L. to R.: Loaves and Fishes gourmet take-out; Portrait of Isaac Mizrahi
As the new creative director of Liz Claiborne, Isaac Mizrahi may jet from one side of the globe to the other in search of the latest design trends, but on his days off, he prefers to drive around Bridgehampton, N.Y., a town he has called his second home since the 1980s. With a population of about 1,400 in the winter months, this beachside resort is a quiet place where local farmers unload their produce by the side of the road and bridge games take place in the basement of the town hall.
Mizrahi, 47, goes to Bridgehampton to unwind on weekends, and among his favorite activities are walking his two adopted mutts, Harry and Dean; visiting the Pike Farm Stand on Sagg Main Street; and strolling on the beach. "It's a wonderful place," he says. "I like feeling anonymous there." Here, some of his favorite places:
HOTELS
The Chequit Inn, 23 Grand Avenue, Shelter Island Heights (631-749-0018), on Shelter Island is far from Bridgehampton,
but it's wonderful and worth the extra travel time.
RESTAURANTS
Townline BBQ, 3593 Montauk Highway, Sagaponack (631-537-2271), serves delicious food and is really fun on an odd weekday
for lunch, because it's a crazy mix of fancy Hamptons people and truck
drivers.
Bridgehampton Candy Kitchen, 2391 Montauk Highway (631-537-9885), is where I
find myself having a chocolate shake instead of bicycling. It's been a
mainstay of mine since I started going there in the early '80s.
SHOPPING
Loaves and Fishes Cookshop, 2422 Montauk Highway (631-537-6066), sells kitchenware. I bought a set of silverware from
Sabre France there. The handles on the silverware are all different
patterns.
Maison 24, 2424 Montauk Highway (631-537-2488; maison24.com), has really
good housewares with a sense of humor. I got glitter—squirrel table
centerpieces with white mink collars as gifts for friends.
Comerford Hennessy, 2442 Montauk Highway (631-537-6200), is a very simple and basic design shop,
as opposed
to all the humor and wit two doors down [at Maison 24]. They have good
design books. I found a book about Jean-Michel
Frank there.
OUTDOORS
Gibson Beach, Gibson Lane, Sagaponack, is where I ride my bike and jump in
the ocean every day in the summer. I use an old blue Raleigh bike I bought
in the '80s at a flea market. I don't bring anything else to the beach. I
only bring a towel.
MUSEUMS
The Madoo Conservancy, 618 Sagg Main Street, Sagaponack (631-537-8200), is a fabulous garden attached to a house where beautiful things
grow. It doesn't feel like anything special until you see the most beautiful
thing you didn't expect to see.
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