East Hampton's Race Lane Possibly Moving to Sag Harbor

EAST HAMPTON, NY —Race Lane’s owners, Jay and Rowaida Plumeri, left New York City seven years ago to open their dream restaurant in East Hampton — and now they could be moving to Sag Harbor.

As soon as they discovered the space that was once The Laundry restaurant, one of the most popular eateries in East Hampton for more than 20 years, was available, they jumped at the chance to lease it.

“Jay remembered The Laundry. It had been long gone when we took over the lease, but he always loved it and dreamed of having a place just like it when he was in his teens,” Rowaida Plumeri told Patch.

"It was important to make the space our own," Jay said. "We tried to respect the integrity of the beautiful space, but updated it a little so it would be inviting year round.”

Some of the original Laundry patrons continued to frequent Race Lane. “We see a lot of Laundry regulars at Race Lane. A lot of them have become loyal customers and friends,” Rowaida shares.

Opening a restaurant in the Hamptons meant moving from New York City to the country, but for the couple it was a no-brainer.

“We love the beaches, of course. There is an interesting creative local vibe and great sense of community — without the suburban doldrums. And it’s a great place to raise our two kids, while raising ourselves,” Rowaida said.

Jay explained the initial mission when opening Race Lane was “to bring a little 'city' to the East End. But now it's more a case of bringing a little of the East End to our city regulars.”

What makes Race Lane unique is that the couple has made the restaurant very much an extension of their home for their kids. Their firstborn, Jackson, was three years old when they made the decision to uproot the family and Ryder, their daughter, was born in the Hamptons; she's now four years old.

“They are flourishing and doing very well. It was the motivating force behind our decision to move to this beautiful place. You'll often see us at table 21 doing homework during the week. Our kids are part of the identity of Race Lane,” said Rowaida.

Race Lane is a true family business. “Jay handles the back of the house and I handle front of house,” Rowaida explained.

Race Lane is not just a summer season eatery; it’s open year round.

“The winter months are obviously quieter. However, interestingly enough, we see a lot city folks on weekends over the winter. Each year more city dwellers come out,” Rowaida said. “Not everyone goes to Florida.”

Race Lane, known for its welcoming fireplace in the winter and their outdoor bar and charming patio seating during the warmer months, is also famous for some menu highlights, including the mac ’n’ cheese with lobster.

“It started as a ‘late night dinner’ Jay would make for himself when he got home late from work,” Rowaida said. “Originally, it was mac ’n’ cheese with bacon."

Her husband, she said, would use two or three kinds of quality cheeses, with a great emphasis on Cheddar — and then cook the bacon so it was well done and crispy, crumble it over the top to form a lid and finish it in the oven for extra crispness.

"Now it's morphed into mac ’n’ cheese with lobster — and it’s not as heavy, believe it or not. Delicious," she said.

Jay added that their old school bolognese, a sauce that takes a day to make, may be the most popular dish year round.

The East End is known for farm-to-table locally sourced food, a concept the couple have taken to heart. “We have always worked with local purveyors, before it was trendy. Not just because of the obvious ‘delicious and fresh’ factor, but because as small business owners we feel it’s incredibly important to support other small local businesses,” Jay said. “And these smaller local farms depend on us all to survive. Most of our vegetables, oysters and fish are locally sourced.”

Race Lane is also an event and party space, and one of the events they look forward to holding yearly is the Hamptons International Film Festival’s closing night party.

“The festival seems to get bigger every year,” says Rowaida. “And it’s great for the East End. The size of our space lends itself to these kinds of events because if weather permits, the inside area opens to the outside seating area and bar so there’s space for a few hundred people to celebrate yet another successful festival.”

But despite all of the memories the family has of running Race Lane in its iconic East Hampton location, there is a chance that the restaurant may be moving.

“Our lease is coming up the end of September,” Rowaida tells Patch, sharing that Race Lane could be moving to a new location. “Who knows — maybe Race Lane moves to Sag Harbor? Stay tuned."

But wherever the location, Race Lane will have the same spirit of family.

“The relationships we've made at Race Lane have taught us so much about what's important and what matters in the lives of so many people,” Rowaida said. “And perhaps the restaurant has been a window into our own lives too. As I always say — it isn't just about the food.”

Photos by Sue Weiner