The Maidstone Hotel in East Hampton gets new chefs, menu

The Maidstone Hotel in East Hampton has had many lives over the decades. In its latest, the restaurant sports new chefs and New American cuisine.

Ian Lichtenstein Lowell, who has cooked at The Surf Lodge and Second House Tavern in Montauk, is the new executive chef; John Sagadraca, who began his career at Restaurant Daniel and Bar Boulud in Manhattan, is chef de cuisine.

Their New American menu covers a lot of the cuisine's current identity, with a focus on the local, the seasonal and the organic.

Diners should expect dishes such as seared local scallops with carrot puree, shaved kohlrabi, leeks, and pancetta; a boil of local shellfish and finfish; house-made pasta with jumbo lump crab, lemon, herbs, butter, and brioche bread crumbs; charred octopus with chorizo and chickpeas; and dry-aged New York strip steak. Black sea bass is among the market fishes of the day.

The price range for main courses at dinner is $24 to $48; for appetizers and salads, $12 to $22. At lunch, the prices are $12 to $22 for starters; $22 to $36 for main courses. The restaurant is open every day for dinner, from 5:30 p.m.; lunch, Monday to Friday; and brunch on Saturday and Sunday.

The Maidstone's history dates to 1740, and it was rebuilt after a fire in the 1800s. Over the years, it has been known as, among other names, The Maidstone Arms and c/o The Maidstone. In recent years, the restaurant, then called The Living Room, highlighted Scandinavian dishes, as well as New American fare.  The Living Room earned a three-star rating in Newsday in 2010. The hotel continues to sport some Scandinavian decor.

The Maidstone Hotel, 207 Main St., East Hampton, 631-324-5440, themaidstone.com