Babette’s

I was recently invited to meet up with some fellow local bloggers to try out one of the newest restaurants to hit the coast, and having already heard such wonderful things about their food, I jumped at the opportunity to meet some new friends and try out some great food.

I have been wanting to try Babette’s since they opened, and since I had already browsed photos on their Instagram account and looked up their website menu, I knew that I had to see it in person. Having been established in East Hampton, I was already a fan since its been a goal to plan a vacation there since as early as I can remember. I was honestly not surprised when I walked into the restaurant and fell instantly in love; from the beachy cottage vibe, to the sweet staff that greeted me the second I walked in, I felt more like I was walking into the home of a very welcoming friend’s house. I was not kidding when I told one of the other ladies I was lunching with that the decor was ‘house goals’ – between the gorgeous tables and fixtures to the the blankets draped over the backs of chairs on the patio, the restaurant welcomes you with both elegance and comfort, and it is done so in style. It is exactly the type of vibe I love to create in my own home!

A wonderful bonus to the afternoon was meeting the sweet women I got to lunch with: gorgeous and inspiring mama (and wonderful writer), Leslie Bruce of Unpacified; private chef who I can not wait to work with, Nicole Hellendoorn of California Paleo Kitchens, who creates custom meals for families;  and Lena Ksanti, vegan chef of Pure Vegan Food , if you are not already following her feed which is packed with the most beautiful food photos I have ever seen, you must follow her now!! 

Now lets get to the best part of the visit: the food. I am by no means one to boast or brag about my cooking skills… I cook a mean mac n’ cheese, quesadilla, and on the weekends I rock that pancake and bacon combo like no other, so anything more intricate than that we typically find by eating out. I also will never brag to anyone about my diet… In ‘N Out is a weekly family outing, and we cherish this day in our house. Don’t get me wrong, I love a great salad, and as much as I wish I was eating cheeseburgers daily, I know it is slightly socially unacceptable, so lately I have been trying my best to clean up my diet, and since I love eating out (proud fact), I have been trying to find restaurants that solve my lack of kitchen skills problem and that I don’t feel guilty about feeding my body and family. I checked out the Menu at Babette’s and thought I would for sure be leaving wanting to empty out my cupboards and refrigerator, because everything on their menu sounded incredible! Throw in the fact that I saw that their cocktails are made with cold pressed juices, helloooo – where have these healthy cocktails been all my life (or rather, 21+ life)?! 

The food did not disappoint, in fact, it exceeded my expectations ten fold (and no, I was not paid to say that). Let me break it down you for, if I were to ever hit the lotto and could build any restaurant I have ever eaten at into my kitchen to prepare and cook all of my meals, this would be the place! Never in my life did I think I would come home bragging to my meat loving husband that on our next date night I would be taking him to try Babette’s BBQ Tofu. If you happen to have a filet-mignon, ‘where are the ribs’ loving husband yourself and want to completely blow his mind with an incredible TOFU meal, I can not express enough how much you have to try this item on their menu, I have literally developed a craving for this plate. From the menu, I also tried the Babette’s Signature Soup (truffled cauliflower almond) which was also one of my favorite items, the Mediterranean Organic Chicken (grilled pita / feta / pesto /pickled onion / tomato / baby spinach), Chickpea Hummus with Naan Bread, and topped it off with a Rosemary Lemon Martini… I highly recommend any and all of these items if you stop in.

(Prada sunnies)

As if the restaurant couldn’t get any more charming, we had a chance to meet and chat with the owners, who are probably two of the sweetest people. It is a mother and son duo, Barbara and Zach Layton (mom + son goals) and the charming decor matches their sweet and welcoming demeanor and personality perfectly. They have owned Babette’s in East Hampton for over 20 years, and their dream was to bring the vibe and same farm-fresh goodness of their Hampton’s location over to the West Coast, and they executed perfectly (new life goal is to try their original location).

If you are looking for your next breakfast or lunch spot to take your family, date night restaurant with your gals or husband, or if you are out on a run with your pups and are looking to fuel up (heck yes they have a pup menu), this is the place to cruise into. This visit formed a life-long relationship I plan to have with Babette’s, my husband and I already have plans to head over next weekend, and I know I will be bringing and meeting up with so many friends here in the future. I hope if you are in the area and looking for a place to have a meal or host a gathering you will pop in and try it out, and if you have already done so, let me know how much you loved it and what you ordered, I am already planning my order for the next visit!

Special thank you to Taylor Cole for these awesome photos!