Sixty-Something: My Six Favorite Places For Pizza In The Hamptons

There is nothing quite like the perfect hot slice of pizza when you are hungry and in the mood. Being Italian I have a long history of eating pizza – starting with when dad used to bring home that big white box with all those slices in it. In the Hamptons there are some amazing pizzas being prepared and served daily. Every hamlet has that one special pizza place. I will list my five favorites based on18 years of personal experience of sampling East End pizza.

When I am driving home after a summer sunset sail in Gardiner’s Bay, I sometimes bring home pizza to surprise my wife, especially if she has had a really busy day working. Our favorite Hamptons pizza is in Bridgehampton at World Pie. Located in the unique space that housed the original Bobby Vans on the west side of Route 27 in Bridgehampton, World Pie serves pizza until midnight every night. You never get a “we just closed the kitchen” on a slow night there. The wood burning stove and the wonderful tomato sauce and cheeses seems to create the consistently perfect pizza. Their pizza pie is very similar to the type of pie you get in Italy with a wonderful crisp but not burnt thin crust. There are 20 choices of pies with all sorts of toppings. I would put their pizza as my first choice, go-to place. However, there are many close second choices. World Pie is a favorite of many notables, including Christie Brinkley.

On top of the close second places has to be the historic Sam’s Pizza in East Hampton. Founded in 1947 by Sam Naska whose family ran the business for three generations until turning over the place to Graham Quinn who had been the bartender, Sam’s is the pizza of choice in East Hampton. The red neon sign of Newtown Road is a historic feature of the village. In the summer the smiles of patrons both entering and leaving Sam’s Pizza is all the proof you need you won’t be disappointed. Once again it is the crust and choices and quality of toppings. Broadway legend Nathan Lane is often dining here.

When I lived in Montauk on many occasions, I stopped into Village Pizza located on the south side of Main Street in the heart of Montauk Village. The friendly but busy atmosphere is fun. The pizza is more New York Bronx, where the Giordano family that founded Village Pizza over 50 years ago came from. Village Pizza is opened seven days a week serving what they list as “New York Pizza!” I fondly think of it as Montauk Pizza.

I lived actually on my boat for three Hamptons summers in 3 Mile Harbor. Close by to the boat’s dock is another favorite easy choice, Pepperoni’s Pizza on Spring’s Fireplace just south of Abraham’s Path. This is a very busy pizza place with a steady turnover of pies at dinnertime. In the summer there are seats outside to enjoy the cool summer breeze while eating a pizza. There pie is again New York Bronx/Brooklyn in texture and always right out of the oven hot due to the volume they do.

I never talk about Hamptons Pizza without giving a shout out to JJ Jensen long time bartender and friend at Cittanuova where they also serve wonderful international style pizzas that I have enjoyed for years. I remember the first one I ever had there was special because it was both the first summer they were open and the only summer I lived in the East Hampton Village. I love sitting at the bar with a cold Peroni beer and a private size pizza and enjoying the show that is East Hampton Village. Cittanuova is another seven days a week until 11 pm place. There pizza’s have a thin crispy crust with wonderful sauce and cheese. On a few late nights I have observed Alec Baldwin at Cittinuova.

Although I have never lived in Southampton for a 7-year stretch, I wrote a business column that had me in the heart of Southampton Village weekly. It was then that I discovered the magic of the pizza at La Parmigiana on Route 27A in Southampton Village. Another family owned restaurant that has been in Southampton since 1974. The pizza is more New York/ Bronx/Brooklyn style with big thick crust and lots of sauce and melted cheese.

You may have your own favorite pizza spot in the Hamptons but I promise that you will never go wrong sampling any pizza served of these six wonderful establishments. I bet you are now in the mood for a hot slice right now!