Australian expat Zoe Hoare and her husband Chris Mead own the popular New English Country Home in Bridgehampton — an eclectic mashup of antique dealership and interiors showroom, each item handpicked by the well-traveled pair. But when it comes to where to live, the couple picked nearby Sagaponack. They moved into a 1748 salt-box cottage on the charming Sagg Main Street, with their bulldog, Athena. Here, Hoare reveals her favorite destinations in and around the hood.
Madoo Conservancy
618 Sagg Main Street
Hoare, a former florist, says that this quirky greenspace (conceived by the late artist Robert Dash in 1967 and celebrating its 40th anniversary this year) “is so many gardens in one: Chinese, French-style, a parterre garden.” The best time to visit is during its summer benefit (“Much Ado About Madoo,” this Friday and Saturday). “It’s like ‘Alice in Wonderland’ — a group of beautiful people sipping prosecco on the lawn. It’s my absolute favorite night of the year.”
Wölffer Estate
139 Sagg Road
This Sagaponack-based vineyard might make the East End’s most famous rosé, but Hoare instead recommends sampling the buttery Perle chardonnay made here. “It’s the one we keep on tap at home,” she jokes. Bring a picnic here each Friday night in season, buy a couple of bottles of wine and idle away an evening listening to the bands playing all evening. “It’s very family oriented, with lots of kids running around, and it’s free.”
Pierre’s Market
542 Sagg Main Street
Restaurateur Pierre Weber just took over Sagaponack’s general store, upgrading both the bric-à-brac and the brew. “Now you’ll spot Alec Baldwin and [his wife] Hilaria in there, rather than Farmer Green picking up his morning joe,” Hoare chuckles. “Where else can you get a ratatouille omelet, brioche and coffee and go to the beach, all before work?”
Broadview Gardens
651 Sagg Main Street
Hoare calls owner Catherine Warren a “rose genius,” who can help an amateur cultivate even the most fragile rosebush. Pick one up on Saturday after the beach, suggests Hoare. “She also has a very rare cobalt-blue sage plant that I buy every year. I don’t cook with it, but I buy it every year for the intense blue color.”
Pike Farmstand & MariLee’s Farmstand
82 Sagg Main St.
Zoe recommends two quaint farmstands. Stock up on veggies and home-made potato chips at MariLee’s, whose owner MariLee Foster hand-makes them from local spuds. At Pike, Hoare picks up supersweet and white corn. “You don’t need to cook it, it’s so sweet, and I’ve never found it anywhere else.”
Loaves & Fishes
50 Sagg Main St.
Founded by the late chef Anna Pump, “this is the hostess-with-the-mostest go-to place if you don’t want to spend time cooking,” says Hoare. “The food is very clean: bean salads, balsamic chicken and a mean deviled egg. On Saturday mornings, the parking area is chockablock.”
Gibson Beach
Gibson Lane
This unofficial dog-friendly beach is often empty on weekday mornings. “It’s because it has restricted parking, no amenities and terrible phone service. Locals go there, and though we don’t know each other’s names, we know each other’s dogs’ names.”