Landscape to Table in the Hamptons
Throughout the years, Oehme van Sweden has undertaken a number of projects in the Hamptons.
We love working in the area, not just because of the beautiful scenery and amenable climactic conditions, but because of the ways the community of the Hamptons celebrates the bounty of the land and brings it to the table. Dining in the Hamptons is pure culinary luxury, and a recent visit to the area reminded Oehme van Sweden Principal Eric Groft why maintaining the ties between the table and the land yields memorable epicurean experiences.
On Thursday October 21, OvS Principal Eric Groft hosted Dennis Loebs of Loebs & Gordon Pool Craft to dinner and drinks on the beach in Sagaponock to watch the full moon rise to the east as the sun set to the west over Long Island. Loebs & Gordon is considered the preimiment pool contractor of high end pools in the Hamptons, and is an important partner in our work in the area.
The newest restaurant on the east end, Southfork Kitchen in Bridgehampton, was the setting for dinner. This new restaurant features sustainable seafood and local produce, cheeses and wine. Everything served
there is grown or raised or caught or baked right there on the East end of Long Island, making the restaurant and its food a true product of the local landscape.
Eric and Dennis each had the clam chowder with soy-cured bacon, garden vegetables and local bay clams. The garden salad consisted of Balsam Farm lettuces, Evan’s Farm buttermilk dressing and Ewe’s thick sliced blue cheese. Eric enjoyed perfectly seared Point Pleasant sea scallopswith North Fork cauliflower, golden raisins and Vaduvon, while Dennis dined on coal grilled Great South Bay bluefish with pickled cabbage and black garlic. The meal was accompanied with a Cote de Rhone.
Southfork Kitchen prides itself on not just representing the farm-to-table movement, but on truly understanding that the supply chain behind farm-to-table is in fact farmer-to-deliveryman-to-prep-cook-to-sous-chef-to-executive-chef-to-server-to-table. It’s no wonder we at Oehme van Sweden appreciate this philosphy – it mimics our own! We are proud to deliver “white glove” service, but in our case, “white glove” does not mean “hands off.” Our Principals and staff are involved in every aspect of our projects, from design through to implementation. On any given day, you can find Oehme, van Sweden landscape architects behind the desk, in a nursery, in a stone quarry, or on our knees in the dirt. Its our philosophy that this hands-on involvement in every aspect of the project leads to beautiful results, and it has been our privelege to deliver these results to clients throughout the Hamptons for many years.