Chef Peter Ambrose, the 20-year East End catering veteran who recently dropped 30 pounds, has opened his own seafood shop and gourmet take-out market, The Hampton Seafood Co. and his own event operation, Endless Summer Catering, on 17 Race Lane in East Hampton. Ambrose, who began working at the Seafood Shop in Wainscott at 15 and took over the catering in 1992, is partnering with Gerald Herlihy and Butch Payne who own a six-boat fishing fleet in Montauk.
Last summer Ambrose introduced Endless Summer Sauces (in our Fall 2011 issue), which sold at local farmers markets. These will be on the shelves of the gourmet seafood-barbecue shop. Also on offer for take-out are New England clam chowders, Bonac clam pies, an extraordinary Thai seafood chowder, barbecued ribs, chicken and pulled pork, as well as vegan dishes like Edamame, lentil and quinoa salads and an Ezekiel wrap. Ambrose has called on his favorite suppliers for gourmet specialties like a blood orange olive oil with a flavor he calls “outrageous on scallops—citrusy, zesty” and Blue Duck Bakery breads.
Worth noting is Smokin’ Joe’s Happy Hour on Thursdays from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. when 50-cent clams on the half shell, $1 oysters, $2 fish tacos and a $5 sushi rolls are sold; wash them down with an excellent fresh green tea lemonade. Pre-season hours are 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily. Phone: 631-324-9224.
