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Is there anything more suited to summer than a road trip? Everyone and their group chats are making their way out of the city for a bit of heat reprieve, and we think you deserve to join them. To make it easy, we’ve laid out itineraries for three possible locations — where to stay, what to do, and obviously, where to eat. See you on the road.
Must be 21 years of age or older to consume alcoholic beverages. Please drink responsibly.
Resy Road Trips
Headed to the Hamptons
This quintessentially elite escape has plenty for every set of New Yorker. It’s best enjoyed with a group of your favorite friends — especially the ones who enjoy eating seafood. It’s beautiful in the summer, obviously, but don’t discount it in the off season, either.
Distance from NYC: Around 100 miles, depending on your final destination in the Hamptons.
How to Get There: The options are (almost) endless. Hop on the classic Jitney, which departs from many locations every few hours or so, grab a seat (or, on busy weekends, a bit of standing room) on the LIRR, or pack up a car with your crew and hit the I-495.
Where to Stay: There’s no lack of great hotels and accommodations in the Hamptons, but we’re partial to The Roundtree Amagansett, where they’re known for tranquility and exceptional service (oh, and the farm-to-table spot Nourish by The Roundtree – more on that below). Or, stay at the Topping Rose House, a luxury 19th-century mansion hotel with dining courtesy of Jean-Georges at Topping Rose House.
Stop #1: If you’re hopping on the LIRR, your best bet is to grab something for breakfast from Penn Station or Moynihan Train Hall before you depart. We’re partial to the always reliable Maman, which serves a long list of pastries, a rotating daily quiche, and breakfast sandwiches.
For the Hampton Jitney, you can board in a number of places, but two of the most popular are the stop at 3rd Ave and E. 40th Street and the one at Lexington Ave and 59th Street. For the former, put your nervously early energy to good use at the Tartinery on Park Avenue (a six-minute walk from the stop) for a croque madame tartine, or stop by Katagiri on 41st Street near Lexington Avenue to load up on onigiri from Omusubi Gonbei. At the latter, opt for the 2 p.m. departure so you can enjoy a meal at Serendipity 3 beforehand — it should include the trademark Frrrozen Hot Chocolate no matter what time you’re there.
If you’re driving, stopping for lunch around halfway will put you right at the Great Neck location of Peter Luger. Who could say no to a legendary burger like that?
Stop #2: After all that traveling, we think you deserve a drink. Take your crew and head for one of the many wineries on Long Island, from the Krissie Wines Peconic Bay Vineyard to the Wölffer Estate Vineyard. You can reserve tasting or tour experiences for both of these (and more) on Tock. Even if you’re abstaining, the bucolic views will make you forget you just spent hours in a car or on a train.
Stop #3: Keep the good vibes going! Pop by the speakeasy-esque bar and rooftop lounge at the Sag Harbor Cinema’s Green Room (walk-ins only) for pre-dinner drinks, where the cocktails are themed (think “G&T Phone Home” and “The Rum Also Rises”) and the happy hour includes $10 chips and dip.
Stop #4: Make a reservation at Le Bilboquet Sag Harbor for dinner. You’ve come all this way — now it’s time to splurge. Order the seafood tower piled high with lobster and oysters, the Cajun chicken, and a baguette with French butter. Oh, and anything with caviar. The only thing better than the bites are the views.
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We’d recommend staying a few days so you have a chance to try all the superb restaurants and take in all the coastal views.
It’s probably been a while since you were at summer camp, but Camp Rubirosa will help you fall right back into the routine with their tie-dye pies and s’mores.
At Nourish in The Roundtree Amagansett hotel, chef Dewa Wijaya is cooking a menu that highlights both Hamptons’ produce and his Balinese heritage, and Takuma Watanabe, the founder of Manhattan’s acclaimed cocktail bar Martiny’s, is behind the bar.
Finally, the Hamptons pop-up of Wayan is in its fourth year running, and you can arrive by boat. Need we say more?
And should you need even more dining recs for the Hamptons, we’ve got you covered.
Going Upstate
For a nature-forward trip out of the city, it’s hard to beat the beauty of Hudson, N.Y. There’s plenty of shopping and dining that’s of a caliber entirely equal to that we enjoy in NYC proper. Bring some tennis shoes, too; you’ll want to take advantage of the outdoors while you’re out of the concrete.
Distance from NYC: Around 120 miles.
How to Get There: Hop onto the Amtrak from Penn Station or pack the car up and hit the Taconic State Parkway to get to Hudson.
Where to Stay: If you can score one of the six rooms or several private cabins at the Deer Mountain Inn, act quickly. It’s perfectly upstate-cozy, with fireplaces and a local favorite on-site name restaurant, Deer Mountain Inn. Or, try for the boho-chic rooms at The Maker — more on that later, too.
Stop #1: Pop by the truly picturesque town of Cold Spring (it’s about halfway between the city and Hudson) for breakfast at the beloved Cozy Corner Cafe. They’ve got all the classic diner fare elevated to a slightly more delicious level. Pop around the shops nearby on Main Street if there’s a wait.
Stop #2: It’s Hudson — you probably should do something outside. Once you get here, head to Olana, the Frederick Church-designed house with more than five miles of trails for you and yours in addition to the historic building and museum. It’s free to visit the grounds, and tours of the house start at just $12.
Stop #3: For drinks, head to The Maker Lounge for cocktails inspired by different fragrances (also made by The Maker) like the Paradiso with mezcal. You can drink your perfume and wear it, too. Pro tip: Put your name in for dinner at Serre when you arrive.
Stop #4: Cafe Mutton is somehow both wonderfully executed and very fun. The menu changes quite often, but you should order the fried softshell crab with tarragon mayo, pork sausage with polenta, and the butterscotch cream puffs if you see them.
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Make your way to Lil’ Deb’s Oasis before they close in October (a fact we still have not come to terms with) for a delightful menu of pan-Latin dishes and cocktails like the fried whole fish with ginger vinaigrette and the rhubarb colada milk punch.
Or, head to Haema for papaya salad and lychee martinis on Warren Street.
For some regional Italian comfort food, it’s hard to beat Feast and Floret, where the pancetta pappardelle can cure all that ails you. Don’t forget to grab some honey (made on their farm, no less) on your way out.
Jersey Shore Bound
Sure, we have beaches in New York, but there’s something about the full beach town effect of Asbury Park on the Jersey shore that just hits differently. It’s more than spray tans, blowouts, and cheetah print, but we wouldn’t say no to any of those while we’re in the right headspace. The ocean views will do that to you.
Distance from NYC: Around 60 miles.
How to Get There: Drive your car across the Hudson or hop onto NJ Transit for a quick hour-and-a-half trip.
Where to Stay: The Asbury Ocean Club is what one might call a quintessential beach hotel, with poolside chairs and crisp, white bedsheets. While you’re there, you should order food from the Drawing Room to eat by the water. There’s also The Ocean Park Inn bed and breakfast, or the Quaker Inn, for a bit more of a pastoral (and budget-friendly) beach stay.
Stop #1: Oh, Uncle Bill’s Pancake House. How we love thee. There are multiple locations down the shore where you can enjoy cash-only stacks of the pecan and classic cakes they’ve been slinging since 1962.
Stop #2: Hit one of the (many) beaches up and down the shore for some lounging and quality time in the water. As lifelong fans and apologists, we’d be remiss not to mention the fact that the house from the iconic television show and piece of high art “The Jersey Shore” is also available for tours in Seaside Heights.
Stop #3: Asbury Ale House boasts tons of local brews and espresso martini and frozen margarita flights, essentially made for a pre-dinner whetting of your whistle. Bring your furry bestie — their dog menu has bites for them like chicken and rice and beef and penne. Woof.
Stop #4: Judy’s is a Italian Jewish spot known for their roast chicken and schmaltzy potatoes. It’s nice enough that you could dress up if you want to make a night of it, but not so nice that you need a tie — in other words, ideal for a nice beach town meal.
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Maybe spending all day on the beach has made you crave some fresh seafood, in which case you should head to Taka for Japanese preparations like sashimi and sushi rolls.
Or, nobody ever said no to a wood-fired pizza after a day in the sun, and Catbird has some that are particularly worthy of your attention.
On your way out to or home from the shore, do stop by Punjab Meet House, the latest from Bungalow and GupShup restaurateur Jimmy Rizvi. Order the signature sarson da saag and bone-in braised goat.
Restaurants Worth More Than a Detour
Finally, we’d be remiss not to mention a few restaurants that are worth building an entire trip around. In our humble opinion, these spots are the destination. Or, at least worthy of a (very long) detour.
Stissing House
Pine Plains, N.Y.
Clare de Boer (of King in Manhattan) does supremely wonderful things with this 1782 vintage property, including an all-American menu of fare, much of which is cooked in the wood-fire oven. The dressed oysters and shepherd’s pie are worth the gas money all on their own.
Blue Hill at Stone Barns
Tarrytown, N.Y.
Anyone even tangentially interested in food will tell you that a pilgrimage to this upstate farm from chef Dan Barber is a magical experience. Nearly every reservation includes a tour of the farm itself, where you’ll see where what you’ll eat that evening grows and lives. It results in a meal that’s hard to forget — and hard to replicate.
Moosewood
Ithaca, N.Y.
If you grew up in the 90’s, and you were lucky, your mom probably cooked endlessly from the “Moosewood Cookbook.” This iconic vegetarian mecca is known for its careful and loving preparation of vegetables, so plan accordingly. Know that the wine list is worth a look at, too.
Lita
Aberdeen Township, N.J.
If you’re making the trip, we’d say that doing the five-course tasting at the chef’s counter is the way to go. Lita serves modern Iberian fare, which takes form in pork shoulder paella, paprika-cooked octopus, and sweet potato Basque cheesecake. Grab a cocktail at their sister and neighbor right next door, La Otra, before or after your meal.
