The Backyard Restaurant at Sole East in Montauk is a place that has to be seen to be believed. Everyone in Montauk has upped their game in the past years, and everything at Sole East, from the design of the space to the quality of the food and service, is on another level.
When you walk into Sole East, you’re greeted by the front desk service of the hotel, and you immediately get that luxurious beachy vibe that we all love to feel when in Montauk.
The Backyard Restaurant is…in the backyard of the hotel! Pass through a cave of surrounding trees to the entrance of the restaurant.
There is a large pool area outside with tables surrounding a chill reggae music playing. Inside, the interiors are entirely white, it’s a pretty sexy scene—very Montauk.
Competing for the real star of the show is the service or the food. All of it is over the top, which these days can feel rare, especially as we come close to the end of August.
Our waiter suggested that I try the monkfish, something that I have never had before, which is weird since it’s completely local to Montauk. Other star menu items, according to the waiter, are the Backyard Clam Chowder with little neck clams, Yukon potatoes, leeks, applewood-smoked bacon and parsley. He also recommended the seafood paella and advised that we share the dish, but my wife was set on getting just an appetizer for her entrée, and I was excited to try out a new fish.
I’m glad I did.
The monkfish came out perfectly grilled, and the portion was astounding. I can eat a lot, and I could not believe I felt so full. Monkfish is meaty and extremely satisfying to eat and has a luxurious, rich flavor to it. Apparently, I was spoiled by Sole East, according to my brother-in-law who runs a restaurant in San Francisco. He told me it’s an incredibly difficult fish to cook, and by the looks of the video I sent him, he was very impressed by the dish.
I loved it—compliments to the chef.
If monkfish is too daring for you, I highly recommend the mussels appetizer as well as the arancini, which was a fabulous mushroom and cheese-filled rice ball. Unique for the East End and both my wife and liked it. I’d also recommend getting the paella without even trying it because we could see other diners enjoying the dish, and it looked sensational.
Bringing food to that next level is what I really love about going out. Everything we ate, both of us agreed that we would not be able to make it ourselves; the food was remarkable.
I’m a big “vibe” person regarding a restaurant. Bad vibes make me lose my appetite. I don’t like to feel like I’m in the middle of a job interview when I walk into a place. I like to feel relaxed and at ease, and Sole East delivers; the vibe is awesome, and I found my wife and I enjoying conversation well into the evening for a wonderful and memorable evening.
Diet starts tomorrow!
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