Aug. 29 (Bloomberg) -- Alison in East Hampton was practically empty one evening in June. The few diners whispered to one another, so the servers wouldn't eavesdrop. There wasn't much else for them to do.

By mid-August, word had gotten out and the place was packed. After all, the restaurant on the eastern tip of Long Island is run by Alison Price Becker, the fabled being who gave her name to the romantic Alison on Dominick Street in Manhattan for 13 years.

With popularity comes stress (for eaters and wait staff alike). Her new and stylish enclave, which opened its doors in May, needs either a few more servers or faster eaters.

We were a party of five: The front desk had assured us hours earlier that it was fine to bump up our group by one. It wasn't. After drinking at the bar for an hour, we finally reached our table, with barely an apology. By then it was 10:15 p.m.

At least chef Robert Gurvich's French-inspired menu made up for the wait -- and also made us cross when the suddenly energetic waitress tried to clear our plates before we were done.

We started with the $29 sauteed foie gras with cherries, which had a delicious smoky taste. Quail with white-corn risotto ($16) was crispy and salty; succulent scallops ($17) were brushed with a caper-raisin sauce. Well-cooked lobster ($19) was refreshing in a chopped vegetable salad of fava beans, fennel, haricots vert and cherry tomatoes.

Main courses included the sauteed striped bass ($33), cleverly paired with salty chorizo, cockles and sweet peppers; the $27 goat cheese ravioli was light and fluffy.

Big Pig

A huge roasted pork chop ($33) was tender but underseasoned; celery seed-crusted veal loin ($39) was dry on our first visit, juicier the second time.

Desserts are $11. Try the homemade ice cream: Lemon verbena is a winner. The frozen lemon meringue pie with pecan crust is soft on the outside, cold within.

Alison has one other thing going for it: atmosphere. It's tucked inside the Maidstone Arms, an inn that dates back to the early 1800s, with a garden and front porch that overlooks a pond inhabited by swans. The modern dining room has black-and-white photographs and young music -- Feist was playing on our first visit. The bar area in the more casual Tavern Room serves $10 Caesar salads and $16 Wagyu burgers.

Sunset Beach's Scene

Sunset Beach on Shelter Island, not surprisingly, also has atmosphere, with that great view out over the bay. Another New Yorker, Andre Balazs of the Mercer hotel, has transferred a lot of his trendy verve.

The open-air, two-story restaurant, bar and stylish 20-room motel is across the street from the beach. Watching the sunset (this weekend and next week it's at about 7:15 p.m.) and attractive Europeans drinking the strong mojitos, champagne with elderflower liqueur (cocktails hover around $15) and bottles of Domaine d'Ott rose wine ($90) make up for the variable food.

If you must try the pricey menu, order the roasted branzino with white wine and thyme ($38) or the spiced beef triangles and watercress salad ($14). The usual French fare is available, from $30 moules frites to $40 bouillabaisse. Better yet, bring your own line-caught fish to the kitchen by 4 p.m. and they'll cook it for you for $30.

Get a table out front so you can dine while sinking your feet in the sand and enjoying a bonfire. With a little help from the Frenchies at the next table, you could almost make believe you're in St. Tropez admiring the Mediterranean.

Alison is at 207 Main St. in East Hampton. Information: +1-631-324-5440; http://www.alisonrestaurant.com; http://www.maidstonearms.com.

Sunset Beach is at 35 Shore Road, Shelter Island. The restaurant and hotel close for the season on Sept. 28. Information: +1-631-749-2001; http://www.sunsetbeachli.com.

(Mary Romano is an editor for Bloomberg News. The opinions expressed are her own.)

To contact the writer responsible for this story: Mary Romano at mromano6@bloomberg.net.

Last Updated: August 29, 2008 00:01 EDT