolades it needs, attested to by locals, weekenders and numerous food critics alike. The Restaurant at the Inn at Quogue is well worth a visit for cocktails, cuisine, conversation and conviviality.